The Gang of Five
The Land Before Time => General Land Before Time => Topic started by: Cancerian Tiger on May 07, 2008, 10:36:11 PM
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I was just thinking, is it just me or do the LBT sequels seem to be becoming less suspenseful :huh:? It seems as though they should return the level of suspense back to the way it was in the first five movies. We don't want it too scary for the little ones, but the series would not have been so successful if it was, would it? The only real suspense I felt after LBT 5 were the sharptooth scene in LBT 9 and the scene where Cera got her horn lodged in the tree in LBT 10; otherwise nothing else. I dunno. Does anyone else here notice the same trend in LBT?
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Yes, that is true. The creators are too worried about keeping it safe for the kids and I do believe that they had a certain writers strike,(at least, that's what I heard)so they are loosing their creativity. I'm not surprised that it has happened. Especially since the sequels just keep going on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on......
Also, another thing to consider is that the magic that they had in the first 5 movies, isn't the same in the later movies (that's my opinion anyway) However, in the seventh sequel, it had a different kind of magic that was very good too (since that is my favorite LBT movie of all time) but in the later movies? Unfortunately, they did loose it :p
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I had noticed it also. I wonder if that is due to a single reason or a number of reasons, like the director, if they use the same writers instead of bringing in some new writers now and then, ect.
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I dunno. LBT 12 had like NO suspense at all. It was just a little story, however LBT 13 had a lot of action and tense moments. I think it's just random.
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Nope you're not seeing things...that's the general concensus with me.
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no,
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I wonder if it's due to the higher ups coming in and demanding or deciding certain things, or a side effect of who is chosen to work on the LBT movies & series or a mix.
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I don't find any difference in the amount of danger or "scariness" in the films from movies 2-13. The newer movies just seem a little less suspenseful because they're colored much more cartoon like, giving them a much more light and childish feel than a real dinosaur feel.
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I think there actually is some difference which depends to a large (though not exclusive) degree on the "quality" of the sharpteeth. Making them appear too harmless (e.g. LBT 8, 10 etc.) does make a great difference from the movies where the sharptooth seems to be an actual thread to the lives of characters.
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I can see a difference between the original sharptooth and the sharpteeth in the series, however I don't see any difference in the sharpteeth in any of the sequels when compared to themselves. The sharpteeth in LBT 2&3 were just as threatening as the sharpteeth in all the later sequels to me.
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In case of Chomper's parents in LBT 2, they certainly had their slapstick moments (as did the original movie's sharptooth), but at least they did come across as threatening to the characters. It took a big boulder to knock one of them out. In LBT 10 it is sufficient to hurl a few pebbles at a sharptooth to make it trip (something which can also be achieved by crawling under an LBT 10 sharptooth's feet; don't worry, it won't hurt ;)).
While in the earlier sequels the sharpteeth often did not "dodge" any attack because they didn't see it coming the LBT 8 sharptooth doesn't seem to see any need to just step aside while he sees the big snowball rolling towards him (leaving enough time for old Mr. Thicknose to get out of the way although he was closer to the snowball than the sharptooth).
In LBT 2 we had one of Chomper's parents defeat Littlefoot's grandpa (and it would have been grandpa's death had it not been for the distraction provided by a flyer, whom I presume to be Petrie's mum). In LBT 6 we have two sharpteeth defeat Littlefoot's grandpa and Doc is the one to save the day.
On the other hand we have an LBT 10 sharptooth biting Bron's leg not leaving so much as a scratch.
There have always been slapstick moments of sharpteeth. It is the menacing rather than the comical element that is varying.
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Hmm... I hadn't really thought about this "trend" before... (Of course, seeing as I'm indifferent to any of the movies - albeit, the first one was, just; wow... - but, yeah, I wasn't really looking for this sort of thing... I'm happy with all of the movies, a thing that I can't say for any other cartoon series on the PLANET. Just how I feel...)
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Lets all just remember tickling and pebbles wouldn't kill the original sharptooth....even a dive headfirst into a canyon didn't do it. Don't tell me there isn't a difference.
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There has been a difference, though the one in the 6th movie fell a great distance and was only stunned like the one in the first movie. Maybe they are related.
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That's possible. But, in my case - and, yeah, this may be a shallow view - a dead Sharptooth is still dead... ...It's just LBT, for Pete's sake... Are we putting too much emphasis on it? I can't honestly answer that question; maybe we are, and maybe we aren't. No, Petrie, you're right; there IS a difference... Just that it never bothered me; either way, a dead Sharptooth is still dead... (Here come the flaming arrows to shoot me down... *joking* :lol )
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I have to agree. The theatrical episodes made in the first 10 years, up to about Episode 5, have more action and suspense than the latest ones.
This could be because the writing staff is constantly changing. Also keep in mind that after 13 movies, there's only so many ideas left.
This is why Episode 1 (the original) is often said to be better than the sequels. Think about it: You had 5 kids on their own, their families are missing and/or dead, and they had an epic journey to paradise, that while perilous, was actually realistic.
You can't get much bigger than that, unless the Rainbowfaces take them in their flying saucer to explore the Universe, or Doc Brown, or Indiana Jones or someone like that shows up ;>
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Part of it also is likely the fact the the director has been the same from 5-12 or 13, and some of the higher ups may have the same as well. The writers can only do so much within the limits they are given, and their own inherent skill, tastes, ect.
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I really see it as an issue of animation. O.o Honestly, the Sharpteeth after about V or VI are drawn just....I guess "softly" is the word I'm looking for? The color does no justice to the suspense issue either, but I think about it like this: Kids in the late 80's/early 90's were alot different than the kids of today. They liked to do crazy outside destructive things while alot of young kids I know of today have a tendency to be stuck to computers or inside-type things... Maybe that has a difference, or maybe it doesn't...but that's just my little view on it.
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I'm not really certain about this one. Are kids less destructive nowadays because they spend more time on the computer? Being in many cases exposed to much more graphic display of violence in the medias (TV, internet etc.) than they used to be 10 years ago I don't really think that this is the basis for the LBT sharpteeth turning harmless. I'm really under the impression that some of the later sequels are meant for a younger audience while earlier sequels (though certainly made for kids too) had a somewhat broader scope.
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I'd guess it's the change in folks in charge and deciding to focus on young kids instead of focusing on an all ages type of movie. Which to me I think if something focus on all ages it leads to a better product, better story ect, then one focused only on kids. You can still have an all ages movie and have it be popular and g rated.
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i don't exactly remember, but i think, i recognized something. comparing the sequels there is indeed a visible change in the character's outlooking. the reason might be a change in the team of the drawers.
please correct me if i'm mistaken.
the early movies were drawn by a korean art studio, the later ones by an american.
in case i'm wrong, i wait with further speculations.
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It could be. It is not uncommon that some animated things are down by a Korean art studio. More of the outsourcing things to a country to save in production costs and up one's profit margin, the same many computer and isp companies have their helpstaff are outsourced to India.
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so far with the art style.
people said, the 5th movie was kind of the changing point, so this could have been the last one of the korean team. and well, americans are, let's say, likely to overreact when it comes up to the degree of suspense in children movies.
you probably know: 11 minutes of the 1988 movie were cut out because of horror-stuff, as they said.
finally i'm tempted to say that the amis took the suspense away. that'd be my conclusion.
edit: i have to correct myself. after The Secret of Saurus Rock the art work wasn't taken over by an american, but a taiwanese studio. just found it out.
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Yeah, the magic of the first three sequels is unfortunately long gone. :cry
In LBT 2 we had one of Chomper's parents defeat Littlefoot's grandpa (and it would have been grandpa's death had it not been for the distraction provided by a flyer, whom I presume to be Petrie's mum).
You're right, It was Petrie's mom (action girl! :smile ) , although when she first appeared she was accidentally drawn as a giant Petrie, which has since become a reacurring animation goof :lol