Thoughts on LBT 2.

[WeirdRaptor]

Since my topic about LBT 3 went over fairly well, I've decided to keep going with my thoughts on the sequels in their own individual topics. I'll be spacing them out maybe a week to give them each time to get discussion going.

Unlike LBT 3, which I felt had a bit too much going on for its running time to truly cover everything it wanted to accomplish, LBT 2 is much more streamlined with its story and moral. The story's structure flows much better and the writing for the first Guest Character of the Week, Chomper, is much more organic and augments what the filmmakers were trying to convey.
While I think LBT2 better and an overall solid entry into the series, putting it under a critical eyes does display some weaknesses in the writing which I will get out of the way first and then move onto the film's strengths.

A short time has passed since the Gang has arrived at the Valley. No distinct timeline is given, but Peaceful Valley's lyrics put me under the impression that it's been no more than maybe a week and a half, so I'll be running with that mentality. Which brings to what I feel is a missed opportunity in the writing:

At the start, the Gang is understandably displeased with being treated like kids. Yes, they are still kids, but let's think back on what they survived in the first film for a few seconds.They pulled off what several of their elders failed to do: survive the Hellish, hostile lands outside long enough to reach the Great Valley. Unlike the adults, they are small and basically helpless against the forces that assailed them, and yet they compensated by working together and using their heads. They overcome starvation despite constantly living on the verge of it and took down an enemy a hundred times their size after avoiding ending up in his stomach several times. Oh, yeah, they also survived a visit to Mustafar without injury. Suck it, Anakin!

On the adults' end, they're trying to get back into the swing of raising them like normal kids, but are perhaps being over-protective about it. However, the simple fact of the matter is these aren't ordinary hatchlings anymore. Not after what they survived and overcame. See where I'm going with this? In retrospect, I think this should have been a two-way lesson for both the Gang and the adults.
For the Gang: the adults DO know better about what's good for you, and you should listen to them and respect their rules.
For the Adults: these kids stopped being ordinary kids a long time ago. They learned self-sufficiency and you can trust them with more freedom than you would normally grant to their age group.

I also feel the Gang was written as being a bit more immature than they should be, Littlefoot especially. After rewatching the original, I just can't see him, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike trying to cross the Sinking Sands after nearly dying to a tar pit.
That does, however, leave headstrong and stubborn Cera, who was separated from the group at the group at the time and just wouldn't have had the same near-death struggle they did. She was instead fleeing starving, rabid pachycephalosaurus!
So yeah, I can totally see Cera trying to cross the Sinking Sands by herself, ending up in them, and nearly dying before the rest of the Gang catches up to her and drags her out. Then the adults show up and assume they were all trying to cross the quicksand and a huge argument breaks, leaving hurt feelings on both sides.

Okay, so now that's I've gotten this out of the way, let's move onto what the rest of the film, which is pretty good. The story flows from Point A to Point B pretty logically and the character motivations are clear and understandable throughout.
The rest of the film would pretty much be the same with its actually opening act or my proposed one, anyway. The Gang meets up a night to discuss the problem of being treated like ordinary hatchlings who never got separated from their herds when they spot Scrut and Ozie stealing one of Ducky's future siblings. They'd chase them into the "Mysterious Beyond", and... :

Yeah, I never liked the name they went with for the outside lands. THEY USED TO LIVE OUT THERE! There is nothing mysterious about the beyond. None of the Valley dwellers (that we meet) are native. They know exactly what lies outside of the walls of the Great Valley. They all crossed Mordor to get there! Just call them The Outlands or something. The Lion King 2 hadn't taken that one yet.

Anyway, through a series of slapstick comedy and happy accidents, the egg ends up back in the nest. The Gang mistakenly takes the Sharptooth egg back to the Great Valley where they discover they grabbed the wrong one and then wait for it to hatch to see who it belongs to. Chomper hatches and they decide to raise him in order to prove they're "not babies", but ultimately bite off more they can chew, because they're not dealing with a newborn stegosaurus this time. The film thankfully makes the distinction between Spike and Chomper and without having to say it directly, impressively enough. The visual cues they went with to deliver that were enough. So kudos.

It is not long before it becomes clear Chomper does not belong in the Valley even before his parents show up due to that whole issue of his inevitable graduation from eating insects to the flesh of his neighbors. The film goes out of its way to avoid saying it outright even though I'm sure every child who watched it figured that much out almost immediately.
Listen Universal, believe me, you wouldn't have scared the kiddies by outright stating why Chomper had to leave. We knew. We knew before the Gang did.

Speaking of the issue of where Chomper belongs, Cera is ultimately proven right about him needing to leave, yet the film acts like she's in the wrong because she's Cera and she was kind of a jerk about it. Again, I feel like this could have been a two-way lesson, but between Littlefoot and Cera. Cera is right about Chomper having to leave, but a little sensitivity in how she conveyed it would have gone a long way and Littlefoot is wrong about wanting Chomper to stay, but is right about him needing them to raise him until they can properly reunite him with his family.

So anyway, thanks to Gang and the egg-eaters accidentally punching a hole in the natural protection around the Valley, Chomper's parents get in to look for him and begin wreaking all kinds of havoc. They're driven off by the adults, but refuse to leave until they find their baby, forcing the issue once and for all. Chomper is reunited with his parents and they leave. The Great Valley residents then plug the hole behind them.

So overall, as I stated before: a good, solid entry in the series with just a couple of glaring flaws. Now, I went into a lot of detail discussing them, but they're really not big deals or anything that makes the film suck or anything like that. However, I know you'll all enjoy discussing it.
These are observations I made while watching. The lesson is good, the story flows pretty naturally from scene to scene, the characters are solid if simply written, and Chomper is a good microcosm for the core of the story.

Overall, 7.5/10. Above average for a DtV film, but not perfect.

Notes:
Notice a certain pair of someones I barely mention beyond their role in getting the story going? Yeah, Scrut and Ozie kind of lose their relevance after the first act and could easily have been jettisoned from the story after getting buried under tons of rock. Doing so would have given us more time for Littlefoot and Chomper's bonding while perhaps expanding on the latter's parents' rampage through the Valley.

[ADFan185]

I thought the second movie was pretty good in my views. It was better than movie three by a long short. I liked the villains in the sequel. Strut And Ozie where in my view the comic relief in the movie. I actually liked the song they sung. The songs where good in the second movie. Again better the movie three's songs. So overall I kinda enjoyed the movie. It had some flaws but still liked the plot of the movie. Chomper was first introduced and he's okay as new characters go I didn't mind him that much. So I'll give the movie a 6/10 I guess.

[WeirdRaptor]

Isn't being the comic relief kind of Ducky, Petrie, and Spike's job?

[Littlefoot fan 1990]

I like this movie; Ozzy and Strut were pretty solid villains. The one thing I liked best about them was the song Eggs. It's a very memorable song for me and my favorite one in the entire movie. Peaceful Valley was good enough to listen to; and You're One of Us Now was kinda meh for me. This is one movie I have re-watched a few times.

[Ducky123]

Since my topic about LBT 3 went over fairly well, I've decided to keep going with my thoughts on the sequels in their own individual topics. I'll be spacing them out maybe a week to give them each time to get discussion going.

That is an excellent idea in my opinion, one of the best I've heard these past few months on here. I'll need to rewatch this one in order to give a review detailed enough to count as such though

[Sneak]

people who knows each quote in LBT movies wants to rewatch it? XD
jk

[ADFan185]

Isn't being the comic relief kind of Ducky, Petrie, and Spike's job?

Yes yes it is but sometimes villains in children's animation movie's can also be comic relief's also. So it balance's out the movies in my opinion.

[Sovereign]

IMO, this is a pretty mediocre sequel. Sometimes the plot works rather well (I especially enjoyed the chase to the Mysterious Beyond) and the latter half of the movie is quite decent. However, As WeirdRaptor said, in the beginning the Gang's immaturity is quite disappointing as is their plan to prove that their grown-ups. The way I see it, after the events of the first film they should be above that. Also, the parents seemed to forget that the Gang survived in the Mysterious Beyond for weeks (?). The ending was quite satisfying with the film accepting that Chomper cannot live in the Valley. It might be just me but I found Chomper and Littlefoot's parting pretty touching. (Mostly because of Tavera's score but still.)

 The songs were okay. Peaceful Valley is one of the better songs in the franchise while the two others are fine. Ozzy and Strut work as villains but are by no means great characters. Overall, many of the things in this film are mediocre, with no obvious highlights or great problems.

Just saying but I don't like to see any of the Gang as being mere comical reliefs (except Petrie in the original). A usual comic relief has no no other qualities than being funny (Jeremy from NIMH or Timon and Pumba are good examples). Of course they have their obvious comic characteristics but none of the members of the Gang are only making cartoony jokes.

[DarkHououmon]

I also feel the Gang was written as being a bit more immature than they should be, Littlefoot especially. After rewatching the original, I just can't see him, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike trying to cross the Sinking Sands after nearly dying to a tar pit.

And let's not forget how the game they wanted to play was Sharptooth Attack, all about hiding from a 'predator' inside tall grass where you can't see anyone.

This seems eerily similar to what the gang went through in the first movie. Well not that they were going through tall grass, but they were playing a 'real life game' of Sharptooth Attack; trying to keep hidden whenever this massive predator tried to get them, being forced to run for their lives.

So why in the world would they feel good about playing this kind of game? Especially if this movie takes place only shortly after they made it to the valley? It's especially confusing with Littlefoot, who lost his mother to a real predatory attack. Wouldn't he feel at least a little offended with the idea of playing a game that seems to make light of such a tragedy?

[WeirdRaptor]

@Sovereign: I wouldn't say it's outright mediocre. I would put it at average overall. I think it all depends on how much of a deal-breaker you feel the portrayal of the kids and the adults in the first act are. To me, it's a mild annoyance preceding what the better parts of the film. It's a shame they didn't bother getting the original writers back.
As for the kids being above trying to prove they're adults: well, if I survived a Hellish trek through Mordor and came out the other side in one piece, I know I'd feel pretty indignant if my loved ones treated me like a delicate flower once I was reunited with them.

I never said Ducky, Petrie, and Spike were only supposed to be comic relief. When I said being the comic relief was their job, I meant they are the goofiest members of the Gang, through and through.

@DarkHououmon: ... :blink: I... hadn't thought of that. That's a good point to. Of course, like I said, with better writing, only Cera would attempt even crossing the Sinking Sands at all, probably seeing being told to stay away from them as a challenge. Because Cera.

[Bruton the Iguanodon]

LBT 2 is a much weaker film than LBT 3 in my opinion.  Yeah. both only had one song I cared for, but LBT 2 had to use one of them again at the end.

I first saw LBT 2 on a day when I wasn't very happy, so I don't have great memories about it. But another part of it is, for a film reintroducing these characters of the original, it takes little note of the source material. And the failures of that in all of the following sequels can be blamed here.

I know, this was just something made to entertain little gets mainly, and for that reason I'm partly glad it didn't try to seem like it was in the exact same universe as the original. For an LBT sequel it's not bad, but it's not quite as good to me as some of my favorites like 3 and 5.

[Gentle Sharptooth]

The fact LBII added musical numbers (love them or hate them, I love them) made this installment immediately distanced from the original. With that in mind, it is not surprising the writers endeavored to tone down the independence and self sufficiency of the Gang. I think because the original is gritty, darker, and frankly allegorical of the Exodus, the writers of LBII and subsequent installments wanted to emphasize that the Gang is still kids. There is a case that can be made for the fact that the Gang survived and proved their resolve in Original because they had no other choice, they were forced by circumstances, being cut off from their herd and kin, earth shake, famine, and Sharptooth. In LBII Little Foot and the rest of the Gang are making a choice to venture in the Mysterious Beyond to prove a point rather than being pushed by the aforementioned circumstances. In a way, the Gang heading into the Mysterious Beyond in LBII is much weaker in substance, they know their parents and grandparents will take notice they are missing for too long, and can come to their aid, while in the Original the Gang is completely cut off from the adults and must face everything alone, with no one to know they are alive; while in contrast LBII Gang knows that their kin will worry about them and come look for them (example LBXIV).

LBII while seeming more childish, isn't half bad. The theme is being big kids now, Chomper being the case and point proof that they can raise a child themselves, actually works because the adults don't trust the kids and treat them as "babies." The whole movie in essence is addressing what Weird Raptor stated, these kids have been through hostile experiances and can take care of themselves, LBII is the kids trying to prove this to adults who still don't quite get what the Gang went through in the Original LB.

[WeirdRaptor]

I can't believe I didn't notice your replies, Gentle Sharptooth. You make some pretty good points, but I still feel there is room for improvement on part of all the portrayals.

[ADFan185]

I didn't hate the second one much it had okay parts to it it just didn't hold up to well like the other sequels did. The songs where good not as good as the other movies tho. But they where okay in my opinion.

[Gentle Sharptooth]

I didn't hate the second one much it had okay parts to it it just didn't hold up to well like the other sequels did. The songs where good not as good as the other movies tho. But they where okay in my opinion.

I agree, I preferred how Gang of Five is in later sequels, particularly IV, V, VI, and even X. In LBT II, they seem more like hatchlings until Chomper appears, then their attitudes change.

I think the point about in LBT Original they had to journey through the Mysterious Beyond out of necessity and without the protective auspices of their parents and grand parents made it more thrilling. LBT II is when the peril and novelty of going into Mysterious Beyond loses some of its strength. We know the adults can come to rescue, and that the Gang of Five has hero armor (never can be harmed).

[StardustSoldier]

So I finally got around to seeing the second, third, and fourth films a few days ago. I'll post my thoughts on #3 and #4 in their respective threads. I have quite a lot to say about the second film alone.

Unlike most of the sequels which I've never watched, even as a kid, this one I know I have seen before. Although I had forgotten the vast majority of it, even more than how much I forgot of the first film. Here, I remembered the part where Littlefoot and his friends fell into the Sinking Sands and were rescued and get glared at by their parents, and I vaguely remember Ozzy and Strut getting chased away by Chomper's parents at the end, but that's pretty much it. So this was essentially like watching the film brand new.

The fact LBII added musical numbers (love them or hate them, I love them) made this installment immediately distanced from the original.

That was the most jarring thing for me, especially with the first song coming right at the very beginning. I'll say right away that the musical numbers were my least favourite part. Granted, I've never been the biggest fan of musicals anyway, so I'm not sure if the filmmakers could've done much to increase their appeal to me. While I wouldn't go so far as to say I hated them, they were cheesy and unnecessary. They added nothing to the story or the characters, imo, and could just as easily have been removed. I get the impression that Universal put the songs in because it was what Disney was doing and Disney films were so successful.

But the first LBT didn't need singing in it to be successful. And in fact it was an amazing movie, so why were the songs needed in the sequels? I'll try to keep my ranting about the singing dinos to a minimum as I review the rest of the series, but I decided I might as well get that out of my system now.

Anyway...

I was impressed at how good the animation quality is for it being direct-to-video. The whole film is pleasant to look at. I did notice the colour palette is brighter and more vibrant than before. It makes sense considering they're living in the Great Valley now, but it's also reflective of how the film itself has a gentler tone than the first.

In response to some of the above points, it didn't bother me that the Gang was being immature by trying to cross the Sinking Sands. Especially since Cera was the most determined to do it, which seems in-character for her anyway, and the rest of them were just following after her. They are still little kids, after all. If anything, surviving the tar pit and their dangerous adventure from the first movie, only to still be treated like "hatchlings," may have been precisely why they felt the need to prove themselves. That, and I think they underestimated just how dangerous the Sinking Sands actually were.

It was heartwarming to see that Cera's character development from the first film stuck and she has become much nicer, and much more accepting of her friends, while still having a bit of an edge to her. It shows that she was a good kid all along deep down.

The overall plot was pretty good, and held my interest. And the Gang themselves are still endearing and fun to watch. If anything buoyed the film, they did. I mentioned in my introduction post that I was apprehensive about seeing the sequels, but at the same time I was curious to see what further adventures Littlefoot and his friends would get into, and the film did deliver there. And I am pleased that it was an adventure, full of action and danger.

Ozzy and Strut were kind of obnoxious, and underwhelming compared to the terrifying Sharptooth from the first film. This, combined with the musical numbers, made it hard to get into the film initially, although thankfully it picked up in the second half. Still, Ozzy and Strut didn't feel all that necessary from a storytelling standpoint. Yes, they were the main villains, but really, Chomper and his parents made for a much stronger narrative hook. Despite their smaller role, Chomper's parents managed to be a lot more intimidating. I wish that Ozzy and Strut had either been written to be more serious, and/or been downplayed (or even removed) so as to give more focus to Chomper and his family.

One thing that struck me as odd is the fact that Littlefoot was the most insistent about being the one to care for baby Chomper. If anything, it seems like he should've been the most apprehensive about it, considering how he lost his own mother to a Sharptooth. Related to that, I feel Littlefoot should still be having some PTSD over his mother's death and his Sharptooth encounters from the previous film, especially since this seems to take place shortly after the first film, and especially since he encounters two more adult Sharpteeth here. That's an aspect of Littlefoot's psyche I wish had been explored. If I ever do a fanfic novelization of the film, that's something I'd include.

That aside, however, Littlefoot's relationship with Chomper is genuinely endearing. I also enjoyed how the portrayal of Sharpteeth from the first film was completely subverted. The two new adult Sharpteeth here initially seem so much like the Sharptooth from before. But then when we find out they're Chomper's mama and papa, it establishes that, yes, Sharpteeth have families too, and it goes a long way to help humanize them (er, dinosaur-ize... whatever).

Ultimately, I have conflicted feelings. Overall I thought it was a decent first sequel with some strong aspects to it. But at the same time, considering that the original is my favourite animated film of all time, this one left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed in other areas. I knew going into it that it wasn't as dark and gritty as the original, nor was I expecting it to be as good as the original... but I wanted it to be. The first film is just so much more heart-wrenching and has so much more emotional weight.

I've seen a couple people say that, of all the sequels, this is the one that most closely resembles the first film, and I think there's both good and bad things about this. On one hand, the parts where it feels like the first film were the parts I enjoyed the most. But on the other hand, the first film did nearly everything better, and I occasionally found myself longing for the first film instead. Perhaps it's for the better that The Time of the Great Giving went in a somewhat different direction.

[StardustSoldier]

Saw the film again recently. One of the problems I had during my initial watch was that I found the tone shift between the first and second film to be jarring. Although some time has passed now since I last saw the second film, which is why I thought it would be a good time to take another look at it. In part because it's the Ozzy & Strut Showcase right now (see here for my thoughts on them), but I also wanted to better appreciate the second film on its own merits, rather than what I wanted it to be and/or comparing it too much to the first film. When I saw the second film over the summer, even at the time I thought that it was one of the films that would most benefit from an eventual rewatch and a re-review. It's really the second film that defines the tone and style of the LBT series as a whole; the original film is the odd one out.

So... have my thoughts on The Great Valley Adventure changed at all? Yes and no.

Reading over my original review again, I find that most of the things I said the first time around I still agree with. Kinda funny that this was one of the films I thought would most benefit from a re-review, and yet my overall opinion of it changed less than most of the other sequels I re-reviewed.

I still feel a sense of disapproval with this film for introducing the musical format. Even though there were some songs in the later sequels I did enjoy. And it's not that I feel the songs needed to be removed from the series completely. But the "three songs per film" format turned them into too much of a crutch. Less would have been more, imo.

However, with all that said, the criticisms I had with the film before were less jarring for me this time around, while the positive aspects stood out to me more. Even the songs; I disliked them initially, but now I don't mind them. In fact, "You're One of Us Now" is kinda catchy. Ironic that I used to find it the most cringeworthy of the songs here, but now it's become my favourite of the three. It also dawned on me just now that the song does a nice job at foreshadowing (albeit unintentionally) that Chomper will become a regular part of the Gang much later in the series.

Other assorted thoughts:
I love the atmosphere during the nighttime mountain chase. This is where the film starts to pick up for me, albeit gradually.

Although Cera is much nicer now than in the first film, I like how they retain the aspect of her character that she puts on a lot of bravado, yet deep down she really does get scared despite trying to hide it. There's even a callback to her birth scene where she gets scared by a lightning flash.

Speaking of which, the volcano part in this film also reminds me of the trek through the volcanic area in the first film.

Something I didn't notice the first time I watched this. There's foreshadowing that the two adult Sharpteeth are Chomper's parents, as their first appearance comes immediately after a shot of Chomper himself.

The grown-ups often don't get to contribute much if at all to most of the kids' adventures. This film manages to avoid that and gives us an exciting climax where the parents all fight off the Sharpteeth together. This is one of the things I was able to better appreciate upon a second viewing. Related to that, despite Littlefoot being just a kid, I do like that he rushes over to help his grandfather anyway. He was probably afraid of losing another family member to a Sharptooth.

Also, Chomper helps Littlefoot use the vines to trip his own mother. XD

[Gentle Sharptooth]

Some New Thoughts 

I wanted to share some new thoughts I had on the kids and adults dynamic. The Gang is not wrong to desire independence, they as you so eloquently put surived hell when many adults failed and made it to the Great Valley. It stands to reason the Gang has been altered by their triumphs (especially slaying Sharptooth!); this has inflated their egos and leads to the bumble of the Sinking Sand in LBT II where they all nearly drown; this proves to the adults the children despite their major feat of surviving The Great Earth Shake, Sharptooth, and the perils of the Mysterious Beyond still possess a childish flaw: overconfidence and rashness. In the Gang’s defense, they were use to Mysterious Beyond being techerious and so were more vigolant, in the Great Valley they’ve let their guard down do to the precieved safety.

The Adults want the Gang to revert to standard children, because despite the Gang’s Mysterious Beyond triumphs, these children still need to take it slow and grow gradually. The Journey to the Great Valley accelerated the Gang of Five’s growth, and the parents I believe want them to return to their childhood and enjoy it; even though there is no way the Gang will acquiesce to these terms; they are too altered. TLBT II highlights this well, with the Gang trying to go one step further than there last adventure, instead of slay Sharptooth, lets raise one and teach him to like Leaf Eaters, “friends not food!” This plan is shortsighted, yet pays off because Chomper imprints on Little Foot and the Gang. This leads to appeasing Chomper’s parents and removing Ozzy and Strut. I feel Littlefoot and the Gang however do not recognize that their quest to be respected as adults and to have their growth from first movie be recognized could have cost the inhabitants of the Great Valley dearly; I mean two Sharpteeth in the Valley! This proved the Gang had not learned the herd lesson, “the needs of the many outweight the needs few or one.” (Spock, Star Trek).

I like how you point out Cera is right that Chomper needs to leave, but her argument could have been as you said so well, softer. I wonder if Littlefoot’s attachmemt to Chomper is him wrestlong with his mother’s loss and Sharptooth. Littlefoot learns Sharpteeth crave meat from the cradle, not out of personal vendetta, or sadism, but its their tree stars or t-bone steaks. I inferred that Littlefoot needed to see Chomper’s parents, that they were vicious like Sharptooth, but then caring parents; letting Little Foot realize that Sharpteeth arn’t mother killing demons, just another species that yes seems brutul, but is capable of compassion and kindless like Chomper and His parents. I feel Littlefoot when he emerges from the log has had a healing in his soul; he sees Chomper’s parents licking and loving on Chomper.

[Dr. Rex]

Honestly, even though there are sequels that are rated higher on my personal sequel rankings list, I could argue this movie is THE ideal sequel to the original, simply because of the themes alone.

In the original, everything about the Mysterious Beyond is dangerous and evil, and the Great Valley is depicted as a paradise where nothing could go wrong, therefore all dinosaurs must strive to reach it lest they risk dying a painful death in the middle of nowhere. As for the gang's experiences with the original Sharptooth, it is the classic good vs. evil scenario. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about Sharptooth, and it even forgoes its usual predatory instincts to specifically seek revenge for its injured eye, if the behind-the-scenes commentary is something to be believed. As for the gang, they have a bit of a personal stake in seeing that it meets its demise, since it killed Littlefoot's mother. Suffice to say, their experiences with Sharpteeth and the Mysterious Beyond are anything but positive.

Come this sequel, we learn that the Great Valley is not as big of a paradise as the first movie hyped it up to be. There are dangers in the Valley as well, like a volcano, fissure vents, and sinking sand. And then there's Ozzy and Strut, who are living proof that dinosaurs other than Sharpteeth can also be evil and petty. The fact that they can speak Flat-tooth like the gang arguably makes them even more dangerous, since they go against all the things the first movie led us to believe about leaf-eating dinosaurs. In contrast, Chomper is our first hint that not all Sharpteeth are like the original, and his parents are even anti-villains, invading the Valley not because they're hungry, but because they're searching for their lost egg. The very revelation that Sharpteeth can raise families just like leaf-eaters destroys the monstrous image of them created by the original Sharptooth, and it certainly changes the gang's views of Sharpteeth somewhat (it comes full circle by the end of the fifth movie). Overall, this film distorts the classic good vs. evil battle that we saw in the original.

I think if you removed the songs and some of the humor, and made Ozzy and Strut a little more evil, I think we'd be looking at a film more on par with the original but with enough original content to also help it stand out as its own film. I think that's what makes a really terrific sequel: a movie that not only continues the themes of the original, but also upends and deconstructs them in ways that give us a different perspective of the original.

So, even if this film resembles a Saturday morning cartoon at a number of points, I think the crew had something really good going here, and I think their first foray into an LBT sequel bore lots of fruit, probably more than what they were expecting. In fact, I could probably argue that the lighthearted tone also helps the film stand out a little more on its own, since it comes with the idea that the Valley is a paradise, and it's a bit of an effective smokescreen for all the deconstruction going on. I think it's only because of the overabundance of LBT sequels that people aren't as appreciative of what the film is doing.

So yeah, this is what I think of the film. It's a diamond in the rough for me. My views are more or less concerned with the deeper themes and not the actual substance, so maybe if one asks, I'd probably find glaring holes in the content. But for now, I think this is the proverbial LBT sequel, even if there are other sequels that I personally consider better.

[StardustSoldier]

Thank you Gentle Sharptooth and Dr. Rex. I enjoyed reading your guys' thoughts. I especially like this part here:

I think if you removed the songs and some of the humor, and made Ozzy and Strut a little more evil, I think we'd be looking at a film more on par with the original but with enough original content to also help it stand out as its own film. I think that's what makes a really terrific sequel: a movie that not only continues the themes of the original, but also upends and deconstructs them in ways that give us a different perspective of the original.

I completely agree.