Land Before Time Iv: Journey Through The Mists

When a herd of migrating "longnecks" enter the Great Valley where he lives, Littlefoot meets Ali, a young female of his own species. They become fast friends, though Littlefoot's old friends are jealous of Ali. She fears them in turn because they're of different species from her own. Littlefoot's aging grandfather falls ill, and all that can save him is a flower that grows in the dangerous "land of mists." Ali tells Littlefoot she can take him there, as long as he doesn't bring his other friends. Reluctantly, he agrees, and the two begin their journey.

Along the way, an earthquake traps Littlefoot in a cave. While Ali goes back to the valley for his friends, Littlefoot escapes the deadly team of Dil (a near-blind crocodile) and Ichy (her seeing-eye bird) with the aid of toothless old turtle Archie. Littlefoot's friends arrive and set him free, and Ali and Cera overcome their differences and become friends. The group reaches the land of mists, meet new creatures (including a rat that Duckie names "Tickles"), find the night flowers, and, after evading more attacks from Dil and Ichy, return home to the Great Valley. Littlefoot's grandfather recovers and Ali moves on with her tribe, though the narrator assures us that they will all meet again someday.

Having turned into an indifferent franchise that continues to make money simply because children always want to see more of the same, this latest LAND BEFORE TIME offers little to distinguish it from Saturday morning television fare. Littlefoot and his long-necked grandparents remain appealing and lively characters, but the backgrounds are murky and the animation overall is bland and colorless. Messages about cooperation between races are simply repeated from the earlier entries, the songs are eminently forgettable, and whoever thought up the idea of a cute, cuddlesome rat obviously doesn't have children. (Violence.) leave a comment