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The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water (2002)

I hope The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water is the worst this series gets. Any worse, I swear I'm going to quit. You can’t get much more contrived or pointless than this animated children’s movie.

When a long period of rainfall, Littlefoot (voiced by Thomas Dekker) and his friends Cera (Anndi McAfee), Ducky (Aria Noelle Curzon), Petrie (Jeff Bennett) and Spike (still mute, but “voiced” by Rob Paulsen) discover a large lake. Inside this “big water” lives Mo (also voiced by Rob Paulsen). When a chasm suddenly separates our heroes from their families, Littlefoot and the gang march forward to return Mo to his home while dodging a Sharptooth Swimmer.

I understand a certain number of stars must align for an adventure to take place. No one wants to watch a day where nothing goes awry. This movie takes the coincidences and convenient events to a whole new level. You'll be throwing your hands up in frustration. First, the precipitation is so extreme that a lake forms in the Great Valley. Second, the storm carries a salt-water reptile from the ocean, which is at least 2 days’ worth of a walk away - and upstream - to our heroes’ homes. It also displaces a 6 meter (21 foot) sea monster. Third, an earthquake creates a chasm so deep that a perpetual wall of hot air and steam rises from it, preventing Petrie from flying across. The same earthquake separates our favorite dinosaurs from their parents, opens a path from the lake to the world outside of the valley, AND traps the swimming sharptooth so they can all go on without a care in a world. This isn't happenstance. It’s the author forcing the hand of God to make things happen!

Once you get over the initial shock, you'll realize how annoying and empty a film this is. While I didn’t mind 2 of the songs included (there are four instead of the usual three, and then a second version of No One Has to Be Alone sung by Donny Osmond during the end credits) Imaginary Friend will have you tearing your ears off. It’s one thing to encourage children to use their imagination when playing, but a whole song dedicated to why make-belief friends are so awesome? That’s pushing it. Everything related to Mo is grating. The character has no real personality, only the quirk that he wants to play all the time and a voiced that reminds me of a dripping faucet at 1:00 am. The only way he could have been more exasperating is if they had added bubbly noises at the end of each of his sentences. Whenever he shuts up, it's medicinal lotion gently rubbed onto your sunburn. Too bad as the new character, he talks and sings constantly.

Journey to Big Water has a few minor redeeming qualities. The backgrounds are pleasant to view. The series is beginning to use computer animation to create some difficult objects (rotating logs, water, etc.) and this has given the artists time to refine the environment. Two scenes showing characters talking amongst themselves about their feelings and insecurities make them feel like real... dinosaurs. Finally, this chapter acknowledges “The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island” so it somewhat rewards those who have been paying attention to the series so far.

What's shocking is how little during these 75 minutes. The plot is so straightforward, with no real character development, a lot of repeated conversations (if not within the film, then between this and the previous movies), and other than traveling from point A to point B while dodging one bad guy, nothing else happens. If you hope the after-credit bonus will make it up to you, know it’s not even a music video by Donny Osmond or even a repeat of some popular LBT songs... it’s just three random tunes that lead into a commercial! (On VHS, April 15, 2015)

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[adamwatchesmovies]

The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (1995)

If The Land Before Time III: The Time of Great Giving had been just as bad or worse than #2, I might've called the series quits despite having accidentally purchased a bunch of the films. Luckily, it's a step up. Enough that I would even recommend it as entertainment for children. Let's examine why it earns itself a 3/5 rating.

When a shower of meteorites falls near the Great Valley, the flow of water suddenly stops. While the adults try to manage the dwindling supplies, Littlefoot (Scott McAfee), Ducky (Heather Hogan), Cera (Candace Hutson), Petrie (Jeff Bennett) and Spike (Rob Paulsen) face a trio of older bullies. When the situation between all of the different species becomes increasingly strained, our heroes search for a new source of water in the hopes that it will bring everyone together again.

The only people who will see this film are the ones who have seen the first Land Before Time, the The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure and still want more. It's a niche audience and they will be satisfied by third third chapter. If I had kids and they wanted to see it, I'd even sit down with them and wouldn't groan if they asked to watch it a few more times again.

What makes it good is the story. Some sequences are very reminiscent of the first film (no doubt a mixture of the animators not knowing what to do with 5 characters without hands living in a prehistoric world and an attempt to recapture some of that original magic) but there are some original ideas introduced as well. After a long period of paradisial life, what happens when something goes wrong? They act like I would imagine talking dinosaurs would. They stick around and hope that if they save their water and wait the problem will solve itself. I liked that the dinosaur parents were given a plot with its ups and downs, realistic conflicts, and genuine character development. Their story is mirrored in the way the children deal with the scenario.

There's a definite improvement between LBT 2 and 3 but the problems are still there. They’re just not as bad. We still have songs that are wholly unnecessary inserted throughout and none are good. The animation's quality dips (some characters change size, and in a few shots there’s an ankylosaurus whose tail looks way off). Additionally, the dialogue is not well written... for this story. The langue has gotten less “dinosaur-y” in the sense that they talk less in broken English and use fewer terms like “the mysterious beyond” or “the sinking sands”. That gave the film a feeling of genuinely being from The Land Before Time. It's disappointing to hear the word "fire" instead of “the burning” or “the red lights” or something like that.

The Time of the Great Giving tells a nice lesson. Overall, the movie is gentle and delivers its ideals of sharing and cooperation in a way that feels organic and legitimate. It isn’t some rinky-dink issue where a bunch of little kid dinosaurs can’t get along because they only have one toy for the five of them. It’s a life-altering, potentially lethal situation in which creatures that don’t understand the world around them have to figure out a way to solve a complex problem together. Although it's no substitute for the first entry in the series, it's a decent runner-up. (On VHS, March 19, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists (1996)

After The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists most viewers will be tired of the series. It’s just more of the same all over again. Ok animation, a few new characters whose presence probably won’t impact the franchise in the long run, three songs written without much care but a nice message and enough going on story-wise to entertain the parents stuck watching it with their kids.

Little Foot (voiced by Scott McAfee), Cera (Candace Hutson), Ducky (Heather Hogan), Petrie (Jeff Bennett), and Spike (Rob Paulsen) are living peacefully in the Great Valley until Little Foot’s grandfather becomes ill. The flower that will cure him can only be found by traveling to the land of mists with Ali (Juliana Hansen), a long-neck from a nomadic herd named.

I will give the movie credit in that it isn't merely a retread of a previous story. Unfortunately, the lackluster songs return once more. At least we don’t have to listen to the child dinosaurs singing again, most of the time it’s either the villains or the dinosaurs’ parents slingin' melodies. The lyrics are particularly out of place, with Little Foot’s Grandmother mention “husbands” and “wives” in her lullaby. Those words have no meaning in a world populated by dinosaurs. It's another example of the characters behaving increasingly like people stuck in dinosaur bodies rather than prehistoric reptiles with a limited understanding of the world around them.

Yes there are villains in this story. We have a big conflict with Littlefoot’s Grandfather being sick and there’s plenty of peril with the threat of cave-ins or getting lost but someone wanted to introduce a Masterblaster-style pair of villains (voiced by Tress MacNeille and Bennett). It's weird to see a predator speak the same language as their prey. Many people feel conflicted about eating meat and they don’t even have to kill them with their bare hands or hear them beg for mercy! They feel like they were inserted purely to pad out the film.

Outside of the villains, the material is pretty good. There’s the introduction of another long-necked dinosaur that wants to be friends with Littlefoot but doesn’t trust other species of dinosaurs because she’s never been around them. That brings back some of the subtle themes of racism and discrimination present in the first adventure, and I like that aspect of “people” who have learned that it’s the inside that counts being confronted with someone who disagrees. It may also be caused by the amount of time we've seen the characters at this point, but there is a good amount of emotion present. When Littlefoot’s Grandfather is lying on his side and the dinosaurs around him are trying not to cry, I’ll admit I got a little misty-eyed myself. Your bond with the dinosaurs makes the stakes feel real.

Journey Through the Mists is better than the first sequel, which is still the worst of the franchise (so far). It’s not great, so it’s not like I would recommend this movie to adults, but for kids? Sure. For children that demand more from this series, I’d call it average entertainment. It's comparable to a re-run of a decent TV show you find on TV. You don’t have to put much effort into watching and it’s a good way to pass the time. It’s faint praise but if you’re in this far into the franchise and you want more, I think you’ll be entertained. (On VHS, March 22, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure (1994)

While The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure has a nice message and a sweet tone, it’s a significant step down from the original movie. It’s an animated direct-to-video musical adventure. I lowered my expectations accordingly. Even so, I can’t see any adult watching this picture and not wishing they had simply re-visited its 1988 predecessor instead.

Little Foot (Scott McAfee), Cera (Candace Hutson), Ducky (Heather Hogan), Petrie (Jeff Bennett), and Spike (mostly silent, but voiced by Rob Paulsen) are living peacefully in the Great Valley, but unhappy with their parents' attitude towards them. Wanting to grow up and show that they can be taken seriously, they confront a pair of egg nappers and mistakenly bring back an egg to the Great Valley. Before they know it, a new friend hatches!

The biggest disappointment is the drastic shift of tone and style. The Land Before Time is kind of a tough movie. Littlefoot sees his mother die and falls into a deep depression. Death isn't sugarcoated. It features no scenes of singing and dancing dinosaurs. The lessons learned are subtle. Its happy ending glosses over the incoming extinction but you feel that the era we saw is ending. Obviously, certain changes were required for this to grow into a franchise but did it HAVE to be a musical? The songs are badly written and the performers are not good. At all. There are three original songs, two performed by the cast of child and young actors - rather than singers. They’re not in-synch with each other, making you wish separate voices for these numbers had been hired.

It’s got some colourful new characters, dinosaurs frolicking in the wilderness and a simple story for children, that's enough for indiscriminating viewers. The lesson about the importance of staying a child? That's been done before, and better. The animation is alright, I’d say slightly better than your average children’s animated show from the ’90s. What will prevent adults from enjoying The Great Valley Adventure are the story and the songs. There’s not much to the story at all. The new antagonists introduced are bumbling dinosaurs that interesting. The story is not creative. This feels like an elongated episode of a television series. Those could've still been brushed away but not the songs. Parents want movies their kids can watch over and over. I suspect many adults will be driven to the loony bin from hearing You’re One of Us Now over and over.

Am I being too harsh? Maybe but this picture is little more than a cash grab and everyone involved knew it. Even the people buying this movie are likely to know they're in-store for an inferior story. That's no reason to cut it some slack. Still, I can't pretend I wasn't entertained by The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure when I saw it as a child. As an adult, however, I suggest you go out and do some yard work when the kids pop this one into the machine. (On VHS, March 15, 2015)

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