The Gang of Five
The Land Before Time => General Land Before Time => Topic started by: Bruton the Iguanodon on February 11, 2012, 04:37:45 AM
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LBT 7 has a very memorable speech from Cera. As we all know, it goes like this:
Littlefoot: Those vines look strong enough. I bet we could use them to walk across.
Cera: Oh, no! Not this threehorn!
Petrie (sing-song) Cera scaredy-egg! Cera scaredy-egg!
Cera: Hey! I'm not a scaredy-egg. But every time we sneak off and leave the great valley, we end up having to crawl across some giant ditch or pointy rocks or something...
Littlefoot: Yeah?
Cera: And somehow the only way to do it is if we use some big tipping boulder or rotten old log...
Spike: Uh-huh.
Cera: And I always end up at the back of the line, falling off or getting chased by a sharptooth!
Petrie: She do have a point.
Littlefoot: So...what do you want to do about it?
Cera: Well...uh, well...this time I'm gonna be the one who goes first, so if there's trouble, I'm not stuck behind screaming my head off! No! This time I'm going to be safe!
Litlefoot: Um...ok.
As we all know, Cera goes first, and Spike ends up eating a flower off the vines holding them up (nice shout out to the first movie.)
So what's the problem? Shouldn't this be a hilarious moment of continuity, playfully referencing something that happened over and over in the earlier sequels, giving long-time fans a laugh? Well, I suppose this is what the producers had in mind when 7 was made. I mean, Cera is right about them having to cross a log or gorge every time they leave the valley and go somewhere.
The problem is, she's never been at the back of the line. Not once.
This was a question asked in the trivia game, in fact. I'll quote it, since it references all the times this happened in previous films and who was always at the back.
It's a well-known fact that Cera Claims to be at the back of the line most of the time, but who's actually been at the back of the line?
Name at least 3 situations before LBT 7 (LBT 1 - 6) where the Gang is crossing something narrow or jumping a gorge, and tell me who is at the back of the line (or last to jump) in each of these situations.
In the second movie Spike was last in line (with Ducky on his back) when they were crossing the log Littlefoot had pushed over the gorge. He seemed to be remarkably relaxed, not afraid of hight at all.
In LBT 5 it was again Spike who was last in line to cross the log when they were headed for "stinky place". Again he was (unlike Cera) perfectly at ease.
There was a very different image in LBT 6 when they were hoping across the rocky pillars. Spike seemed to be quite acrophobic. Perhaps it was the difference between walking across something solid (on the vines in LBT 7 he was again perfectly at ease) and jumping across open spaces. He was last in line a second time in LBT 6 when they were climbing out of and across another log (in that case he had to worry more about the sharptooth than about anything else).
In LBT 4 he too was last in line when they were fleeing from Ichty and Dill across a log. Ducky was sitting on his back and dismounted to recover a lost nightflower thereby making herself the last in the line.
In LBT 3 we had another log crossing (two in fact) and both times Spike was last in line (I think with Ducky on his back).
Yet another case in LBT 2 had all of them jumping across a gorge rather than using some kind of bridge. For once Spike went before Cera (who was last but one with only Ducky jumping after her).
Malte forgot a few things. The incident where they cross the vines in 1 (which 7 was a shout out to) where Spike and Ducky are at the back; them running from the tsunami in 5, in which Spike and Petrie were at the back; and the time when they get chased by the sharptooth in 5, in which Littlefoot, for once, gets to be at the back of the line. But then again, I haven't seen 3 and 4 in forever, so it's a good thing he reminded me about those instances. Oh, and Spike was not "last in line a second time" in LBT 6, seeing as during the first time Petrie was the last to leave and the last to get to the other side. Just for the record, Malte.
So, where does this leave us?
The times:
Crossing vines in movie 1---Ducky and Spike
Jumping across gorge in movie 2---Ducky
Log crossing #1 in movie 2---Ducky and Spike
Log crossing #2 in movie 3---Malte says Ducky and Spike
Log crossing #3 in movie 3---Malte says Ducky and Spike
Log crossing #4 in movie 4---Ducky
Running from tsunami in movie 5---Spike and Petrie
Log crossing #5 in movie 5---Spike
Log crossing #6 in movie 5---Littlefoot
Jumping across pillars in movie 6---Petrie
Log crossing # 7 in movie 6---Spike
So where does this leave us?
Littlefoot: 1
Petrie: 2
Ducky: 6
Spike: 7
Cera: 0.
So what was the point of all that? It feels like they're trying to remember previous films...but in reality they can't remember a single incident from those previous films. <_<
however, the crossing-the-gap thing seemed to stop after 7, for the most part. I can only recall 2 incidents in the final 6 films (well, ok I haven't seen 13) where they cross something. OK, 3, I don't know if Cera being at the back of the log during "Adventuring" counts. But that's 3 in the final 6 vs. 11 in the original 6. So I guess they realized it was getting out of control.
But anyways what do you guys think?
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It is indeed a case where they apparently wanted to tell a joke without concern for truth or coherence. Spike would be the more suitable candidate for any complains about often ending up at the end of the line, but he can't complain with an elaborate speech and probably wouldn't if he could.
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Hey, I wasn't finished. :lol:
So it's ironic that he is still the one to end up at the back of the line in 7. So really, nothing changed.
But yeah, just so you know, Malte, Petrie was last the first time in 6.
Also, in her review of 7 MarzGurl pointed out how Cera had a point...was that intentional or a joke? Cause I like MarzGurl and don't think she would mess up like that. Or was she just referencing the coninuity of them having to cross something?
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In LBT 5 it was again Spike who was last in line to cross the log when they were headed for "stinky place". Again he was (unlike Cera) perfectly at ease.
There was a very different image in LBT 6 when they were hoping across the rocky pillars. Spike seemed to be quite acrophobic. Perhaps it was the difference between walking across something solid (on the vines in LBT 7 he was again perfectly at ease) and jumping across open spaces
IThis is interesting: I've seen people talk about how Ducky was fine jumoig across those pillars, but was scared to death to cross the log. Whereas, Spike suffers the opposite. Do you think it has something to do with the fact that he's a fourfooter and she's a two footer? Cause I think it might---jumping onto a pillar with two feet is easier then with 4, I bet, and walking across a log with 4 feet may be eaier then with two, where you're standing taller and feel higher up.
But this is all speculation. ;)
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You're on to something there. It seems plausible.
And Ducky's incosistent reaction to heights is an interesting topic in itself. I thought that I was the first one to notice Ducky's weird behaviour. Then I discovered Malte already did it years ago.
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You're on to something there. It seems plausible.
Thanks.
Anyways, my theory is that this was an honest attempt at continuity by the producers, but what went wrong is they simply didn't put any research into it. Ok, so I won't lie that it feels like a bit of an insult to the previous works, but it was an attempt at continuity, and I simply have to give them credit for it. If I were them though, I'd put a little more reseach in next time---if there is a next time, of course. :unsure:
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Anyways were there any times we missed when Cera is at the back?
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None that I am aware of.
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There was a very different image in LBT 6 when they were hoping across the rocky pillars. Spike seemed to be quite acrophobic. Perhaps it was the difference between walking across something solid (on the vines in LBT 7 he was again perfectly at ease) and jumping across open spaces. He was last in line a second time in LBT 6 when they were climbing out of and across another log (in that case he had to worry more about the sharptooth than about anything else).
As I said before, Spike wasnot the last when they were jumping across the pillars---Petrie left after he did, and got across after he did. So no offense, but I just want to let you know that what you say about him being "last in line a second time in LBT 6" is incorrect. I'm sorry I keep saying this, but you can't disclude Petrie, and it seems you just did.
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As I said before, Spike wasnot the last when they were jumping across the pillars---Petrie left after he did, and got across after he did. So no offense, but I just want to let you know that what you say about him being "last in line a second time in LBT 6" is incorrect. I'm sorry I keep saying this, but you can't disclude Petrie, and it seems you just did.
Actually, in this case, you can disclude Petrie. Petrie didn't have to jump across the pillars. He only had to fly across. He could have easily gone first, but he didn't. Why? Probably to make sure that everybody else got across. Now could he have done anything if one of them fell? He could catch Ducky for sure, but not anybody else, so maybe him being last to make sure nobody else fell isn't a good enough reason for him to be last.
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Well sometimes people make mistakes. Perhaps she's 'close' to the back or gets left behind the most. Writers can make mistakes, but still. I tried thinking and wasn't really sure, but I think they made funny pun anyway :)
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Well, the "screaming my head off" part is true. :lol
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Still, it feels like they disregarded all those incidents of movies 1-6, and I just don't like it when people don't seem to actually think back on what's actually happened in past incidents in series, etc.