 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
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The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers
- Review Date: February 18, 2007
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Stale, slow dino friends tale for very young only.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this straight-to-video story of friendship among young dinosaurs feels like what it is, the twelfth attempt to wring life out of the charming movie that started it all, The Land Before Time. Themes of friendship, being true to yourself, and learning to cope with the arrival of a new sibling are always welcome for the preschool set this movie targets. But it's a hard slog for parents and kids older than 6.
What's the story?
In the twelfth installment of the popular The Land Before Time animated series, young dinosaur friends are happily anticipating the Great Day of the Flyers, during which young fliers like pterodactyl Petrie (voiced by Jeff Bennett) have a chance to show their elders that they're ready to fly in a group. The problem is that Petrie has a hard time keeping up with his synchronized siblings, who are quick to blame him whenever their aerial maneuvers fall apart. Petrie's steadfast friends Littlefoot (Nick Price), Cera (Anndi McAfee), and new feathered friend Guido (Rob Paulsen) help Petrie find the courage to withstand his family's criticism and follow his own flight plan. Meanwhile, Cera, a "three horn" dinosaur is trying to cope with the impending arrival of a younger sibling, and her father and stepmother's lack of attention.
Is it any good?
THE LAND BEFORE TIME XII: THE GREAT DAY OF THE FLYERS provides some harmless entertainment for preschoolers, but plods along at an incredibly slow pace. The scene of the friends following a sleepwalking friend to protect him along his somnolent way seemed particularly long. A few perky songs like "Flip, Flap and Fly" are sprinkled throughout to keep the energy level up. However these ditties almost make Barney songs sound sophisticated.
The animation is serviceable, particularly the natural surroundings in which the action took place. The pidgin English of main character Petrie -- "me see friends!" "me no know!" -- might feel familiar to preschoolers, but it's not something that most parents will want to reinforce.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how Petrie the pterodactyl finds the courage to fly in his own style. How did his friends Cera, Littlefoot, and especially Guido give him encouragement? Have you ever encouraged your friends to do something they were scared to do?
For families with new younger siblings on the way, Cera's story is a
good opportunity to talk about how life may change when the new baby
arrives. Since many preschoolers are fascinated by dinosaurs, they may
want to look up the real names of the "long neck," "sharptooth," and
"three horn" characters.
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AGE
A C+ film
When I watched it wth my little sister, I was sort of disappointed. There was an obvious drop in quality when you compare it to the old LBT movies. It was really cheesy at some parts. I guess it's OK for little kids, but it's not an awesome movie.
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My 3-year-old loves it
I just wanted to comment on the review saying this movie has a slow pace. I actually rather enjoy children's movies that take their time and are not laden with drama and action. It is geared toward preschoolers. The issues seem to resonate with my daughter, who had a little brother at 23 months of age. Any plot line that emphasizes being true to oneself, even at the risk of standing out, is good to me. Those are life lessons that will come in handy later.
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Terrible Movie
This movie was terrible. Just like with every single other sequel to the greatness that is the ORIGINAL LAND BEFORE TIME movie, its was not even close as far as story, dialogue, animation, nothing. The only reason I would recommend this movie to anyone is if they are trying to finish the series, which by the way has a total of 13 movies. That's right. Count them. 13. If they really wanted to make another great LBT film, then bring back Lucas, Spielberg, and Bluth to do a new one
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My Three-year-old likes it!
My daughter seems to really enjoy this movie. I like the emphasis on friendship and teamwork. My daughter is interested in dinosaurs now, and that's something new for her. We are trying to learn the names of the dinosaurs in the movie. There are a few scenes that are a little intense, like the dinosaurs almost falling into a ravine. And there is a scary "bad" dinosaur. But overall I like what it has to offer my daughter.
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AGE
Absolutely PATHETIC!!
While it does have a nice message and a star-studding appearence from a spinosaurus, LBT12 (like all the other LBT sequels) is very dumb and ONLY for the youngest of kids. The first film combined the talents of Don Bluth, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, but all the other films threw them away. So I agree with nimill: if they want to make another good LBT movie, first they need to bring back don, steve and george, and then they have to make it more violent and dark, like the first. I'd give this a D+ at the very best.
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| Topics: | dinosaurs, adventures, friendship |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Charles Grosvenor |
| Cast: | Anndi McAfee, Aria Curzon, Nick Price |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 77 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 27, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | February 27, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
| MPAA explanation: | General Audiences |
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