The Gang of Five
The Land Before Time => General Land Before Time => Character Showcase => Topic started by: rhombus on May 01, 2020, 10:48:51 AM
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Hey, guys? Are you done with that rock yet? :thudstonk
(https://media.giphy.com/media/fY4hwgqeWN899OFVqv/giphy.gif)
Sigh... well, I will get things started for when you get done. And for the love of the Great Egg, don't let those two rainbowfaces catch you! :rainbowwave
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In this topic please feel free to discuss Rinkus and Sierra as characters, to share your own creations (fanfics or fanart), or to mention some of your favorite fanworks of others involving these characters. For a full set of rules please see the 2020 Monthly Character Showcase topic (http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=16571.msg497476#msg497476) but keep in mind that this is meant to be fun as opposed to any sort of contest.
I will go ahead and get the discussion started with the following questions:
1) It has be postulated by many authors, including myself, that Sierra might be some kind of psychopath or sociopath (a person without emotional empathy for others) based upon his words and actions during the seventh film. Including his willingness to kidnap Ducky and then to discard her to what he assumes is her doom. What do you think?
2) What is your personal head-canon about how these two met up? It does seem that Rinkus knows how to recognize and handle Sierra's more intense impulses to lash out to a much better degree than Pterano.
3) To my fellow science nerds: one of the hashtags for this gif image is #Birds, how does that make you feel? :p
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:rainbowwave
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Rinkus and Sierra Stain Glass:
(https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/95695197_135252388089926_2467189829419401216_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_sid=110474&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_ohc=oxpST-0ZYgsAX-Skl4I&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&_nc_tp=14&oh=6a93c842920fb64a59a81a92ffb3a20f&oe=5ED0A572)
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1) It has be postulated by many authors, including myself, that Sierra might be some kind of psychopath or sociopath (a person without emotional empathy for others) based upon his words and actions during the seventh film. Including his willingness to kidnap Ducky and then to discard her to what he assumes is her doom. What do you think?
I really regret posting that one thread of speculating mental disorders in the LBT characters, because such theorizing can result in people armchair diagnosing traits that can apply to anything. Just look at all the people that theorize Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony having Autism despite the fact that she just didn't socialize due to lack of interest rather than struggling to do so. Personally, I get uncomfortable when people try to apply a diagnosis to characters that more often than not, aren't written with a diagnosis in mind. Look at Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. People say he's "autism-coded" but that's just how he was written, no one came in with an Autism diagnosis in mind for him upon conceptualizing his character.
Anyway, to answer this question, Sierra is the brawn of the duo and he most likely had to apply some aggressive tendencies in order to survive. He definitely has no problem hurting others to get what he wants. Neither does Rinkus, who he slaps Petrie out of the sky while laughing at his downfall. Both of them have tendencies that can lead to sociopathic behavior, but I'm not going to say they actually are sociopaths.
2) What is your personal head-canon about how these two met up? It does seem that Rinkus knows how to recognize and handle Sierra's more intense impulses to lash out to a much better degree than Pterano.
I like to think that Rinkus and Sierra if they did not know each other as hatchlings, they for sure got into different schemes as young adults, Rinkus being the brains and Sierra being the muscle. However, Rinkus is too yellow-bellied to be any sort of charismatic leader and Sierra's personality is too off-putting and brutish for anyone to gravitate towards. So they found a useful, charismatic idiot in Pterano. Soon everything just seemed to fall into place for them until the very end.
3) To my fellow science nerds: one of the hashtags for this gif image is #Birds, how does that make you feel? :p
It's a little frustrating I'll admit, especially since there are people around still calling Pterosaurs Pterodactyls or dinosaurs. But a simple google search should correct those mistakes.
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:rainbowwave
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:rainbowwave
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^lol
:D
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Okay, I just have to share this art I found a while back (NOT MINE, I just came across it in Google Images):
(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/a42df5e3-d1c8-4766-80aa-71091066c613/d764p3x-4720d9a3-a31b-4ca5-9abb-80421cc780be.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi9hNDJkZjVlMy1kMWM4LTQ3NjYtODBhYS03MTA5MTA2NmM2MTMvZDc2NHAzeC00NzIwZDlhMy1hMzFiLTRjYTUtOWFiYi04MDQyMWNjNzgwYmUucG5nIn1dXX0.oMLJqH6_if2wI0ixkcCJ90C6SQyyA6kQLb1MV1u4f1o)
I just can't look at this without grinning. :lol :lol :lol
This is hilarious! Great find Rainbow!
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It looks like Pterano is 2 FAB 4 Sierra. :bestsharptooth
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:rainbowwave
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Rinkus’ face as mediator lol
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Finally, a villain duo that I can say nice things about - Rinkus and Sierra, at least in my opinion, are some of the best proper villains the series has put out.
I don't even think they're all that scary or threatening (though I do think they're more scary and threatening than a good deal of other LBT antagonists) so much as I think they're just thoroughly entertaining - especially Sierra, with how vicious and hot-tempered he is. I do admit that I think Rinkus doesn't hold up as well as Sierra does; though he is still good, his more subdued and cowardly nature doesn't quite strike me as as interesting as his fellow pterosaurs.
As for the questions:
1.) I don't think there's any underlying cause for Sierra being the way he is; he's just a big jerk.
2.) This isn't actually something I've thought about that much until now - as much as I'd like to write a backstory for the two, I don't have enough time to at the moment, maybe I'll come back to this soon.
3.) :facepalm
Okay, I just have to share this art I found a while back (NOT MINE, I just came across it in Google Images):
(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/a42df5e3-d1c8-4766-80aa-71091066c613/d764p3x-4720d9a3-a31b-4ca5-9abb-80421cc780be.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi9hNDJkZjVlMy1kMWM4LTQ3NjYtODBhYS03MTA5MTA2NmM2MTMvZDc2NHAzeC00NzIwZDlhMy1hMzFiLTRjYTUtOWFiYi04MDQyMWNjNzgwYmUucG5nIn1dXX0.oMLJqH6_if2wI0ixkcCJ90C6SQyyA6kQLb1MV1u4f1o)
I just can't look at this without grinning. :lol :lol :lol
This is beautiful; someone's itching to knock someone off their perch.
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:rainbowwave
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Okay, I just have to share this art I found a while back (NOT MINE, I just came across it in Google Images):
(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/a42df5e3-d1c8-4766-80aa-71091066c613/d764p3x-4720d9a3-a31b-4ca5-9abb-80421cc780be.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi9hNDJkZjVlMy1kMWM4LTQ3NjYtODBhYS03MTA5MTA2NmM2MTMvZDc2NHAzeC00NzIwZDlhMy1hMzFiLTRjYTUtOWFiYi04MDQyMWNjNzgwYmUucG5nIn1dXX0.oMLJqH6_if2wI0ixkcCJ90C6SQyyA6kQLb1MV1u4f1o) that drawing is funny how one if trying to hold the other one back from attacking him lol
I just can't look at this without grinning. :lol :lol :lol
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It looks like Pterano is 2 FAB 4 Sierra. :bestsharptooth
I can see Pterano saying, “I am a genius! Hahahaha!” XD
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I posted this in my fanart thread already, but I guess it belongs here as well. Here’s a piece I did for this month’s showcase of Sierra giving Rinkus a bit of a pep talk, although probably not a nice one :PCera
(https://i.imgur.com/jpXnJCZ.png)
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Imcredible Jazzy! I wish I could take my sketches and make the colors this vibrant.
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Beautiful background and impressive duo! :D
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This is gorgeous, Jassy! The vibrant colors really make this drawing quite striking and attention grabbing. :) I also like how the two contrasting personalities show through in this depiction.
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:rainbowwave
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Most beautiful drawing EVAH!! :rhett_shocked THIS BELONGS IN DAH LOUVRE!! :Mo :Mo :Mo
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I’ve never seen a more beautiful drawing! :Mo You got their personalities down perfectly :PCera
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What an amazing sketch. 10/10. :Mo :PCera :rainbowwave
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:rainbowwave
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After seeing this picture, I can see why Pterano thought he was 2 FAB 4 U. :lol :lol :lol
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Hahaha that's a great picture you found on Google. Completely accurate portrayal of their relationship too XD
Lovely artwork, Jassy! And you too, rainbow :lol
Here's mine! Colorized this time :D
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Nice artwork Mumbling! I like water color style. :)
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:rainbowwave
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Tickles needs his own fan fict, where he is secretly the pet of Rainbowfaces spyimg on the Gang to keep them safe. ;)
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Rinkus and Sierra were the last really fleshed-out antagonists of the films before they all became generic sharptooth, and Sierra's rough voice really gives him an intimidating edge. I do think that Rinkus gets overshadowed though. Though he's crafty and manipulative, he plays second fiddle to both Pterano and the more aggressive Sierra till the final act.
...other than that, I don't really have much else to add about them. They do their job as Pterano's overambitious henchmen well enough, and the flyer trio were the last antagonists (not counting Shorty) to get development of any kind till Thud more than half a decade later.
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Ironically in June I will have more to say about Rinkus and Sierra. I haven’t seen LBTVII in a long time.
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:rainbowwave
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Soon Rinkus and Sierra’s ahowcase will end. Three more days to find The Stone of Cold Fire before Pterano does. XD
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In preparation for this showcase, I decided the time would be right to give The Stone of Cold Fire another viewing. I did, I did.
:duckyhappy
I had intended to rewatch the film a while ago. I was going to join in for the live stream that Mumbling hosted back in June (or even the stream before that in May). But then I missed it because it was hosted in the morning and I ended up sleeping in. I'm not much of an early bird.
:PCera
But anyway, I later watched the film by myself so I could compose some new thoughts here.
:Mo
1) It has be postulated by many authors, including myself, that Sierra might be some kind of psychopath or sociopath (a person without emotional empathy for others) based upon his words and actions during the seventh film. Including his willingness to kidnap Ducky and then to discard her to what he assumes is her doom. What do you think?
I would say that, yes, he is most definitely something along those lines. He strikes me as more of a sociopath than a psychopath, as he doesn't seem full-on "crazy," per say. More just cruel and sadistic, although I guess the two terms probably have a lot of interchangeability. Either way, he might be the most evil antagonist in the series. With many of the Sharpteeth, it's ambiguous if they're truly malicious or merely hungry predators looking for food, whereas Sierra is a lot more overtly sinister. Sierra also doesn't seem as comical as the other, more sentient villains such as Ozzy & Strut and Ichy & Dil.
2) What is your personal head-canon about how these two met up? It does seem that Rinkus knows how to recognize and handle Sierra's more intense impulses to lash out to a much better degree than Pterano.
It struck me that Rinkus & Sierra are quite reminiscent of Ozzy & Strut, albeit Rinkus & Sierra seem to get along better. My personal head-canon is that the two of them met each other and became friends (or at least partners in crime) before either of them met Pterano. When they did meet Pterano, they were initially won over by his charm and his apparent leadership skills, hence he became the leader of the trio. Over time, however, Rinkus & Sierra began to see through Pterano's façade and thus why they turned on him. That's what I think, it is, it is.
:duckyhappy
But as for how Rinkus & Sierra met each other, I actually envision it being something pretty mundane. Like... I dunno... maybe they were out scavenging for tree stars and they just happened to bump into each other and they got into an argument over who should get the last tree star. :P But then they decided to work together for the time being. :P
3) To my fellow science nerds: one of the hashtags for this gif image is #Birds, how does that make you feel? :p
I'm not a science nerd myself, but I do have to wonder how the idea of a large pink reptilian flyer holds up. :P
Other assorted thoughts:
I like the very opening shot in space with the distinct music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPWvnq5tKTE) playing; mysterious at first, then epic. It's fitting too given the Rainbow Faces and the general theme of a vast, cosmic universe. It's also strangely fitting somehow that Petrie is the one doing the opening narration.
Cera (to Petrie): "My father once told me that the grown-ups kicked your uncle out of the herd."
Littlefoot: "Wow! What did he do?"
Cera: "Uh, I forget that part. But I do remember it was pretty awful."
...that's one way to put it.
Early on, when the Far Walkers arrive, Littlefoot mentions that they came from the "Cold Lands." This makes me wonder what the Cold Lands are really like. My first thought was that it was a distant land where winter had already hit. However, in the eighth film, the dinosaurs are all surprised when it starts snowing. What makes it even more interesting is that the dinosaurs were still living outside the Great Valley in the first film, and in all that time it appears that they never encountered snow. Hmm, so what are the Cold Lands like then? Is it a region that's simply cold, but not outright snowing? Or is there in fact snow there, but the main characters weren't there to see it and so they merely knew that it was a "cold" area? Would it depend on the season or time of year? As in, is it always a cold place?
When Littlefoot rolls onto the pinecone, I love seeing him scratch it off with his back leg like a dog or a cat. It just looks adorable.
(https://i.imgur.com/ypl6TXr.jpg)
When the Rainbow Faces tell everyone about the Stone of Cold Fire, there's another distinct musical cue (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roVO-4cmDVI) that plays. I never noticed it on my previous viewings, but I have OwlsCantRead to thank for pointing it out to me, so I knew to keep a close ear out for it this time around. It's a great piece of music; I've actually gotten chills listening to it before. The second half of the track also plays again in the eighth film when the Gang builds a snowman of Spike, and it works really well in that scene too, completely changing the context from mystical to sad.
There's a cute moment soon after the Rainbow Faces, when Pterano is telling Petrie and his siblings some story of his that was likely made up. Pterano is clearly a pompous windbag, but him telling the kids stories is endearing at the same time.
Another cute moment when Ducky feels bad for how she and the rest of the Gang upset Petrie, and then she leaves her nest to go cheer him up. A good one for the shippers. :) Even moreso later on when they reunite after Ducky's abduction and hug each other, then Petrie breaks down crying in her arms and she comforts him. LBT 7 & 8 are good movies for Ducky and Petrie fans in general.
See here for the second half (http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=16898.msg518528#msg518528) of my review...