Should the sequels been more like the original?

WeirdRaptor · **on:** April 03, 2005, 06:57:53 PM

I was watching the sequels 2-5 last night when the question popped into my mind. "Would these have been better if they had treated the existing plots for the sequels the same way they had treated the original?"

I thought this would an interesting idea to present to you guys. What do you think?

Personally, my answer is defintely "yes".

Petrie · **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2005, 08:32:04 PM

I don't understand the question unfortunately.

Are you saying, had the sequels been written and planned out similar to a theatrical film, would it make for a better sequel?

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2005, 03:39:02 AM

Yes that's what I'm asking. Would the sequels have been better if they had been more like the original?

Malte279 · **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2005, 12:03:07 PM

Perhaps so. If the films were as high budget projects as to show them in the cinemas, it is likely that they would be a little more careful about some things that may be worth criticism about the sequels as they are.

Petrie · **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2005, 05:55:48 PM

Quote from: Malte279,Apr 4 2005 on 11:03 AM

Perhaps so. If the films were as high budget projects as to show them in the cinemas, it is likely that they would be a little more careful about some things that may be worth criticism about the sequels as they are.

Indeed...they would've likely developed a different storyline if they had planned to release it theatrically since if it bombs in the theaters, it's over whereas you have more leeway with a direct-to-video series.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2005, 06:42:48 PM

Actually, I wasn't suggesting putting them in theaters, I was suggesting that if they had been more like the orignal, delivery-wise, would they have been better, period?

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2005, 05:55:16 AM

Im not entirely sure if I understand what you mean by "be like the original" coz I've always thought each of them original in their own right since each sequel tells a different story. I dont really see how they can make it like the original without being blasted that it's the same plot being reused and/or overused. To be honest, I was very surprised to see a sequel for LBT in the first place coz the ending was very closed. They found what they were looking for and they were happy. In light of that, I dont think Don Bluth had the intention of making a sequel but Universal went ahead and did it anyway.

Malte279 · **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2005, 07:08:26 AM

Like Jason said there weren't any intentions to create a sequel at first (I think LBT 2 was released in 1994).
As for the question, I'm afraid it really needs to be pinpointed a bit more, as it is difficult to decide what is included in the term "like the original" and what is not. Are we talking about the animation? The plot? The whatever?
As for the animation, I doubt that a purple sharptooth (LBT 2) would have been admitted to a "more like the original" movie, not to mention the shrill colored ophtalmosaurus in LBT 9. There were often softer colors, less sharp borders and more spectacular perspectives in the original movie. It might be, that keeping this up in the sequels would have been an improvement. However, I can't say I was very disturbed about the sequels' animation unless it comes to some elements in later movies, namely "confusion of colors" (green lava in LBT 7, deep green skies in LBT 8, turning red of everything in case of danger (LBT 5, 6, 10), exaggerated use of color to indicate temperature LBT 8), and exaggerated 3D and photorealistic effect that don't seem to fit to the normaly drawn characters in LBT 10.
As for the plots, there are a number of things that I don't think would have been tolerated in movies more like the original. We don't need to go as far as looking at the movies that are clearly in conflict with the original to find examples.
To begin with, the first movie seemed to show (never said so explicitely though) the Great Valley was the last green spot in a vast wasteland. In the sequels the Valley has partly been "disenchanted", most likely because it turned out impossible to limit all stories within the walls of the Great Valley.
Also, I don't think a friendship with a sharptooth would have been tolerated, at least not the easy way it was established in LBT 2, in a movie more strictly based on the original.
Finally the friendship between Littlefoot and the others was something extremely special in the original movie in which the racism among the various kinds could be felt very strongly. In the sequels it is hardly something special at all (with LBT 4 being a remarkable exception as it seems to limit the lack of racism on the Great Valley).

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2005, 04:14:51 AM

Again, that's not what I was asking.

Would the sequels have been better if they had been more like the original?

Like, okay, are they better as light-hearted musicals, or if would they have been better if they had been darker and without songs, like the original.

No sequel is original.

Malte279 · **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2005, 06:43:21 AM

I hope to finally understand what you mean by "more like the original", but I don't think I can answer your question by simply saying yes or no.
I do not think that the singing in the sequels does any serious harm to the style of the movie. Some of the songs transfer important messages wich might sound clumsy if squeezed into a dialogue.
Whether or not the removal of the songs (which I doubt to be the one and only point that decides whether or not a sequel is "like the original") would be a good thing for the quality of the movie I cannot say. All I can say is that it would be a shame if some of the songs had never been made.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2005, 02:08:27 PM

No no no. I wasn't saying that removal of the songs alone would make them more like the original, although that get them a bit closer to the mark. You have to remember, there's also a whole lot of different between the tones of the story, such, as, the original was a whole lot more dark than the most serious sequel.

They could just play the songs we really loved in the end credits.

Malte279 · **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2005, 02:33:34 PM

I pointed out some of those darker effects in my previous message:

Quote

To begin with, the first movie seemed to show (never said so explicitely though) the Great Valley was the last green spot in a vast wasteland. In the sequels the Valley has partly been "disenchanted", most likely because it turned out impossible to limit all stories within the walls of the Great Valley.
Also, I don't think a friendship with a sharptooth would have been tolerated, at least not the easy way it was established in LBT 2, in a movie more strictly based on the original.
Finally the friendship between Littlefoot and the others was something extremely special in the original movie in which the racism among the various kinds could be felt very strongly. In the sequels it is hardly something special at all (with LBT 4 being a remarkable exception as it seems to limit the lack of racism on the Great Valley).

Just to be told that this was not what you was asking for :huh:

In the recent movies the final songs have been songs from the movie itself. Till then we had mostly variations of If we hold on together and other background melodies to accompany the closing credits. Credit music that receives to little credit. I for my part would really miss those as well.

F-14 Ace · **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2005, 12:13:24 AM

I think they should be more like the origional movie. Sure, the sequals ar alright but the first movie was truely the best.

F-14 Ace · **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2005, 12:24:59 AM

If the sequels were more like the origional movie, they would be much better. Not that they aren't good anyway. They could do without all the singing though.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #14 on:** December 20, 2005, 04:50:35 AM

Finally, someone who shares my view.

Malte279 · **Reply #15 on:** December 20, 2005, 08:35:58 AM

I suppose most would agree with a statement that the sequels ought to be more like the original (I do to). However, I do not pinpoint any negative aspects of some sequels to the mere fact that they include singing dinosaurs. Some of the songs are a pain, but some are really beautiful and I'm willing to take the first into account for the later. I wouldn't want to miss songs such as "Always There", "No one has to be alone", and "Bestest Friends".
Is it just the songs for you? What other aspects are there you would want to be more like the original in the sequels?

F-14 Ace · **Reply #16 on:** December 20, 2005, 08:57:13 AM

It is just that there is simply too much singing. I like some of those songs but yeah, the sons that the villians sing suck, I think. Villians don't need to sing.

Petrie. · **Reply #17 on:** December 20, 2005, 10:29:52 AM

Malte, those examples are examples of decent songs. The latest film had perhaps the worst singing I've heard out of any animated film, in gee, my life. I've said that before. Even Fievel in the original American Tail sounded better.

Songs are fine, if they aren't put in, simply to be put in.

Malte279 · **Reply #18 on:** December 20, 2005, 02:44:59 PM

Yeah, we had all that talking about songs already and I already told that there are absolutely horrific songs ("Who needs you", "The lesson" and the like) in LBT. But the topic of this thread is not limited to music (which is mainly a matter of taste difficult to discuss about). What other elements are there which you would want to have changed to make the sequels more like the original?

F-14 Ace · **Reply #19 on:** December 20, 2005, 06:41:56 PM

Another thing is that the movies seem to be, how should I put it, hmm, perky. I mean, they could use a darker theme like the first movie.