The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists (1996)

Wow! Such a good movie.

So much average

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The truth is, the 2nd and 3rd movies sucked, and that scared off critics. They thought if they liked, or heck even watched, the 4th one, people would think they were crazy. And that's a real shame, because, well, the 4th one is good! REALLY good!Journey Through The Mists just has so many strong points. For a start, it doesn't have that tedious feeling some other entries in the series have - no moment of screen time really seems pointless or wasted (except maybe the villain song) and the pacing is well thought-out, not so fast it feels unnatural, but no so slow you start getting bored.On top of that, there's the overall ideas behind the movie. Most of the films in the series are rather frivolous, you know from the very start everything will be the same at the end of the episode as it was at the beginning - but Journey Through The Mists is different. The first obvious thing is Littlefoot's grandpa becoming sick - it feels like he actually IS in danger, it's not just another run of the mill quest into the Mysterious Beyond, it feels different this time. Even more so than grandpa's illness, the story of the Valley of the Mists is absolutely brilliant! The series spends 90% of its time focusing on getting into the Great Valley, getting out of the Great Valley or chillaxing in the Great Valley - and now suddenly we're thrown into this awesome new location, with its own history and it's own dinosaurs. COOL! Not only that, but it has this really unsettling feeling about it, the location has this bright and cute charm, yet there is danger and suspense behind every corner. The real genius of the Valley of the Mists though is how it impacts our view of the Great Valley. The traveling longneck's ambiguous response about whether the Great Valley's climate will change too leaves the audience genuinely unsettled, and wondering if the valley really is as permanent as it seems. It would've been great to see this plot thread continue throughout the series actually, with the climate changes approaching the valley, and some big climax where Littlefoot and friends found a way to save it, but alas that wasn't so.So that's the pacing and the ideas - what else does this movie have going for it? Characters. Sure, many movies in the series have great guest characters - Chomper, Mo and Bron for example. But this one just has SO MANY, and apart from the irritating villains, they're all pulled off really well. Archie is just this fun old man, he's just generally likable and to see how brave he is as practically a defenseless 80 year old protecting a child he's only just met only reinforces that. Tickles is another character who again is just plain likable. His introduction is pulled off really well, the main cast are in a spooky swamp, they sense something and feel they're under attack, then the fog clears and they find themselves face to face with this adorable, bright, happy creature in a world full of darkness. And even though he only has a minor side role, Tickles continues to be fun every second he's on screen. Cute animal sidekicks are easy to stuff up, but the writers and animators didn't stuff up at all.Then there's the biggest new character introduction - Ali. The thing that sets Ali apart from most characters in the series is her flaws. Don't take this the wrong way, she is still super-likable, but the way she's shy and distrusting of those who are different, and her eventual character reformation, it makes her seem so much more realistic.Before wrapping this up, there is ONE more praise-worthy thing about this movie - the animation. The absolutely beautiful hand-drawn animation makes this movie. The cinematic and scenic backgrounds, the cute character designs, the sense of magic and mystery created by the mists, colours and 'glowy' lighting. It gets across the parts of the story that just can't be told through words alone, the true hallmark of a great film.So there you go, Journey Through The Mists, easily the best entry in the Land Before Time franchise. In fact, contrary to what most critics believe, there are a lot of hidden gems in the series, especially episodes 8, 9 and 10. They just get ignored because people are so put off by all the filler in between.

The original "Land Before Time" is a beautiful, haunting, poignant and timeless masterpiece, I still tear up whether I hear the main theme and at Littlefoot's mother's death. As far as the sequels go, some are good and some are bad. The best ones for me have been "Great Valley Adventure" and "Time of the Great Giving". This one wasn't bad, but it isn't great. Starting with the good, the animation is mostly very nice, not the same visual style as the original, but it is colourful. The rainbow waterfall shot was beautiful. There is also a nice message about friendship and sticking together. The main characters are likable enough with the exception of Cera, Littlefoot is less bossy here, and Ducky still is funny and cute. Ali is a nice addition too. And Spike spoke, that was a great moment! The plot is a nice idea and moves along fairly quickly, and the voice acting of Scott McAfee, Heather Hogan, Linda Gary and Kenneth Mars was excellent. And it was a big bonus hearing that beautiful poignant main theme from the original and in general the incidental music was lovely. However, this is where the bad comes in. I didn't care for the songs, I just found them forgettable but maybe it is just me. I didn't like Cera very much here, I know people who complain that Cera was never a likable character to begin with, maybe so, but I found her particularly bratty here. My main problem were with the villains here, despite the voicing of Tress MacNeille and Jeff Bennett, two extremely talented voice actors, I found Dil and Ichy lame and un-threatening. In general, the dialogue, with the villains primarily was uninspiring. My next gripe is with the sequels in general, this film and most of the other sequels are too short, you never quite feel the depth and the emotional attachment that was there in the original, no matter how hard the makers try. Overall, this isn't bad, but it isn't all that great. 5/10 Bethany Cox

The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists, the fourth installment into the Land Before Time series. I've been watching the sequels in the Land Before Time series because I'm curious about them, I loved the first Land Before Time and despite the sequels not having the best reputation, I still wanted to see what they were about. So far I really did enjoy the second movie, the third was decent and now Journey Through the Mists is pretty good. I think it's just as good as the third one, there's nothing that really stands out about it, but it still has a very good message about friendship and learning how to make new friends. It's very good for the kids to watch and I'm sure even some of the adults can get into this series as well for some light hearted fun.Littlefoot notices a longneck herd entering the Great Valley, and informs his grandparents. They tell him that the longnecks are their cousins, and that they must go and greet them. As the Old One, the leader of the herd, tells the residents of the Great Valley that her herd has been migratory since a heavy rain period turned their old home into a marshland called "The Land of Mists", and became the home of many dangerous creatures, Littlefoot meets a longneck girl named Ali, and invites her to play. He introduces her to his friends, but as she is not used to associating with diverse species, she is afraid of them. Grandpa Longneck falls ill, and the Old One notes that the illness is lethal unless the victim eats the petals of the "Night Flower", a flower which can only be found in the Land of Mists. Though Littlefoot is warned that the journey is too dangerous, he feels determined to save his grandfather, and asks Ali to take him there. She agrees, as the two of them make their way, they pass through a cave, and sudden earthquake causes a wall of rocks to crash down, separating them. Ali decides the others will have to help her free Littlefoot, and runs off to get them. Littlefoot, in the meantime, tries to find a way out, and meets Archie, who offers to help him dig through the rocks. They are interrupted by a belly dragger and a sharp beak named Dil and Ichy, who have their minds set to eat them. But Littlefoot's friends are not too far behind as they help Littlefoot and Ali. Together they continue the journey to help save Littlefoot's grandfather.The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists is a good animated film that I'm sure if you have an open mind, you'll enjoy it. There is so much dislike for these films, I think it's not just the songs but everyone is so determined that the first was the best and can't accept that there is a newer generation who wants to see new stories with Littlefoot and his friends. Over all I'm enjoying the series, even if it is a little cheesy, so far there hasn't been anything to hate. The fourth installment is a good one so I'm excited for the 5th movie and I'll give you an honest review of that movie as well.5/10

This movie despite what others say is actually quite good. In my opinion this is the best Land before time. It does not fail in the plot and it does not fail in the entertainment value. This is overall a solid movie and I cannot get enough. I think anyone who is a true Land Before time fan will fully and whole-heartedly love The Land Before Time: Journey through the mists. This has more of a mature plot than the others,seeing that it has something to do with a potentially fatal situation, not just because of sharp teeth but also because of a journey they must take and a deadly illness. I cannot believe that people are saying this movie blows mad chunks when it really is not bad at all.