ADFan: Please, don't respond on my post with your the same endless speech about LBT14 and poor director guy. Thank you.
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So, as I said before, almost two weeks ago, after watching dream I thinking it's a sign, I decided to watch Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave. And I have to write some words about it. I don't know how to write long posts, so I believe it will be short and quick.
Well...
I have waited for this movie for 8 years after I watched last episode of TV series back in 2008-2009. Even after LBT franchise rolled down to children-only movies, I still had small hope to see good movie, to enjoy it not only as LBT fan, but as simple viewer.
So, what did I get after I finished to watch it? What did I felt?
Well, hmm, idk, how to describe this word more correctly... Maybe... strong CONFUSION?
This confusion doesn't mean something very bad. No. That means: I didn't puke after watching it nor I get good movie. I got something very... confusing. XO Something that made me make dozens questions for myself and for authors.
Ok.
First thing I have to say: I HATE MYSELF. Because I have waited ONE MORE YEAR after release, waiting for official/unofficial translation to my language. And I didn't get that moment, so I had to watch it anyway. As I said long time ago, only reason why I didn't want to watch original English version is because I didn't want to make pauses and rewinds in video, trying to understand what characters talk, using help of translator, etc. I just wanted to seat on my coach and enjoy movie.
So, what did I get? I didn't have problem with translation of ANY line spoken by characters, and I had to make rewinds only two-three times (Etta... your speech... гг), and I made them only after I finished watching.
That means: I'M STUPID IDIOT WHO LOST ONE THE WHOLE YEAR.
Phew...
Now, about movie.
Yeah, for me, it was yet another LBT sequel, something that can't be compared with original movie, something made only for children. That's sad... After 8 years, they could give franchise little push that theoretically can raise movie general quality. Alas...
I will start from moments I disliked OR moments that made me ask myself.
1) I was very sad. This movie had nothing to do with huge plotline that was started in TV series: about Chomper, Ruby, their parents, their mission and their past before events of TV series. NO SINGLE ANSWER OR HINT.
Maybe it's just my personal though.
2) I have one very important question... WHERE. IS. SHORTY???
Hе wasn't pictured nor even mentioned!!! I am deeply confused. It seems like authors... forgot about his existence! But wait, there's Bron, and there's small recap of past events at the beginning of the movie. When they, creating a plot for movie, rechecked old material - they could not NOT-notice Shorty!
Damn, if something happens with Bron, he couldn't stay aside! Only if he was... adopted?.. No, there MUST be at least one single mention of him!
Authors!!! I have serious questions to you...
3) More about Chomper and Ruby... Yes, I was sad they hadn't enough screen time and major role in their first big movie. They had to travel with adults, they didn't has that adventure as gang did.
I knew Chomper would use his sharpteeth skills to find his friends. :3 But that was not enough.
But wait... Who was to blame? Authors (of course) and... gang. O_o
Authors, because they feared(?) to let Chomper and Ruby go with the rest of gang, so we finally could see first feature-length adventure of Gang of SEVEN!
And Gang... What the hell? Why you didn't tell blue friendly sharptooth and pink fastrunner about Littlefoot's plans? Why you didn't get them along with you? Is there a reason? They didn't want to trouble them? Was it something about rules that letting them to stay in the Valley? But they escaped it anyway, after thay secretly followed adults! Oh...
4) Ducky's newborn sibling were cute but... Poor Ducky's mother! Srsl, how much children are you plan to birth? XD Does Ducky have the same fate?
5) Sharpteeth... These Sharpteeth... Well, this time they were not so BEYOND STUPID. They had good noses, so that mess with stinkweed was reasonable. One of them even made big inspiring jump! But still, again, they hasn't big threat for our gang, their parents, and us - viewers.
6) Songs... No, not that. It's about my personal taste.
I don't know, do you guys like when characters sing songs during movie and plot action, but I... don't. I know some of them are very beautiful and atmospheric, but still, one of reasons why I like original movie so much is because there isn't any song until credit starts and we hear beautiful If we hold on together...
But wait! In this movie, there's song I liked very much! Called "Look for the light", and Etta even sings it during credits! I want it stays only there, after main action ends and titles start...
7) Some of movie backgrounds are very beautiful, but again... There's not only clear skies above characters! There should be dark clounds, there should be rain, there should be red and crimson scary shades! there should be more... nature of lands before time?
8) CGI... This CGI... Well, it wasn't SO rough, and thanks SubGod they still didn't turned LBT universe into horrible CG 3D... Thank you for that.
9) My dear characters... Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike... and ADULTS... I knew authors don't want you grow up, so you remain children, but still... sometimes... WHY YOU SO STUPID?
Didn't past dozens adventures teach you anything? Ok, Spike acts like... Spike. That's individual problem. But others?
Littlefoot, you continue to blindly jump you don't know where. The rest of gang, you act like babies when there's danger around and Littlefoot has a reason to use that stinkweed.
Bron's herd... without him you're just herd of yellowbellies, there even wasn't single sane dinosaur who decided to check what happened to their leader after Burning Mountain settled down for a while.
And many, many, many other idiotic situations... by any of characters...
10) THERE. SHOULD. BE. MORE. SCREEN. TIME.
I liked some scenes in movie, because they have a huge potential, BUT due to short screentime this potential went to nowhere. Heroes are stuck in the middle of their progress and revealing their character. Some scenes are replacing themselves with speed of wind.
Even original movie had the same problem after cutting its content on 11 minutes. And now we again have rough screentime limits...
11) THE BIGGEST PROBLEM: Characters doesn't show full specter of their emotions and feelings. Moments when gang splits up, when they reunites, when Littlefoot is in moments away from losing his second parent...
WHERE IS YOUR EMOTIONS? You act like shadows, like puppets! Where's tears, pain, emotions in your voices?
So, here's result: I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. I don't believe this adventure happens. that's very sad. I'm VERY sad. I'm very ANGRY. VERY ANGRY. :[
12) These comedy characters... I think authors just forgot how to make good proper comedy characters or situations...
We have new character: Wild Arms. Maybe he doesn't cause me puke, but man... He's shadow of yellow bellis, walking comedy that somehow exists in lands before time, in this severe world. Just look at his actions during explosion of Burning Mountain, Chomper's introduction, and sharpteeth stalking. Just wow... How does he still alive after that?
Remember movies, where funny or cute characters (Petrie, Dino Bullies, Tickles, Mo, etc.) started to act with all seriousness, trying to keep their lives save, and even make everything to save their friends? Why these last comedy characters in last movies act like now? Why?..
I think I know why... And it makes me sad.
13) My personal reproach: Parents still can't do anything to prevent their children from escaping Great Valley, even after their dozens past danger adventures. Dear parents, seriously, do something already!!!
14) Just one word: Spike.
Oh, Spike Spike... Yes, yet another my personal complaint. My personal VERY hard relationship with this character since early sequels.
He acts the same. No progress. And that's big problem (for me). Again, maybe I will tell my opinion about this character later, in his own thread.
Now, the moments I liked OR moments that could make movie better (in my opinion, of course), but were not fully realized.
1) General plotline about Littlfoot's search for Bron.
I think everyone understand what Littlefoot feels when his second parent's fate is unknown and he could lose him as well as his mother. I think his Journey of heart is what I would like to see.
2) Littlefoot's friends worried about him and didn't want him go to dangerous adventure. When he left them, they felt he would go anyway, so they went for him. (Still, why did Chomper and Ruby had to be outside the boat?..)
3) Places where Gang's path led. Volcano, desert, stones, caves, underground river... So huge potential... But with that calm atmosphere and weather, they looks just empty.
4) Actually, there was new unique element: we have seen second "adventure party": Grandpa Longneck, Topps, Wild Arms, joined later Chomper and Ruby. Since Chompy and Ovie appeared outside the Gang's boat, and we never watched adventures of adults... Guys, am I only who wanted to see their adventure very much? What if they have more screen time and action? I think it would be beautiful! But... Alas.
Well, at least I liked Chomper's role as pathfinder who sent a way his friends led. You will be perfect hunter, little biter... гг
5) Just one word: Etta.
Oh yes.
I don't know why, but I liked her character VERY much. VERY MUCH.
How can I describe her? She was... mix of adult force, humor, form of wisdom, action, and hope. That's an adult character I really wanted to be with the gang in part of their adventures.
The most I liked in her appearance is when she was with Littlefot in underground caves and cheered him up, talking her speech and singing her song. Especially when she hugged him. She acted like... like his mother? O_o Yes! I have the same feeling when I rewatch original LBT time!! In scenes with Mama Longneck! And Rooter! That's just beautiful and awesome!
One trouble I had with her is... her speech. Aww, her speech... I couldn't fully understand and translate it! Her speech is why I had to rewatch some moments in movie. But that's only just my personal problem. So I haven't complaints.
6) Personal mention about Etta: her SONG.
I liked it very much too! And I had some familiar feeling when I listened it. Something from original movie as well... Yes, If we hold on together song in tittles, and its singer, Diana Ross. There's something similar in both of these songs. Not only lyrics, but... atmosphere?
Just add more orchestra to Look for the Light and make motive more sad, and it would be the best! I SO want to see this song only in credits, not in the middle of movie, it would be perfect for me and my personal taste!
7) Great discord and split up between Littlefoot and other gang members.
Oh, YES.
Ok, maybe it was a little nonsense. Maybe characters acted a little stupid or unbelievable (Littlefoot, I didn't expect that from you! I didn't know you can act like that when you blamed your friends!) But hell, don't we people had and still has the same discords in our communities, even between closest people? That's it. This plotline had a HUGE potential. We haven't seen such POTENTIAL intense conflict between gang members for long time! Ok, ok, there was some conflict in LBT11, and we had almost absolutely similar "conflict" in Return to the Hanging Rock episode between Ruby and others. So let's look more closely to it.
What we have...
Of course, this possible conflict were predictable. Roots of conflict started to grow from the very start, when Littlefoot went for his father, not looking at danger, and when the rest of gang went only for Littlefoot, their best friend, knowing that it is very dangerous.
Now we have Littlefoot in other side, and, of course, our loveable Cera on the other. She reasonable complains about route Littlefoot chose, and about dangerous troubles he caused (despite the fact that half of these troubles were caused by yourself, my dear threehorn... гг). If we don't count Cera's bad temper and some stupidity of her and others, she, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, together with joined Etta at some moment, actually represent such speech: "Littlefoot, I understand your worries about your beloved. But you can't help them if you re running directly in danger and risk your own life and lives of those who came with you only for you."
I actually liked that "fight of viewpoints" between Littlefoot and Cera. And oh my, I was so wondered why they did NOT start physical fight!
Especially after Littlefoot roughly blamed his friends! I thought they would. Cera is not like Ruby, she would try to prove her point with very painful force. It sad that authors feared or didn't know how to make it. In this current case, such radical way to show characters' emotions would fit with the story and make it better...
I also was very touched by night sleep scene. It SO beautifully represents not only actual physical discord between Littlefoot and others, but also shows us clear picture how Littlefoot is far from his friends right now. Just great. I am pleased.
And reunion scene... Authors, authors... Thank you for killing such beautiful moment!
Since I didn't notice any major emotions of our lovely chracters in this scene. What was a huge potential though... I watched inside my mind how friends are happy they all alive. How Petrie, Ducky and Spike run to hug their friend. How Cera comes from shadow, and both friends apology to each other, accept their mistakes and rubs each other with cheeks (and no, that's not what you think, shippers
I mean - what Littlefoot did when he met Chomper in island).
Anyway: I gladly like movie had such moment and potential.
8) Bron was yet another very faded character, because he didn't show his full specter of emotions. Especially towards Littlefoot when he saw his son tries to save him, risking his life.
I think I don't have to tell HOW Bron should act in this case... Even if he survives at the end, I would like to see his true love towards Littlefoot and his emotional speech or look. Especially when movie gets you such perfect chance.
Sigh, Yet another wasted opportunity...
9) After that funny scene with small sand lizard and Petrie the Leader, I was thinking: if there was pictured question about what makes you leader... Why wouldn't Petrie try to show his personality and brave and become leader??? After Cera got lost, Littlefoot is nowhere to be found, and he's a flyer and has some advantage... Just forget about your stupid fear steoreotypes and show your character! Not for you, for your friends! Something what you did in original movie dammit! Or at least TRY to do that!..
What do you think, is it a good potential idea?
There was more moments I liked or disliked and not included in these lists, but I don't want analyze each second of this film.
(of course, because it's not holy original movie, which I watched frame-by-frame...)
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Aaand... it appeared not so "short and quick" as I wrote in introduction. XD
Anyway, I'm glad I watched movie and wrote my responce. Hope you read it.
