I'm probably making a grave mistake to even admitting this, I'm gonna get tarred and feathered, but to each their own, right? I'm the only LBT fan I know who actually liked the 7th movie the best, if not as much as the first. Why? I don't know, I guess the characters left a lasting impression on me.
Offhand, I would say that none of the sequels can top the first film because it had superior animation, and many of us first saw it when we were kids - so it brings back memories, and all that.
It does bring back memories for me, and I know the first time I saw it, I was utterly fascinated. But, I have a very active imagination, and most of the sequels actually enhanced my appreciation for the LBT movies - not lessened it. Yeah the quality wasn't as authentic, maybe even some of the storylines weren't. But like I said, I get pretty absorbed into fandoms sometimes, and since I enjoyed almost all of the sequels, I can easily say that it opened up the LBT world for me, even if they weren't like the first movie.
A few of my thoughts on what made the 7th movie stand out to me:
- It's been mentioned before. The villains are leaf-eaters. Which is interesting, because previously, all of the villains (aside from Hyp and his gang being...well, kinda like villains, but really just bullies) are, of course, sharpteeth. Villains that the characters can talk and interact with are fun, no doubt about it. We get a little glimpse into what their motives are, and why they do the things they do. It's not just some hungry carnivore that Littlefoot and the others have to run away from or "defeat" by tricking. Not that this lessens the others - each sequel has something unique about it. But villains among your own lot are interesting. XD
- Not only is the 'villain' - Pterano - a leaf-eater (I'll save the whole "what do pterodactyls eat" topic for another post...), but he's related to one of our Five; sweet little Petrie.
We get the addition of having the would-be bad guy a family member. Another thing we hadn't yet seen in any of the other movies, which puts some emotional weight on Petrie and the others. Also adds some realism, because let's face it, family isn't perfect, and we get a taste of that in the 7th movie.
- May be a smaller note, but I just thought the characters introduced were so darn appealing. XD Pterano, Rinkus, Sierra, the Rainbow Faces, e.t.c. I hear a lot of mixed reviews on the 7th movie. From what I've seen and heard, fans either love it or hate it. I love it to death, and I certainly don't expect everyone to feel the same way about it as I do, but I've treasured it all these years, and I know I'll continue to do so - probably until the day I die!