Land Before Time Retrospective #23
The “Monthly Character Showcase” was a series of threads on the Land Before Time forum, hosted by community member ‘rhombus’. Each month, the community would discuss a different character from the series. Along with many others, I would chime in with my thoughts on each of the characters featured.
For this first year of the Character Showcases, the seven main characters of the series were featured (Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Chomper, Ruby), along with a few supporting/guest characters (Guido, Shorty, Ali).
Littlefoot Showcase – February 2019
Quote from OwlsCantRead: Gosh, I’m super late to this.
Hah, well I’m far more late than you are. In part because I hadn’t yet discovered the forum when this showcase was introduced. But I wanted to chime in with my thoughts on my favourite flathead regardless.
Quote from rhombus: What about Littlefoot makes him your favorite character?
Littlefoot is a terrific protagonist. He is certainly my favorite character. That was decided for me as soon as I saw the original movie. It’s a bit hard to articulate why exactly, but he’s the first character I connected with in the series. I guess because he’s at the heart and center of the original, but even in the sequels I’d still probably say he’s my favorite. Just a kind-hearted, wholesome, and loveable little dino all around.
Personally, I think his most awesome moment is in the first film. After his nasty row with Cera and the gang splits up, and the other kids ditch him and all go with Cera. Next to his mother dying, that was the part where I felt the most sad for him. But then what does he do? He goes back for his friends anyway, and manages to save them all from dying horribly. That’s a true hero right there.
Cera Showcase – March 2019
Quote from rhombus: What are your thoughts on Cera, and how has your opinion on Cera as a character changed over the years?
Cera is my second favourite character, behind Littlefoot. I’m still relatively new to Land Before Time and so I can’t say my opinion of her has changed “over the years” yet, but this’ll certainly be an interesting question to come back to at some point.
A few people mention either hating her in the original and/or not really warming up to her until the sequels, which I totally get. Personally, I really liked her even in the first film. She starts off as a jerk, sure, but she’s just so well-written, and she has a compelling character arc. She and Littlefoot have the most meaningful development, imo. Even before she redeems herself near the end, you get occasional glimmers of her nice side buried deep down, particularly during the sleep scene. She’s alarmed when she wakes up and discovers she’s all alone, and then she notices everyone has moved over to go sleep with Littlefoot. But for once, instead of getting angry or jealous, she just goes over and snuggles up beside Littlefoot herself. And then he rests his foreleg around her. D’awww.
But her most awesome moment, I think, comes near the end. During the final battle, just when it seems like all is lost, she appears out of nowhere and shouts a triumphant “I’M COMING!!!!” And then she rams the boulder and sends Sharptooth plunging into the drink, thus saving the day and avenging Littlefoot’s mother.
I also like how it’s shown that part of the reason for her belligerence and bragging stems from insecurity about how she really does get scared, just like all the other dinosaurs.
Quote from ImpracticalDino: Now that I realize it, the reason why I liked Tops in the third movie so much is probably also the same reasons why I didn’t like Cera in the first movie. Both of them had prejudice against other dinosaurs at first, and both of them had a character arc like you already said. Hmm, perhaps her sassy attitude had something to do with it. I honestly agree with all of the points you’ve mentioned here, but I still won’t get over the fact that Cera insulted Littlefoot’s mother. The nerve that she had, ugh. I knew threehorns were stubborn, but not to the extent of that!
It certainly was mean of Cera, and it’s probably the most heinous thing she does in the film. However, even despite her prejudices, I don’t think it was premeditated on her part. At that point, they’d been travelling for who knows how many exhausting days on end, with no end in sight, and I think it’s understandable that any of them would be quite cranky and irritable at that point. With Littlefoot continually pressing them forward, I can see why Cera got fed up. I think it was just a heat-of-the-moment comment expressing her frustration at Littlefoot telling her that she was going the wrong way when, from her perspective, he has no valid proof of this whatsoever. It certainly doesn’t justify her comment, but I do think the context is important.
Perhaps more importantly, though, after the tar prank and she wanders off on her own before she breaks down into tears, I think it was implied that she did feel genuinely bad about earlier, even if she couldn’t admit it. I don’t think she would’ve had as much of an emotional reaction if Littlefoot hadn’t been part of the ‘tar monster’.
Ducky Showcase – April 2019
Quote from rhombus: What are your thoughts on Ducky? Also, how do you think she has developed over the course of the original film and sequels?
Ducky certainly does seem to have a crush on Petrie, doesn’t she? Which is pretty cute, although personally, I fall a bit more into the Littlefoot x Cera and/or Littlefoot x Ali camp.
Regardless, Ducky is definitely one of my favourite characters. My favourite Ducky moment is when she and Littlefoot meet for the first time. He’s still emotionally torn apart with grief and despair. But, despite having been separated from her own family, she’s able to cheer him up and restore his motivation to find the Great Valley. In fact, it’s the loss of her family that causes Littlefoot to bond with her. Such a sweet moment.
I do feel that she was occasionally underdeveloped in the sequels, however.
Quote from DiddyKF1: I don’t know what they were thinking with that Sky Color Stones episode, and as a matter of fact, Aria Curzon herself admitted that she disliked the way her character behaved in The Big Freeze. At least I can say she showed just a bit of crucial character development in that film.
While I haven’t seen the “Sky Color Stones” episode yet, I find it interesting that Aria Curzon feels that way regarding The Big Freeze. Conversely, Ducky was one of the highlights of that film for me, precisely because it was one of the films that developed her the most. Also, as Sovereign said…
Quote from Sovereign: My only problem with her is that aside from that one episode and the eighth film, we never saw any darker sides in her which may make her rather one-sided too often. I like even good characters having serious flaws but the swimmer has few of them. But in the end, I really like Ducky’s character greatly.
Agreed. Having a dark side to contrast with her normally sweet nature is an aspect of her character I wish had been explored further.
That said, I don’t think it’s an aspect of her that we needed to see a lot of, per say, nor did it need to manifest in the same way as Cera’s rough edge. I envision Ducky as being more subdued with her anger, but it would ultimately be more frightening than with Cera because you wouldn’t expect it coming from Ducky. Hmm, maybe I should write an LBT story sometime with that in mind.
Guido Showcase – May 2019
[See here.]
Petrie Showcase – June 2019
Quote from rhombus:
1) Has your perspective on Petrie changed over the course of the films and, if so, how so?; and
2) What are your thoughts overall on Petrie as a character?
Another great showcase topic. Again I enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts.
Quote from OwlsCantRead: Perhaps part of the reason that is so is because the pacing of the first LBT after its script was cut all over the place does not lend itself well to Petrie. Significantly, he lacks a hatch scene when everyone else has one, which means he first appears almost halfway in the film’s runtime as a result, and he tends to share scenes with Ducky, who usually steals his thunder as a result. He does get a spectacular end scene with Sharptooth where he learns how to fly at last, but that is probably his singular standout magnum opus scene in the whole film. He’s not bad per se, he just doesn’t stick out as much.
Petrie in general gets a whole lot more development and the chance to shine in the numerous sequel films, especially in Stone of Cold Fire and Great Day of the Flyers where they delve into his history and relationship with his family.
I didn’t think of that before, but that’s probably why I’m not as attached to Petrie as I am to Littlefoot and Cera and Ducky. In the first film at least, as you said, he just stands out less than the others. Although that said, I don’t think it was due to the film being edited down. If you look at the film’s script, which otherwise contains a lot of deleted scenes, it doesn’t change Petrie’s role much if at all (aside from his whistling, which I’m glad they got rid of). And even in the script, Petrie is still introduced quite a ways in. He appears several pages after the one-third mark.
Quote from Sovereign: As for Petrie, he’s a very interesting part of the Gang as his personality and ability to fly give him many characteristics closed to his friends. His shyness and nervousness are often quite relatable and offer many new dynamics inside the Gang. One of my favorite things about his character was his change from a purely comic character in the original into a more “normal” one in the sequels and I overall prefer the latter portrayal of him.
Agreed. Whereas my favourite Littlefoot/Cera/Ducky moments all come from the first film, I do like how the sequels developed Petrie much further and gave him a more distinct role and some memorable scenes to go with it. Unlike with L/C/D, I haven’t yet picked out a single favourite Petrie moment. I’ll have to give that some more thought. It’d probably be from one of the sequels, but I’m not quite decided yet.
Update: I gave it some thought, and I’ve singled out my two favourite Petrie moments, or at least two moments that stuck out in my mind. One of them is his general relationship with Guido in LBT 12 with Guido acting as Petrie’s flying mentor, which was endearing. One of the bright spots of the last few sequels. My other favourite Petrie moment is in LBT 4 when Grandpa Longneck states that he and Littlefoot won’t be leaving the Great Valley, and Ducky and Petrie are both happy. Ducky comes over and hugs Littlefoot’s leg and then Petrie hugs Littlefoot’s face. That was cute.
Spike Showcase – July 2019
Quote from rhombus: 2) What do you feel are Spike’s most prominent virtues (or vices) as a character?
I mentioned in Petrie’s showcase how he initially didn’t stand out much compared to Littlefoot and Cera and Ducky, but that the sequels expanded on Petrie’s character much further. Spike, meanwhile, stands out less than the others in the first film… and it kinda stays that way. There are occasional glimmers of something more. The Big Freeze gives both Ducky and Spike some good development. And my favourite Spike moment is in Journey Through the Mists when he cries out, “Ducky!!!!” Very touching.
But those are really the only distinct Spike moments off the top of my head. He’s cute, he’s mute, and he’s a big eater, but he’s otherwise rather underdeveloped. He’s not a bad or annoying character by any means. I just wish they’d done more with him. I’m torn here, because I still feel that those are essential and iconic parts of his character. But on the other hand, I also feel like they limited his development by not having him speak.
And on that note, does he ever say anything besides the aforementioned “Ducky”? Or is that the only time in the series he talks?
Quote from Sneak: He screamed “Mother!” when he was drowning at the end of Big Freeze.
Ah, okay. Thanks. I had a feeling there might be at least one other moment when he spoke. Interesting that I forgot about that part despite having watched The Big Freeze not that long ago.
Quote from rhombus: 1) In the first film Spike is a hatching so it is obvious why he is not speaking during that movie. In your personal head-canon does he still not speak due to the fact he is too young to do so, or do you think there is another reason for his lack of speech?
I was originally going to say that Spike doesn’t speak simply because he’s too young, even in the sequels, as he is still five or so years younger than the rest of the gang. But then I thought about it, and realized that Chomper was born later than Spike, and yet Chomper eventually learned to speak. And it’s not as though Spike is incapable of speech, as previously discussed. Yet he still talks so rarely that it does make one wonder why he doesn’t talk more.
Interesting. I will need to ponder this further.
Quote from Anagnos: I do believe that with practice Spike could eventually learn to speak, but he doesn’t really need speech to communicate with the other members of the gang, as they can understand him just fine.
Update: Thought about this some more. A disclaimer that I haven’t seen the TV series yet, thus I only have the movies to go from.
I think Spike’s relative muteness is simply due to him not having learned to speak yet. There are a couple instances where he says one word, but I view that as similar to a baby whenever they speak their first word. Chomper probably just learned to speak fluently faster than Spike would. But I think, as Spike would continue to grow older, he’d slowly learn to speak properly. Although even there, he’d probably remain the most quiet of the Gang.
Quote from OwlsCantRead: Spike is… there. He’s just there. That’s the best way I can sum him up, really.
He is technically a relic of when the original LBT was conceived as a documentary-like film and none of the dinosaurs had vocal roles of heir own (which I can’t imagine). Rather interestingly, this makes him more of a background character than some of the one-off characters that appear the sequel films. He doesn’t stand out much except for The Big Freeze, where his absence ironically makes him feel more present.
1) Personally I think Spike is of sound mind but he’s willingly mute.
2) Spike does come off as a bit too aloof at times. The reason why I feel this way is probably because he’s usually always with his sister Ducky in the sequels and concurs with her and her friends all the time, and that makes him comes off as… too easily influenced by the remainder of the group.
It’s a little hard to put into words, but the prime example I can think off is when the Gang is mad at Littlefoot in Invasion of the Tinysauruses, when Spike continually nods at Ducky and Petrie’s angered flurry of complaints against Littlefoot until Littlefoot pointed out that Petrie’s last complaint was actually against Spike himself. I know it’s played for laughs, but this specific exchange really fits Spike’s carefree “go with the flow” mentality I’m painting here.
Long story short, it feels like Spike never has a modus operandi or goal of his own besides getting more food and/or following his sister/friends about. The Big Freeze is probably the only time they break this status quo, but it’s hard to look at him individually as a result. He stands out the least of the entire Gang of Seven as a result, admittedly.
That said, his biggest strength is also his concern for his friends, especially his bond with his adopted sister. The films do capture this rather well.
I think they could have rectified all that by having Spike gradually learn to speak as the series progressed. It seems like that’s the direction they were going with him with “Ducky!” at the end of LBT 4, but then he otherwise remains a relatively mute character. Whereas if he’d slowly begun to speak from LBT 5 onward, his personality and his dynamic with the rest of the Gang would’ve started to shift. I would’ve been interested to see how that could have developed.
One thing I will say is that he still feels like an indispensable part of the Gang. Even in the first movie, it’s hard to imagine it without him.
Shorty Showcase – August 2019
[Also see here under “The Big Longneck Test”.]
Quote from rhombus:
1) What was your first impression of Shorty as a character?; and
2) How has your perspective of Shorty changed over the span of the films and the television episodes? Would you like to see more content featuring Shorty as a recurring character?
I like his character. He has kind of a funny introduction, appearing as this random longneck we’ve never seen before who decides to antagonize Littlefoot for no apparent reason, until Bron intervenes. Soon after we see that part of Shorty’s hostility is just because he’s jealous of Littlefoot taking up Bron’s attention, although it’s interesting that Shorty still bullies Littlefoot even before either of them know who the other is.
Shorty reminded me of Cera from the first film in that he’s outwardly mean, but lovable Littlefoot takes it in stride and responds with kindness. Until, much like Cera before him, Shorty eventually softens up and shows that he’s not so bad at all deep down. Shorty likewise reminded me of Hyp and his gang from LBT 3. This is the first film since then to touch on the concept of bullying in their dinosaur society.
Also interesting that, despite becoming brothers, Littlefoot and Shorty separate at the end and go with their different herds. Yet it still seems fitting in a way, especially as it’s implied they’ll see each other again in the future.
I do feel that if they make another film, Shorty should return.
(Also, 1000th post!)
Chomper Showcase – September 2019
[Also see here under “The Mysterious Tooth Crisis”.]
Quote from rhombus:
1) Considering the fate of Littlefoot’s mother, do you think that the ramifications of Chomper and Littlefoot’s friendship have been explored sufficiently in the series?; and
2) What were your initial thoughts concerning Chomper as a character?
Sort of answering both questions at once here.
While I do like Chomper as a character, and in general I think having a meat-eater be friends with a pack of leaf-eaters is a very interesting idea, I don’t think the ramifications of Chomper and Littlefoot’s friendship have been sufficiently explored at all. In fact, that was one of my criticisms when I did my review of the second film:
One thing that struck me as odd is the fact that Littlefoot was the most insistent about being the one to care for baby Chomper. If anything, it seems like he should’ve been the most apprehensive about it, considering how he lost his own mother to a Sharptooth. Related to that, I feel Littlefoot should still be having some PTSD over his mother’s death and his Sharptooth encounters from the previous film, especially since this seems to take place shortly after the first film, and especially since he encounters two more adult Sharpteeth here. That’s an aspect of Littlefoot’s psyche I wish had been explored.
Littlefoot and Chomper’s friendship was endearing aside from that, however. And the “Will Chomper turn on us?” dilemma is given more weight in the fifth film, which I liked. But even there, it doesn’t really reach a satisfying resolution, and it’s still a topic that I wish the franchise had dealt with further.
I have to say, I found Chomper’s reintroduction in the fourteenth film to be a little awkward. But then again, I haven’t seen the TV show yet, which might’ve helped with the transition.
Quote from OwlsCantRead: Though he was nothing much but an over-glorified plot point in LBT2 (alas), his later appearances do him justice.
For me it was the opposite. I actually liked him a bit better in #2 than I did in #5 & #14. I’m not really sure why.
Ruby Showcase – October 2019
[See here under “The Star Day Celebration”.]
Ali Showcase – November 2019
[See here, and also here under “The Brave Longneck Scheme”.]
