When my adult sons were younger, and in the throes of dinosaur worship that many kids go through, I would get my hands on every "The Land Before Time" video I could find. This entry in the series, the fourteenth, is on par with all of those direct-to-video sequels I used to suffer through- the kids may be enthralled, but parents are going to have a miserable time. The simplistic plot, because kids can't seem to handle actual storytelling, goes like this: young brontosaurus Littlefoot (voiced by Felix Avitia) and his young dinosaur friends go in search of his father Bron (voiced by Scott Whyte), who was last seen trapped near a fire mountain- that's a volcano to you and me. They meet assorted wacky characters voiced by the likes of Damon Wayans, Jr. And Reba McEntire.
Wayans and McEntire are the best things about this only because their voices are something different in a film that you have seen a million times before. Wayans isn't allowed to cut loose or anything, but his mere vocal tone is a welcome distraction. McEntire actually shows a little comic timing here and there as a pterodactyl named Edda. Barry Bostwick takes over for the late Kenneth Mars as Littlefoot's grandfather, but the rest of the cast doesn't stand out because this is so uninteresting. The songs will have you rolling your eyes; there's one called "Hot and Stinky" that I cannot get out of my head no matter how many times I stop in the middle of a crowd, stick my fingers in my ears, and scream at the top of my lungs. Again, McEntire comes off well because she can actually sing, and she belts out her otherwise mediocre song with spirit. I recognize director Doi's name from some writing credits on a couple of really well-done Scooby-Doo videos from a few years back, my kids loved those, but here his direction never goes anywhere. The script is cliche-ridden and dull. Very young kids might get caught up in the adventure, and the screen is full of colorful scenes that will keep them hypnotized for over eighty uninterrupted minutes, but after fourteen entries in this series, and I saw at least the first seven or so, the characters are lackluster and never change. The film makers throw a few new ones in to freshen things up, but since the outcome is already predictable, I didn't care. The first theatrical entry in the series was good (Rest in Peace, little Judith Barsi), but it's been a thirteen episode slide downhill since. As long as there are children and viewing devices, and parents willing to shell out money for unchallenging second-rate animated flicks so they can have an hour or so of peace and quiet, then things like "The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave" will be made. I regret taking this Journey.
Wayans and McEntire are the best things about this only because their voices are something different in a film that you have seen a million times before. Wayans isn't allowed to cut loose or anything, but his mere vocal tone is a welcome distraction. McEntire actually shows a little comic timing here and there as a pterodactyl named Edda. Barry Bostwick takes over for the late Kenneth Mars as Littlefoot's grandfather, but the rest of the cast doesn't stand out because this is so uninteresting. The songs will have you rolling your eyes; there's one called "Hot and Stinky" that I cannot get out of my head no matter how many times I stop in the middle of a crowd, stick my fingers in my ears, and scream at the top of my lungs. Again, McEntire comes off well because she can actually sing, and she belts out her otherwise mediocre song with spirit. I recognize director Doi's name from some writing credits on a couple of really well-done Scooby-Doo videos from a few years back, my kids loved those, but here his direction never goes anywhere. The script is cliche-ridden and dull. Very young kids might get caught up in the adventure, and the screen is full of colorful scenes that will keep them hypnotized for over eighty uninterrupted minutes, but after fourteen entries in this series, and I saw at least the first seven or so, the characters are lackluster and never change. The film makers throw a few new ones in to freshen things up, but since the outcome is already predictable, I didn't care. The first theatrical entry in the series was good (Rest in Peace, little Judith Barsi), but it's been a thirteen episode slide downhill since. As long as there are children and viewing devices, and parents willing to shell out money for unchallenging second-rate animated flicks so they can have an hour or so of peace and quiet, then things like "The Land Before Time: Journey of the Brave" will be made. I regret taking this Journey.