Is there any body who, like me, thinks this is a more satisfying coming of age story than The (overrated) Lion King? TLBT just seemed like it was actually trying to say something, while The Lion King was just....Just...dribble. It didn't have a message that I felt was very relatable, and anything that was relatable I feel was also conveyed in TLBT before, and frankly better.
Anyone else agree?
I registered into IMDB just to reply to this message. I watched The Land Before Time and The Lion King for the first time as an adult recently, and I was surprised to find that TLBT holds up better.
The Lion King is an accomplishment in animation and made for a spectacular Broadway show. Its songs and lyrics, however, are not as strong as the work of Howard Ashman in The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. The pop cultural jokes, provided mostly by Timon and Pumbaa, date the film and kill the tone and suspense of the climactic battle between Simba and Scar. James Horner, who also composed music for TLBT, pumps up the volume too much during the film's emotional sequences (Simba and Mufasa bond, Simba is left alone, etc.) in a way that robs the film of subtlety. The story is engaging overall, but Simba is a bland, somewhat spoiled, and less relatable character.
It's hard for me to say that The Land Before Time is "better" than The Lion King because I have respect for all achievements in animation, but I can say that TLBT is more timeless. As a film that was made outside the Disney machine, it does not rely on recognizable formulas (i.e. songs, comic relief sidekicks) that make it compare to other Disney masterpieces. At 69 minutes, its simple story, quality animation, and singular theme song, "If we hold on together," make for a solid children's movie that seems to never go out of style. Littlefoot is not written with anymore depth than Simba, but he is a more relatable hero. He thoroughly mourns his mother's death, even blaming himself for it at one point, and he misses her throughout the film. What drives him is a need for survival and the vision of the Great Valley, and he does not need comic caretakers, a beautiful love interst, wise monkey, or the prospect of being king to motivate him. What he must go through to reach the Great Valley requires courage and cooperation, much like the obstacles we all face on the way to achieving anything worthwhile.
There are two elements in The Land Before Time that obviously influenced The Lion King. First, the character Rooter refers to the "great circle of life" as a way of comforting Littlefoot after his mother dies. Second, Littlefoot sees his mother in the clouds on the way to the Great Valley, much like how Simba envisions his father in the stars. In The Land Before Time, these moments seem natural and logical: Littlefoot needs consolation from on older dinosaur (and so do the children viewing him), and Littlefoot must remember his mother in order to remember the way to the Great Valley. In The Lion King, these similar moments are loaded with bombastic music and visual spectacle, but we hardly see Simba's genuine growth; just songs, montages, and several "epic" moments.
I was awed by The Lion King as a teenager, and don't get me wrong, it is still awesome. But as a critical adult, my fondness for The Land Before Time is greater because of its simplicity and sincerity. Many children's films today attempt to be "hip," or to replicate the music, comedy, and action that made certain animated films very hip in their time. But The Land Before Time does not aim for hipness; it has a good story and good artistry that delivers the story well, making it timeless.
"James Horner, who also composed music for TLBT, pumps up the volume too much during the film's emotional sequences (Simba and Mufasa bond, Simba is left alone, etc.) in a way that robs the film of subtlety."
Horner didn't compose the score for The Lion King, Hans Zimmer did. Otherwise, I agree with everything you said.
"We do not inheret the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children"
Well said. I pretty much agree with everything. The Land Before Time is very nostalgic to me and I think it's incredibly beautiful. There's no other movie that makes me as emotional as that one.
You saw it the first time as an adult, right? May I ask how you responded to it emotionally? Did it mean anything to you? Did it resonate? I'm sorry if the questions seems strange. I was just curious! ;)
Honestly, I can't prefer one over the other. I love both TLK and LBT equally, they were the 2 biggest staples of my childhood! :D
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
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I felt as though LBT portrayed the effect of a parent's death on a child in a much more realistic way than LK. Although Simba was a bit downtrodden when he first met Timon and Pumbaa, within five minutes he was happy as a clam and joining them in an upbeat song. Littlefoot on the other hand actually lapsed into a depression after his mother's death and the narrator said that he thought only about her. He looked as though he cared little about anything and spent all of his time grieving not only his mother but his only friend in the world and his only guide to a better existence. The animator did a terrific job at giving him the same appearance as a genuinely depressed human being - the lying down, the lack of bodily movement, the eyes half shut, the lack of expression, the eyes looking in one direction but failing to actually focus on anything, not caring about what is going on around him, the refusal of food, etc.
Far too many movies, books, and TV shows inaccurately portray grief as being endless tears and fail to acknowledge the fact that a large part of losing a loved one is the depression that results from losing what many consider to be their only reason for continuing.
Take my hand, I'll lead you to salvation
Take my love, for love is everlasting
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