The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists

While it's way better than the second, it's still isn't as good as the original which made me feel touched and cry some tears. The dialog is inane, the songs are forgettable (with Take All Sorts as the exception), and the story falls into the predictable zone and it's short like the rest of the sequels, but there are some redeeming qualities that saved the film. The animation is very nice despite it's average editing, the characters are decent, but the villains, despite some great voice work from Jeff Bennett and Tress MacNellie, are the most uninteresting villains in the franchise. At least the voice acting in the rest of the characters are pretty good.

Overall, way better than the second, but not as excellent as the original.

Scrutinize as we may, the original film of 1988 is a classic. The first sequel was still enjoyable but was a notable step down as the presentation was even more simplified, appealing directly to the very youngest of viewers; the second sequel of 1995 was much the same, but at least a small step back up as meaningful themes and ideas were broached. It's safe to say that my expectations for the fourth film overall, released in 1996, were mixed, but of course there's always the possibility that such a subsequent sequel may claim real value all its own. For better and for worse, it doesn't take long after it begins that we can discern 'Journey through the mists' to be very much in line with the past couple direct-to-video releases. If nothing else, with the same cast and crew involved once more - with only piecemeal changes in personnel, if any, from one to the next - we can trust in consistency.

It's hardly as if these later installments, bereft of original filmmaker Don Bluth, aren't any good there is lasting value here, however we might measure it. There's much to appreciate in the visuals, including vibrant color and rich detail in the painted backgrounds, and certainly in character designs, effects, and other active elements. Returning composer Michael Tavera provides a score which doesn't leave much of an impression in and of itself, but which is lovely nonetheless. Whatever we might say about the performances into which they were guided, the voice cast is reliably splendid, ably demonstrating their skills. And while not nearly with the same strength as in the progenitor, the flick boasts some good ideas to play with in the writing: the continued adventures of diminutive dinos Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike, and other friends, while learning much about life at the same time as the youngest audience members who would be watching.

Be that as it may, it's all too easy to find points to criticize in these TLBT sequels. The visuals are nice, but while the colors are sharper there's less nuance, and character movement is prone to awkward, unnatural stiltedness (e.g., heads bobbing). The voice actors cannot be faulted, including icons like Jeff Bennett and Rob Paulsen, yet they are guided into performances that lean into being extra cutesy, simplistic, and childish. Some original songs in these sequels are kind of catchy, but even the best of them are rather gauche, and the worst are altogether cringe-worthy (such as, in this case, "Grandma's lullaby"). Above all, the writing is reduced and unsophisticated, reflecting an apparent mind for basic aphorisms, forced science lessons, and flavorful, uncomplicated fun over earnestness, heartfelt storytelling, or especial substance. The ideas are there, yes, but rendered in a streamlined manner meant not for six- or nine-year olds, but for two- and three-year olds. This applies in varying degrees to the dialogue, scene writing, and revised characterizations, and to the narrative at large, and the result is quite plainly a lesser creation.

'The land before time IV' is still a good time. It's still worthwhile, and various tidbits are particularly well done, including much of the animation, some mild humor, and underlying story ideas. Even the song "Who needs you?" is a tiny delight, demonstrating again that antagonistic figures benefit from some of the most clever and creative writing in the sequels (see also "Eggs" in 'The Great Valley adventure'); similarly, appearing in a guest role as giant turtle Archie, Charles Durning enjoys some splendid writing. Ah, but would that the thought that went into this were more consistent. Would that the sequels were approached less like frivolous Saturday morning cartoons, and more like the sincere theatrical feature that the progenitor was. As something very light and modestly entertaining, 'Journey through the mists' is deserving on its own merits. Don't go out of your way for it, however, and enter knowing fully well that it's a picture existing on a lower stratum than too many other family-friendly flicks that are more significant and impactful. Maybe that's the best way to get the most out of this.

Shortly after a herd of migrating Longnecks enter the Great Valley, Littlefoot befriends one his age named Ali (who is afraid of Littlefoot's other friends Ducky,Petrie, Cera and Spike). Littlefoot's Grandpa falls ill shortly after the arrival of the migrating herd. The Herd's leader, The Old One, says there's a special flower that grows in their previous land that can cure those afflicted with illness (which is given no name) but because the land from whence they came has changed into a marshland of vermin and predators the her refuses to help. Littlefoot must now travel to the Land of Mists to find the "Night Flower" and save his grandpa.

The final Land Before Time sequel to be directed by Roy Allen Smith and written by Dev Ross, The Land Before Time IV keeps itself mostly in line with its predecessors II and III. It's really no better nor worse than the previous two, though maybe it gets a few points for having slightly more stakes than the first entries. With the crux of the movie being a ticking clock to save Littlefoot's Grandpa it definitely feels like it has more weight than the previous two entries with II teaching the moral of obeying your parents, and III being a vehicle for Bullying, resource conservation, and fire safety advice. I can say that IV feels more like an actual movie rather than an extended TV episode.

The movie's villains this time around, crocodile like creature Dil and bird like Ichi, are basically like Ozzy and Strut from the first film except rather than eggs they're trying to eat our heroes (also in a break from the norm, unlike other "Sharpteeth" in the series they can talk). The defining shtick is basically them complaining to each other that one does more work in their food gathering relationship than the other. It's not particularly endearing or amusing but I suppose it does try to shake itself up.

The songs are mostly forgettable. Grandma's Lullaby was probably the best by virtue of tying itself to Grandpa's illness and having a decent enough melody. Other songs were either annoying like the villain song "Who Needs You?" or a filler song "It takes all sorts" which basically retreads the message of the original Don Bluth movie without subtlety. Otherwise pretty much anything said of the other two sequels can apply here.

Land Before Time IV is basically more of the same. It's slightly better than the other two sequels by virtue of having a plot with heftier stakes and slightly more drive and focus, but it doesn't have much in the way of emotional or tonal weight.

This is one of many animated sequels to "Land Before Time". Each one is about dinosaurs.

This LBT will appeal to some but not to others. For people who did not like LBT2 very much at all but like LBT1 and LBT3 a great deal, this will be their kettle of a film. For people who find LBT5 etc too babyish, you will probably like this one quite a lot as well.

As for the actual film, it has the same sort of companionship and teamwork as the first, the second and the third LBT's and you could even say this is less babyish than LBT2. The animation is quite well done, especially the backgrounds. The music is one of the highlights, not repeating and constantly gloomy or happy unlike in some of the other LBT's. The storyline is both exciting and tedious in places, but there is a good adventure. The old characters are pretty much the same, which is good, unfortunately the new character, a longneck called Ali, is pretty much a spoilt, silly character, but luckily improves as the story goes along. The songs are pretty good for a LBT, especially "It Takes All Sorts" and "Grandma's Lullaby". That's pretty much it in highlights and disadvantages... Oh yes - the baddies are a bit silly, but scary enough to entertain people who like very bad villains the the LBTs.

What happens is that outside the valley, the weather and pretty much everything else is changing - for the worse. Meanwhile, a wandering herd meet Littlefoot's grandparents and Littlefoot's grandpa becomes very sick. Along with Littlefoot's new friend Ali, he is determined to find the nightflower in the mysterious beyond, which may be able to cure his grandpa...

Enjoy "Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists."

The Great Valley is still an idyllic paradise but arriving refugees speak of an approaching mist which is a precursor to doom. Littlefoot sets off to find a particular flower for medicine in the land of the mists. He's joined by new friend Ali.

It's a little off with Littlefoot being alone. He needs his friends and they do finally join him. I'm also not sure about a sea turtle as a new friend. I don't see the turtle being able to outrun a crocodile. The mist is over-sold. The story is really straight forward which is fine for a kids movie. It's an hour long. This is fine but don't expect much for adults. This is a kids' movie.