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Land Before Time movies topic - what if...?
a year ago
This journal is temporary (but so is life itself)
So I had contemplated about something:
You know how there's 14 Land Before Time films in total? Most of em are ehh...ho-hum.
Reason: Capitalization & franchise milking
Most folks would agree the sequels shouldn't have existed. That's one reality we wish.
But imagine another timeline where they still exist but in totally different forms for a totally different reason, as if they always genuinely tried their damnest to make "the perfect sequel" and to reach max masterful potential with each and every story iteration
If we were part of an alternate reality like that, would you watch all of those instead?
TL;DR - if it had amazing sequels instead of trash sequels, would you watch all of them?
So I had contemplated about something:
You know how there's 14 Land Before Time films in total? Most of em are ehh...ho-hum.
Reason: Capitalization & franchise milking
Most folks would agree the sequels shouldn't have existed. That's one reality we wish.
But imagine another timeline where they still exist but in totally different forms for a totally different reason, as if they always genuinely tried their damnest to make "the perfect sequel" and to reach max masterful potential with each and every story iteration
If we were part of an alternate reality like that, would you watch all of those instead?
TL;DR - if it had amazing sequels instead of trash sequels, would you watch all of them?
I also consider Disney's "Dinosaur" (2000) to be an excellent spiritual sequel. That movie set my heart on fire at the age of 18. The original soundtrack by James Newton Howard is goosebump inducing.
I can see that. The thing is, I would too, but i'd have to take breaks xD
It's insane enough so many sequels do exist but it's beyond insanity if they had stuck with an entirely different work and creative ethic while sticking to one same franchise entirely.
The ridiculously lofty amount of outsourcing, assets, budget raise, production value, time/effort, fixing and revising would've also skyrocketed, but ultimately wouldve been worth the wait for each. We'd be in such a different light talking about if it were ever the case, more folks woulda gave a shit & did more with it for fun, as consumers & internet culture
Understandably, the rare chance of a franchise staying that good for so long is so close to impossible, it's truly take miracles & the stars & planets to align.
Most who shoot that far end up in development hell (sometimes for a while, sometimes forever or reformed entirely), as they would be uncompromising, at least not until it's polished and finished truly to its entirety. That too, can also be admirable.
It all comes down to who and circumstances, after all.
(Also, Disney's Dinosaur was fun when it first came out. I still miss the youthful theater experiences back in Maryland & Yokosuka Japan, so thanks for mentioning x)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTm7wzsoU6I
My opinion:
2: Theater quality, although there will always be a specter of "What If?" over 2 due to what happened to Judith Barsi (OVA of Ducky)
3, 4 and 5: Nailed it! (Especially in the case of 5; Chomper was EXACTLY what the series needed at the time! Hearing Spike actually talk in 4 is seen as one of the most legendary moments in the entire series as well)
6, 7 and 8: Almost nailed it, with 7 actually coming closer to nailing it than 6 with 8 just as good as 7
9: very good
10 and 11: okay
12 and 13: trash
14: never seen it
LBT was my childhood, I have all the films, seen all the films even still have the original VHS copies. And yeah I know and can see how the series took a dive for the worst over the years almost after 7 to me. So if I was part of that alternate reality like that yes I would watch those as well because yeah this series was my childhood.
It's why me and a close and dear friend of mine decided to do a fanfic story so to speak. In it well you could say it is that alternate reality where the sequels did exists but didn't suck. Our goal for this story is to try and return it to its dark roots like being dark and gritty but something kids could enjoy and remember like the original one was. However it would tackle some more...serious and adult issues.
For example and feel free to correct me if I am wrong as it has been years. The first one was about depression and racism. The ones we're aiming for would be about regret and even PTSD, something the more adult characters would face. Specifically on Hyp who regrets being the bully he once was, Pterano who regrets all the bad things he's done, Old Topps regretting being the asshole that he was during most of the entire series, even Cera regretting what she said about Littlefoot's mother in the first movie and now after all this time wants to take it back. It would shine a little backstory on some of the adult characters some of them do have some trauma in their lives that they never made peace with that's all coming back to haunt them in the story. For example we introduce a part of Littlefoot's Granndfather's past where he regrets he wasn't able to help his best friend who ironically was a T-Rex like Chomper. In short, their pasts have finally caught up with them.
And...me and my friend also wanted include dragons into this but make them stand out with their own personal history, views, etc. One of them being they have to keep themselves a secrete from the world because of fear of being discriminated and even wiped out. In fact the OC Dragon friend the group meets early in a story, her over protective parents believe it or not were victims of Pterano's mishap he caused during the first story that th seven story explained, who survived and well that's where the PTSD elements would come in but even they have their own personal forms of regret and trauma they'll have to try to struggle to make peace with after four or five years of letting it consume them.
So far we have two or three books planned with my friend already having wrote and finished the first one which you can read on fan fiction if you like. I met her after she finished the first story so its all her work which I highly recommend giving it a good read if your a fan of the series but enjoyed the first one the most and wished the entire series was as great as the first one was.
Its hard to say mean I just dont get how anime is able to have certain popular ones on go from late 90s to now, not to mention certain other franchises which have problems too. I think Scooby-Doo has been milked worst, and now ruined with few Political celeb figures put in episodes of certain last newer series.