Went The Wrong Way?

[Duckyfan]

I was watching the original land before time, and i was wondering why the narrator said that Cera went the wrong way when they were passing the mountains that burn. I thought Littlefoot's Mother told them to go that way?

[Malte279]

I believe that this one would have been a lot clearer if the original order of events would have been kept. The original concept had Littlefoot find the Great Valley after the quarrel with Cera but return to lead the others on the right way.
The fact remains however that with that order of events Littlefoot's way however doesn't seem to have come very close to any "mountains that burn" indeed. Interesting observation

[WeirdRaptor]

Littlefoot's mother said "past" mountains that burn. Cera's way led right into them.

[Petrie.]

^ You could make the argument, that to go "past the mountains that burn" implies you know they are there.  We have no clue how far either group went their separate ways but to go past, you need to go by, so maybe Cera's way would've gotten them there too.  Those cut scenes sure muddied up that line.

[Petrie85]

Yeah true true Cera's way might have been right but I'm not sure. Little Foot went the right way even tho his way was tougher and more challenging.

[DarkHououmon]

One thing I note about Littlefoot in the first movie was how stubborn he was when it came to the directions his mom gave him. He seemed to think that going straight was the only way to go. Rather than walk around that mountain range, which still would have left them on the right track, he thought it best to go through them, despite how exhausting it was. He was also bossy as well, forcing the others, despite being so tired they collapse, to keep pressing on rather than let them take a rest.

Cera is known to be pretty bossy in the sequels at times, but in the first movie, I feel it is Littlefoot who was the bossiest. She never told the others what to do (aside from Littlefoot going away) and she did not attempt to force Littlefoot to come with her and the others came with Cera on their own accord. Littlefoot is the only one who was actively trying to make the others do what he wanted, including getting them to help him defeat Sharptooth, something that could have cost them their lives.

This is from memory. I'll have to watch the movie again to be sure.

This doesn't mean I think Littlefoot is a bad character. I'm just saying that Cera isn't the only character that is known to be aggressive. Littlefoot is as well, though largely in the first movie. In the sequels, he mellowed out more. He has his moments, still.

[Duckyfan]

One thing I note about Littlefoot in the first movie was how stubborn he was when it came to the directions his mom gave him. He seemed to think that going straight was the only way to go. Rather than walk around that mountain range, which still would have left them on the right track, he thought it best to go through them, despite how exhausting it was. He was also bossy as well, forcing the others, despite being so tired they collapse, to keep pressing on rather than let them take a rest.

Cera is known to be pretty bossy in the sequels at times, but in the first movie, I feel it is Littlefoot who was the bossiest. She never told the others what to do (aside from Littlefoot going away) and she did not attempt to force Littlefoot to come with her and the others came with Cera on their own accord. Littlefoot is the only one who was actively trying to make the others do what he wanted, including getting them to help him defeat Sharptooth, something that could have cost them their lives.

This is from memory. I'll have to watch the movie again to be sure.

This doesn't mean I think Littlefoot is a bad character. I'm just saying that Cera isn't the only character that is known to be aggressive. Littlefoot is as well, though largely in the first movie. In the sequels, he mellowed out more. He has his moments, still.

I do agree that littlefoot was very stubborn and at time bossy but I do think that Cera was the Bossiest, to the point she was just flat out mean. And i do agree that littlefoot mellowed out alot and by just watching the second one ( I am rewatching all the movies) it looked like Cera mellowed out alot too.

[Dilopho]

If he wouldn't have forced them to go with him they would have never made it to the valley and died somewhere in the desert without hope. He was the leader of the herd and the only one who kept an eye on the others. Furthermore he also risked his own live to save them and he never forced his friends to do something, he only "inspired" them, that what the leader of a herd has to do. The only mistake he made was not to believe Cera but with the knowledge of her stubborn character, I think, everybody would have done the same.
That he wanted to defeat sharptooth is also the only possible choice if you look at the uncut movie. Sharptooth was close to the entrance of the valley and he knew what that would mean for helpless dinosaurs, like the kind of Ducky, if Sharptooth would have found it.

Cera on the other side never told the others to do something, because she doesn't care about other races and the only thing she did was to constantly insult the others. Her behaviour in contrast to Littlefoot's has almost cost the lives of the others in some situations. Furthermore she was also a little bit the cause of the death of Littlefoot's mother because she took the wrong way through the thorns.

Unfortunately in the sequels Littlefoot's character made a backward development and he became more and more a child. I don't think that anybody of them would have made it to the valley with the "softness" you can see in the following movies.

[Justin1993]

Furthermore she was also a little bit the cause of the death of Littlefoot's mother because she took the wrong way through the thorns.

I don't know if you can actually put her as the direct cause of this. In my opinion, even if she had listened to Littlefoot, sharptooth would still have been persistent in his chase that he would eventually found a way to get to them. Things may have played out differently but the result still might have been the same. I wouldn't say sharptooth killed her but the earthquake. Chances are during all the shaking, she fell and animal of that size falling onto itself is likely to do some damage internally. She did say she couldn't get up.
However, it was Cera's fault that Spike, Petrie, and Ducky, almost died. That was directly her fault.

Unfortunately in the sequels Littlefoot's character made a backward development and he became more and more a child. I don't think that anybody of them would have made it to the valley with the "softness" you can see in the following movies.

There I agree with you. One thing I don't understand about the sequels is why they call it "The Mysterious Beyond." The dinosaurs traveled long throughout the land beyond the Valley, so why call it mysterious? And the fact that the kids were so reluctant in the 2nd movie to go out there just wipes away their previous adventure through it to find the Great Valley in the first place. If they survived it once, they could do it again. It's not like they ventured that far from the valley.

[Duckyfan]

There I agree with you. One thing I don't understand about the sequels is why they call it "The Mysterious Beyond." The dinosaurs traveled long throughout the land beyond the Valley, so why call it mysterious? And the fact that the kids were so reluctant in the 2nd movie to go out there just wipes away their previous adventure through it to find the Great Valley in the first place. If they survived it once, they could do it again. It's not like they ventured that far from the valley.

^ I completely Agree

[Dilopho]

I don't know if you can actually put her as the direct cause of this. In my opinion, even if she had listened to Littlefoot, sharptooth would still have been persistent in his chase that he would eventually found a way to get to them. Things may have played out differently but the result still might have been the same. I wouldn't say sharptooth killed her but the earthquake. Chances are during all the shaking, she fell and animal of that size falling onto itself is likely to do some damage internally. She did say she couldn't get up.

But Littlefoot's path could have also changed everything, we don't know. From what we know from the produced version of the movie Cera's way led them to his mother and her loud scream lured Sharptooth to them, so she was a bit complicit in her death. And I think her death was caused by Sharptooth not the earthquake. Littlefoot also mentioned it during his conversation with Rooter and in the books of the movie you can read as single cause for her death that she was badly injured by Sharptooth.

[DarkHououmon]

I still stand by what I said about Littlefoot being very bossy. As stated, I don't think of him as a bad character. Just that he was quite bossy and this attitude could have easily gone either way. Sure it might have gotten them to the valley, but at the same time, due to how difficult it was, it could have gotten them killed.

My point wasn't to say that Littlefoot should have been nicer, nor was it to state that he didn't get them to the valley. My point is that Cera is not the only bossy character; Littlefoot was like this in the first movie, then got softer in the sequels. Again, regardless if Littlefoot's urging got them to the valley or not, you cannot dismiss the fact that he was bossy, and in my opinion, more bossy than Cera was in the first movie. In fact I could easily say that Littlefoot of the first movie is just as bossy, if not even more bossy, than Cera in the sequels.

Littlefoot still could have offered more rest, however. Climbing up that mountain was tiresome, and Sharptooth couldn't get them up there, plus there's no flying sharpteeth nearby, so there's not much of an excuse on Littlefoot's part to not allow them some rest. It's not like the others were being lazy either. He assumed that they were quitting, but they weren't; they were simply tired. And by rest, I mean a few minutes or even an hour's rest to get their strength back.

Cera wasn't the cause of Littlefoot's mother's death. Littlefoot was. And yes there is a reason I put the blame more so on him than on Cera. Littlefoot's mother died from Sharptooth biting into her. Littlefoot, instead of staying by his mother while they slept, moved out to chase a frog, where he ran into Cera. Sharptooth showed up and attacked, and Littlefoot's mother had to save them. Littlefoot did try to tell Cera to go the right way, but she doesn't listen. But instead of just going his way so he would be safe, Littlefoot goes after Cera instead. So Sharptooth attacks him and chases him and Cera, when he could have escaped himself and his mother wouldn't have fought for him.

Of course it's not in his nature to let something bad happen to someone else if he could help it, so he ends up chasing Cera, even though he probably could have still helped her without doing so. Either way, he chases her, and his mom saves him and Cera from Sharptooth, but as a result gets mortally hurt. The earthquake happens and she falls down. It's not the fall that kills her; it's the injury on her back.

In short, it is Littlefoot's fault because he could have just stayed home and none of that would have happened. Sharptooth would have simply chased Cera instead. Cera's screaming may have eventually alerted her father and he could have saved her. I doubt her herd was too far away, though probably further away than Littlefoot's mother and grandparents were.

I'm not saying he's a bad character, and I am not trying to put a "guilt trip" on him. What I am saying is that it is unfair to say that Cera was the cause when Littlefoot made the biggest blunders. The only thing Cera did wrong was go the wrong way, and in the end, when you think about it, Littlefoot could have gone the right way instead. Nothing was forcing him to go Cera's way, which he knew was dangerous. Poor thinking on his part.

Yes Cera could have gone the right way and things might have turned out differently. But in the end, she made only one mistake, while Littlefoot had at least two chances to change how things went, by either staying at home or by going the right way anyway despite Cera going the wrong way. So that's two mistakes on his part.

And no I'm not trying to be harsh on him. I'm well aware of what he went through in the movie. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed to point out his mistakes. Anyway, no offense or anything.

[Malte279]

With regard to the Sharptooth's attack in the first movie I don't see any basis to blame the death of Littlefoot's mother on Cera. All that we do have is Littelfoot shouting that she was going "the wrong way", that's all we have. In which way was the way wrong to begin with?
Would Littlefoot's way have lead into a magical sphere in which Sharptooth's sense of smell would have been so inhibited as for him to loose track of Littlefoot and Cera? Not likely if you ask me.
The most common reaction for the kids would have been to try to return to their folks as quickly as possible and my guess (which I cannot prove but against which I don't see any strong arguments) would be that Cera took the way that would have brought her to her folks while Littlefoot was going for his. In that case Littlefoot's way might have even led Sharptooth closer to his folks even if it hadn't been for Littlefoot's mother's searching for her son (which more than anything else brought her closer to the Sharptooth).
An alternative assumption would be that Littlefoot deemed his way "right" in an attempt to get deeper into the "safety" of the thorn thicket, but even then that would have been a rather fragile security as far as I can tell and would not have prevented a clash between Sharptooth and Littlefoot's mother if she got anywhere close while looking for her kids.
I am with Rooter here when he said "it is nobody's fault" and I don't see any need to find someone to blame for this either. Unless there was a character that could have deleted any thought of hunting and meet eating from the mind of the sharptooth I really don't see anyone to stand trial for the hardships of the circle of life. I do not see any character acting unjustifiably stupid or directly causing any of the unfortunate events there. And once again, the only thing such a debate would be based on would be Littlefoot's saying that Cera's way was "wrong" with no explanation of any sort on why his would have been very different.
As for the matter of bossiness in the first movie there is a very fundamental difference between Cera and Littlefoot (it has pretty much been pointed out before so I apologize for the repetition). Cera didn't have any intention to "lead" anyone or get affiliated with any of those non-threehorn characters to begin with. She never ever asked for anyone to follow her or even suggested anyone to do so. The decisions after the quarrel between Littlefoot and Cera had been those of Spike, Ducky and Petrie rather than any conviction work of Cera (who only ever said what she herself was going to do and didn't even wait for any of the others to make up their minds). Cera's walking with the others was more likely than not based on practical thinking more than anything else (the most cynical interpretation would be "if there are four other pieces of prey for the sharptooth to pick from I stand a better chance of not being the prey of choice", but I think even for Cera that would be unlikely to be spelled out in her mind like that) and she more likely than not would have been aware that her family was headed in the same direction. Even if her father didn't explain the way to her the way Littlefoot's mother did Cera may have well noticed that they had been going in the direction of the bright circle though she was never told that any deviation from that direction would make her go wrong. Her relationship to all of the others in the original movie is never ever that of a leader. She only enjoys the admiration of character's like Ducky, Petrie, and Spike but this never makes her order anyone else around about whose actions at that time she may hardly care at all.
Littlefoot does become a leader of the group even though this is not his original intention. His original attitude towards Ducky is very much influenced by his attempt to copy Cera (even Littlefoot seemed to be to a certain degree impressed by her). Ducky (and also Petrie) WANT to be lead. Ducky's reaction to Littlefoot's offer for her to come along is hardly that of someone who fears being bossed around. What is remarkeable about Littlefoot's claim to leadership is that it is based on a piece of information which he very likely shared with the others (follow the sun past the rock that looks like a longneck and past the mountains that burn = paradise) and his quasi religious zeal to follow that call. Had any of the others been told anything else about the whereabouts of the Great Valley the situation might have become rather different. From the point of view of somebody who had never ever been told about the Great Valley or the way to it Littlefoot's story about his dead mother talking to him through treestars (not sure if he ever did share that with his friends (which I consider a very interesting question by the way)) and telling him in her lifetime that she had never seen the Great Valley but with her heart does bear a slightly eerie resemblance to the way some religious fanatics or sectarians would talk. On that basis one could ascribe a degree of bossiness to Littlefoot that is justified mostly by the good ends and intentions.

[Dilopho]

Littlefoot still could have offered more rest, however. Climbing up that mountain was tiresome, and Sharptooth couldn't get them up there, plus there's no flying sharpteeth nearby, so there's not much of an excuse on Littlefoot's part to not allow them some rest. It's not like the others were being lazy either. He assumed that they were quitting, but they weren't; they were simply tired. And by rest, I mean a few minutes or even an hour's rest to get their strength back.

 

I think, this scene shall imply that the others were near to give up everything and because Littlefoot believed that they where close to their destination he encouraged them a bit. When someone you know is close the the end of an hard task but also at the end of his tether you would also say something like: "Come on, only a little farther, don't stop now."

[Cancerian Tiger]

I have to agree with DH on Littlefoot.  I have no intention of bashing any of the characters here; however, I too feel he should've let the others rest up more, and he should've not let his aggressiveness get the best of him when he and Cera quarreled.  Clearly, she did not want to lead anybody and wanted to go on her own way, but Littlefoot was, in my opinion, even trying to physically stop her from leaving, which is wrong.  I agree Cera could've been a little less hot-headed herself, but imagine being on such a journey with no food, water, relief from the elements, tired, not knowing if your family is dead or not, unsure if you'll make it out alive or not, and above all a group member being bossy and telling you when and where to go.  I think I would flip too if I were in her position.

I can unerstand where Littlefoot is coming from.  I love hiking, and can easily pull off a twenty-five mile hike through mountains with an elevation change of up to five-thousand feet with the highest point being at least 11,000 feet above sea level in a day hike (12-13 hours), and that's with some brief rest stops and lots of picture-taking.  To lead others on hikes who are slower or much more out of shape can be frustrating.  However, one has to understand that a group is only as strong as its weakest member, a fact Littlefoot seemed to had forgotten with the others.  In a group, everyone has to look out for each other, and if even one member shows signs of fatigue or other signs of any dangerous condition, the group should stop for some time and, if needed, provide aid for the affected group member(s).  By Littlefoot pressing them to keep moving even though they complained of exhaustion, they could've easily dropped dead from exhaustion.  It would've been better for him to let them rest and accept that the journey may take a little longer than to rush them and lose them to unnecessary deaths.

As for Cera causing the death of Littlefoot's mother, that's disgusting for me to hear, and not just because she's my favorite character.  She acted out of a natural reflex to danger, simple.  Imagine being just a toddler and someone breaks into your home with the intention to murder.  How would you react?  Just sit there quietly and watch everyone including yourself get murdered?  Unless you're mute, I don't think so.  I actually think the whole situation could've been much worse had she not reacted the way she did.  To me, anyone saying she caused Littlefoot's mother's death is just an easy way for haters to cast blame.  What next?  She caused the earthquake, too?  Gimme a break.  Littlefoot's mother's death was most likely inevitable regardless of how the Sharptooth got to her.  I mean, that thing was literally a beast!  Even Cera's father probably would've lost that fight :!.

[DarkHououmon]

What bothers me is how there are people so willing to cast Cera in a negative light and so willing to ignore the bad stuff about Littlefoot. They like to treat him as an innocent angel incapable of wrong-doing. They ignored that Littlefoot helped to accelerate the fight between him and Cera in the first movie, acting like it was entirely Cera's fault, when in reality it was not. Littlefoot is just as guilty as she is. Sorry, but it's true.

My point isn't to say that Littlefoot is a bad character, or that Cera had done no wrong herself. My point is they are both more complex than simply the 'black and white' personalities some people have painted for them. They both deserve to be treated like more three dimensional, believable characters, with both their good and bad actions recognized. To treat them as one-dimensional characters, emphasizing Cera's bad traits only and Littlefoot's good traits only, is shameful, in my opinion.

[Duckyfan]

But Littlefoot's path could have also changed everything, we don't know. From what we know from the produced version of the movie Cera's way led them to his mother and her loud scream lured Sharptooth to them, so she was a bit complicit in her death. And I think her death was caused by Sharptooth not the earthquake

I agree that Littlefoot's Path Could have changed alot and that Cera is partially responsible for Littlefoot's mothers death because if they would have gone the other way then they could have gotten away from the sharptooth. Also, if the adults where watching the kids (they were sleeping) or told them not to leave the camp then maybe none of that would have started in the first place. Oh and one thing I noticed was how fast the sun came up, it was only a few minutes after they were playing in the pond and it was night then all of a sudden it was morning? :huh:

[DarkHououmon]

And how is Cera responsible for Littlefoot's mother's death?

Keep in mind that Littlefoot could have gone another way. Also keep in mind that Littlefoot's way likely wouldn't have helped much because Sharptooth could have still smellled them out. And keep in mind that both Littlefoot and Cera were frightened and wanted to get back to their families as soon as possible and Cera's family may have been in another direction.

While I did say Littlefoot was more to blame, and he still is when you think about it, that doesn't mean I was trying to shame Littlefoot. His mother was killed by Sharptooth, not by Cera and not by Littlefoot. There were many things that could have happened, but while we can ponder the what-ifs, none of that changes what happened.

But trying to blame Cera for something that wasn't really her fault? Do you really blame her, put fault on her, when she was frightened and just wanted to go to her parents? Do you really think that she should be charged as guilty in Littlefoot's mother's death? If you do, then you should do the same with Littlefoot, as he could have either stayed home or gone his own way instead of wandering away and chasing after Cera.

But that isn't what I'm trying to say anyway. What I am trying to say is what happened, happened, with no one truly to blame. Yes there are some things that might have made a difference, but how do we know? Perhaps the incident would have still resulted in LF's mother's death even if Littlefoot had stayed back with his mother and grandparents. Who knows?

It's hard to say. But we won't get anywhere if we're willing to place blame on a single individual.

[Duckyfan]

But we won't get anywhere if we're willing to place blame on a single individual.

I'm not trying to put all the blame on Cera i'm just saying that "IF" they had gone the other way they could have escaped.

[WeirdRaptor]

^ You could make the argument, that to go "past the mountains that burn" implies you know they are there. We have no clue how far either group went their separate ways but to go past, you need to go by, so maybe Cera's way would've gotten them there too. Those cut scenes sure muddied up that line.

Well, Cera's way didn't get them there. In fact, Cera's way almost got them all killed. Petrie, Ducky, and Spike got trapped in a tar pit and required Littlefoot's assistance to get out, and then Cera got chased by starving Pachys and would have died without the intervention of her friends pretending to some kind of Cthulhu-esque abomination.
The question is not "could have", but "did". Did her way get them there? No. They got to the valley when Littlefoot took over leading again, thus proving the concept even with the scenes gettng muddied.

And I think I could become aware of "the mountains that burn" without having to walk right into their midst. Volcanos are not subtle things. So I think if I were a traveling dinosaur, I would see them and walk past them, just like the instructions said to do.