Okay, it was concluded by pretty much the whole GOF Community, Various Comments on the Trailer and Multiple Review Sites that LBT 13: The Wisdom of Friends was THE worst Land Before Time Movie Ever!
Sure, graphically, it looks wonderful! (Despite the animated mistakes a number of us have spotted.) But everything else... Ugh!
Not even some of the most dedicated fans here enjoyed it, and when the fan doesn't like it, you know it's bad.
So, this topic is to discuss what could have been done to actually make it good and possibly give the franchise the chance to work out another sequel or two.
I'll start, but I must warn you that you won't like what I've got in mind.
I think for starters, it should have started as it normally did. With Littlefoot and Grandma Longneck enjoying their meal. Even with the part where Littlefoot goes onto that fallen tree and Grandma saves him after he falls off. Now, here's where things change in MY version of it.
Instead of Grandma Longneck surviving, she falls to her doom. Yes, my version kills her. (I told ya that you wouldn't like it.)
It would bring forth the element that is pretty much taboo from Kids Shows and Kids Movies these days, Death! (Seriously, the only kids stuff you see this on is PBS and Disney. Writers need to learn something from those guys.) It would also give the title much more sense. Sure, it might be predictable from here, but it would be good in the end.
From here, the plot totally changes. Littlefoot goes to Grandpa Longneck with a heavy heart and tells him. Of course, Grandpa Longneck is heart-broken and tells Littlefoot to go and play with his friends so the old longneck can be alone.
However, he feels so responsible for Grandma's death that he doesn't go to his friends. Instead, he heads towards The Mysterious Beyond and leaves The Great Valley.
Soon enough, his friends start to wonder where in the world he could be. They soon head to Littlefoot's Nest and find out exactly what happened. The four kids then start to search for Littlefoot, searching the entire Great Valley, to no avail. That's when they figure out that Littlefoot might have headed to The Mysterious Beyond.
Meanwhile, Littlefoot had made it to a small pond. As he takes a drink to satisfy his thirst, he looks around only to figure out that it is the same pond that they defeated The Original Sharptooth at. This suddenly brings back the horrible memory of The Death of Littlefoot's Mother. (Here, I imagine the scene being shown just as it was, but in black and white to represent that it was something of the past.)
At this point, Littlefoot blames himself for the death of both his mother and his grandmother. That it was his fault they are dead. Now, he doesn't want to return to The Great Valley.
Back in The Great Valley, the Gang of Four find out about the way Littlefoot went (via Random Resident) and head that way out to The Mysterious Beyond. They soon find fresh tracks of Littlefoot and follow them.
Now to keep this from going long, Littlefoot comes across more familiar places. The Mountains that Burn, The Area Where Littlefoot & Cera Fought, The Rock that Looks Like a Longneck and so on. It all tying in to the first movie.
Of course, the Gang also come across the familiar areas and, as they notice them, start to talk about what happened at such areas. We get to see all of the great scenes as they originally are. Even the one where The Gang cuddle up together in the footprint.
So yeah, by now you know it's a fan-tribute movie, but it's a good one, regardless.
Eventually, Littlefoot ends up back at the very spot where his mother died. There, he finds the skeleton of his dead mother. As he looks upon it, he starts to remember the cruel fight his mother had with Sharptooth. Bowing his head in great sadness, he starts to leave when suddenly his friends finally catch up to him.
Littlefoot asks what they are doing here, which Cera answers "Looking for you!" As Cera starts lecturing Littlefoot on how he should have never left, Ducky looks at the longneck skeleton, turns to Littlefoot and asks him if it's his mother? He confirms it is. Even recalling the exact spot where he saw his mother die right in front of him.
Ducky then asks Littlefoot what his mother was like since he never talked about her. Littlefoot tells them about the good times he had with her. He even amazingly recalls the scene where he hatched and saw his mother for the first time. As he's talking though, he realizes that he is starting to feel better and, just like before, Ducky was the one helping him get through his mother's death.
He's about to tell them this... when a big Sharptooth appears and stomps down on the skeleton of Littlefoot's Mother. (Oh come on! It's not Land Before Time without a sharptooth.) The gang scatter to get away from the predator. They soon figure out how to use the terrain to their advantage. However, this sharptooth actually proves to be a tough one. Even seeming like a dangerous one as their tricks and traps only slow it down.
They soon end up trapped and at the sharptooth's mercy... when Grandpa Longneck shows up and takes on the sharptooth. It's a tough battle, but eventually Grandpa knocks the Sharptooth off a tall steep hill. The Sharptooth survives the fall but walks away since it can't get to the prey anymore.
Grandpa then turns to the gang and asks if they are okay. They say that they are. Littlefoot then goes up to Grandpa and apologizes to him for leaving like he did. Grandpa forgives him and tells him that he shouldn't have left, especially when he had his friends to turn to during this tough time of his.
Littlefoot then has Grandpa Longneck follow him to the one site the old longneck was most likely dreading to see. The now broken skeleton of Littlefoot's Mother. Littlefoot confirms it and they pay a final silent tribute to her before leaving home for The Great Valley.
On the way home, Littlefoot has Grandpa Longneck tell the gang what Littlefoot's Mother was like before he was born. As Grandpa is telling them of his daughter's life, Littlefoot looks at his four friends and realizes just how lucky he is to have friends like them in his life.
The movie would then end and a new song would play as the credits roll.
Yes, there is a major change in this story, but I would enjoy this much more than the monstrosity we got.
So, what about you guys? What would you have done differently?
Post away!
