It is funny sometimes just how different perceptions can be.
About many of the aspects you mentioned I would do pretty much the opposite if I was given the chance to create my version of LBT 7.
I think that Littlefoot is almost ALWAYS experiencing/seeing the plot device in the first seven movies most of the time.
This is one point I agree with and it would be a good thing to have more spotlight on the others in the movie. However, there was a good reason not to have Petrie or trusting Ducky see the Stone of Cold Fire. Pterano would have never had to talk Petrie into "spying" for him thereby creating the conflict of loyalties for poor Petrie which I found to be one of the more interesting aspects of LBT 7. However, there would have to be a good reason why Pterano doesn't just ask Littlefoot about it directly. In the movie he suggests going to seek the stone together, but there is no reason why (after Littlefoot's refusal to come along) he doesn't just say something along the lines: "You don't want to come along? Why, that's a pity but I am really interested in this. Can you tell me where it landed?"
Further more Pterano could have included the fact that if he did find the stone he might also be able to prove that Littlefoot had told the truth. I really don't see any convincing way in which Littlefoot could have just said "Nope, I won't tell you" unless the movie did not include that odd secretiveness of the grownups about Pterano.
For this really is a weak point of the movie. Apparently Cera's father had told Cera about why Pterano had been banned but she had just forgotten (so why not just ask him again?). And why on earth was anyone shy to tell the kids about Pterano's past? Fear that they couldn't handle it and get sleepless nights over it? Hardly plausible I think. I do like the idea of Cera's mother and / or siblings being with the group Pterano led to their doom, but this would require some background on why they would be with him but without Cera's Dad.
The story gets out. "You're crazy" happens. Enter the Rainbow Faces (who could seem slightly more alien). Instead of "Beyond the Mysterious Beyond", we would have the Rainbow Faces kinda poke at Mr. Threehorn's skeptical mind. Please include "Why not the Boring Beyond? Or the 'Ooo, There's-Nothing-Out-There-Of-Any-Interest-Of-Us-Beyond'?" They would have a little TALK that takes up less time than the song, and go straight into the Stone of Cold Fire.
Now there I think the movie would have needed a plausible explanation for why the entire Valley got upset about a single kid telling a story about a flying rock that did not look normal. If nobody believed him anyway why would there by such a huge interest in it that Littlefoot would be summoned to some kind of court of inquisition just to be told "you're crazy or a liar". It really doesn't make much sense. As for the rainbowfaces I would either try to cut them out entirely or else do all I can to make them come across NOT as aliens from outer space. This really was the main breach of a taboo which made LBT 7, in spite of its interesting plot devices, the first movie I had a serious problem with. I definitely would not have a movie created with anything so unrealistic like that "volcano elevator / lift" devised by them either and most definitely I would cut out the star trek beaming. As for the song Beyond the Mysterious Beyond however, I am not so sure if I would cut it out nor am I about very important creature. I think both songs worked out well to bring a message across that would otherwise have required some excessively long and boring and potentially awkward talk. In any case I would have tried to keep the rainbowfaces mysterious themselves if they were in "my version" of the movie.
...come to think of it, it might have been interesting if of all the characters Cera would have been the one to see the stone. She is tougher than the others and not likely to let anyone get away with calling her a liar or crazy and she might have been so eager to prove herself right that she might have even gone out on her own to find that stone if nobody else came along. I also see her more likely to give a grownup (Pterano) asking about the whereabouts of the stone a flat "no" than any of the others. Moreover I think it would be really funny to see the usually very down to earth Cera in a situation where everyone believes she was talking nonsense.
Here comes Pterano. He might be a little bit creepier if he tries to get the Stone's location from his nephew and his nephew's friend XD .
Again I would have done just the opposite. In the movie you could tell after the first few words he spoke that Pterano was not to be trusted. Gee, you didn't even need the first words, it was sufficient to see him during the scene in which the rainbowfaces told about the stone of cold fire to know that he was to be a crook. Why not make him a character who fools the audience as well as the kids? I really wouldn't mind him as a character who seems perfectly trustworthy until he strikes. Even good instincts can be fooled by a better pretender. If (as I suggested above) Cera had been the one to see the stone and giving Pterano a flat no over it I could imagine a rather funny scene with everyone else being abashed about Cera being so rude to that friendly uncle of Petrie's
If Rinkus and Sierra were to be around it would be kind of interesting on getting a little more background on how come that these self-confident (Sierra) and sly (Rinkus) characters would submit to Pterano as a leader. In LBT 7 as we know it there was not much so awe inspiring about him to see why they would accept him as a leader. No matter what, I think the inspiring or leadership qualities which Pterano must have had (also to make the dinosaurs in the flashback follow him) should have been shown. I could imagine him holding a little speech or winning in a kind of speech duel in front of some others to show him as more inspiring and smarter than he came across in the movie as we know it.
As the group decides to go after Pterano, we cut back to the fliers. They take a break to rest and Pterano tries to sneak Ducky back to the Great Valley the safest way for her to get back on her own. It ultimately fails when Sierra thinks she is running away. Somewhat the same as before, but we don't have Pterano trying to bribe her out. "We won't hurt you", indeed
He wouldn't appear as much in command if he had to try to let Ducky escape secretly and failing in the attempt. Since they had no real reason to carry Ducky on with them I don't see why Pterano could not openly suggest that. Remember it was Rinkus in the movie to suggest to leave her behind which made the following pursuit of Ducky and the short recapture later on kind of unnecessary. What would they want from her anyway?
If (as suggested above) Cera had been the one to see the stone she might have told Ducky who might not have told the flyers at that time. This way they would have a reason to take her along (in the actual movie they did not have a good reason to abduct her in the first place. She would have told the others about the flyers' plans, but that was easy enough to figure out anyway).
I could also imagine an interesting plot device in the flyers breaking up at an early time. There could be three or four separate groups chasing after the stone. Rinkus and Sierra (angry about Pterano's refusal to use "their methods" to make Ducky talk), Pterano and Ducky (whom he might convince to tell him about the whereabouts of the stone by kindness and conviction), Cera (very eager to prove she was right she might have set out on her own even before any abduction of Ducky), and Petrie, Littlefoot and Spike who either might have gone with Cera or after her mostly intend on bringing Cera and Ducky home safely.
Petrie nearly drowns and DUCKY saves him *1812 Overture*.
Canon sound in LBT you mean? :blink:
But please don't get anything the wrong way that I said. I really like this idea of threads about how we would have changed the plots of given LBT movies. We might even end up with some good purely LBT fanfiction ideas and "what if?" scenarios from such threads. Thank you Ptyra
