The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water (2002)

What makes it different from others?

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The ninth installment in the Land Before Time series, Journey To Big Water, is a nice addition but this is where I think the series started to show its age. Basically, heavy rains create a pool of "new water" that Littlefoot and company set out to explore. There they meet an ichthyosaur named Mo, who I must say is very amusing and I genuinely grew to care for him. Mo informs everyone that he came from the big water and they agree to help him back. The songs are a mix bag. The imaginary friends song is a major big-lipped alligator moment and somewhat sappy. Boring is a bit, well, boring but it does a good job of conveying the feeling of something being boring. No One Has To Be Alone is the best song in the movie, nice and melodic even if it felt a bit shoehorned in. As mentioned earlier, I like Mo. He's funny and you feel his plight of being trapped. Finally, the Liopleurodon is a legitimate threat, a silent hunter who takes cues from the original sharptooth. Overall, not quite as good as previous installments but has some very good moments.

Yeah I think the streak that started with movie four has been interrupted for a bit. I have very mixed feelings on this movie. I like the message that they teach about overcoming loneliness and boredom. It's a beautiful message and very relatable. As you can imagine, I also loved "The Boring Song" and "No One Has to Be Alone." "Imaginary Friend" not so much. I also love the underwater scenes. They are beautifully animated and just all around pretty to look at. However, Mo is pretty horrible. He shows up, does nothing, and everyone automatically loves him. It's the very definition of a Gary Stu. Mo is also useless, annoying, and an idiot beyond belief and his voice is one of the worst voices in anything ever! That may seem like a minor gripe except that Mo takes up most of movie! In conclusion, if Mo wasn't so annoying, this movie would be among the top five sequels. As for right now, I can't hate it but it's just okay.

Mo is such a colorful(figuratively and literally) character. He portrays real dolphin mischief and brains. (SPOILER) The major event is a rainstorm creates a large lake leading into the big water of part 5. Littlefoot is angry when his friends can't play, so he embarks into the new water. He meets Mo and he soon makes friends with the rest of the gang. They see a swimming sharptooth(Liopleurodon or Kronosaurus). Then, an earthquake splits the land and separates the gang from their parents. They go with Mo to the big water but are constantly tailed by their aquatic antagonist. Mo baits the monster away from them but ends up stuck in a log, which he shakes free from. He and the dinos meet again and Mo shows Littlefoot around the sea. Mo's water kin helps them find a way home(SPOILERS END). The two great songs are Part 5's Big Water and Donny Osmond's No One Has To Be Alone. The most fearsome villain yet!

Now there is going to be a number 10 coming out in December!! Enough already! I am so burnt out on these! The characters were cute a few times but not 10 times now. The adventures are old as you can see from the ratings on this movie (LOW). Enough with the land before time, these are getting really old and the quality is steadily declining each time they make another. A new idea would be so much nicer!