The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island

Ah, the mid-90s. If your VCR wasn't busy taping episodes of The X-Files, chances are it was feasting on a steady diet of direct-to-video animated sequels. It was a peculiar, prolific era, and nestled right in the heart of it, like a comforting rock tree in the Great Valley, was the seemingly endless Land Before Time series. By 1997, the franchise had settled into a familiar rhythm, and The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island arrived on shelves, offering another dose of gentle adventure for fans who had grown up with Littlefoot and his friends. While it doesn't recapture the primal, poignant power of Don Bluth's 1988 original, this fifth outing holds a certain charm, a testament to the enduring appeal of these little dinosaurs and the heyday of the VHS sequel.

When the Swarm Came

The setup this time feels classic Land Before Time: disaster strikes the Great Valley! A swarm of "Swarming Leaf Gobblers" (locusts, to you and me) descends, decimating the lush landscape and forcing the dinosaurs to temporarily seek greener pastures elsewhere. Naturally, during the exodus, our young heroes – Littlefoot (voiced by Brandon LaCroix in this installment), Cera (Anndi McAfee), Ducky (Aria Noelle Curzon), Petrie, and Spike – manage to get separated from their families. Adrift on a log (another series staple!), they wash ashore on a mysterious island cut off from the mainland. It’s a premise that feels both familiar and exciting, promising new dangers and discoveries beyond the safety of their valley.

The "Mysterious Island" itself is less mysterious and more... conveniently inhabited. Who should they find there but their old acquaintance, the young T-Rex, Chomper! And his rather large, rather protective parents. This reunion forms the core of the film's emotional journey, exploring themes of prejudice, friendship across differences, and the slightly awkward situation of being best buds with someone whose parents might view your friends as appetizers. It’s handled with the typical Land Before Time gentleness, focusing more on the kids’ unwavering bond than any real sense of peril from Chomper’s folks.

Comfort Food Animation

Visually, Mysterious Island is firmly in the style established by the Universal Cartoon Studios sequels. Gone is the darker, more painterly look of Bluth’s original. Instead, we have brighter colours, simpler character designs, and animation that, while perfectly competent for its direct-to-video market, lacks the fluidity and nuance of its theatrical predecessor. Directed by Charles Grosvenor, who became a mainstay director for the series (helming eight entries!), the film delivers exactly what was expected: clear storytelling, expressive characters (within their established models), and backgrounds that serve the plot without becoming overly complex. It's efficient, reliable animation, built for the small screen and quick production turnarounds that defined the DTV era.

One area where the sequels consistently tried to make their mark was the music. While James Horner's score for the original remains iconic, composer Michael Tavera carved out his own niche for the sequels, providing reliably upbeat (and occasionally treacly) songs. Mysterious Island features tunes like "Big Water" and "Always There," pleasant enough ditties that fit the mould but rarely linger in the memory quite like the narrative itself. They serve their purpose, breaking up the action and reinforcing the film’s themes, much like the musical numbers in many animated features of the time.

Franchise Facts and Feelings

By the fifth film, the Land Before Time franchise was a well-oiled machine for Universal. These sequels were reportedly quite profitable on the home video market, justifying their continued production well into the 2000s. Part of the formula involved frequent voice cast changes for the young characters, reflecting the actors growing older. Brandon LaCroix voices Littlefoot only in this entry, while Anndi McAfee (Cera) and Aria Noelle Curzon (Ducky) had longer tenures in their roles across multiple sequels. This constant rotation is something fans of the series just came to accept, a quirk of its long run.

Writer John Loy, who penned Mysterious Island, was another key figure in the sequel era, writing numerous entries and clearly understanding the formula: introduce a gentle conflict, separate the children, send them on a quest involving teamwork and overcoming fears, sprinkle in a few songs, and reunite everyone for a happy ending. It’s predictable, perhaps, but there’s an undeniable comfort in that predictability, especially for the young audience these were aimed at. It's like visiting old friends; you know what to expect, and sometimes, that's exactly what you want. Seeing Chomper again was definitely a highlight for many kids – bringing back a character from The Great Valley Adventure (Part II) felt like a rewarding nod to series continuity.

Does it hold up? Well, it depends on what you're looking for. If you're comparing it to the theatrical original, it falls short in artistry and emotional depth. But judged on its own terms, as a 90s DTV sequel designed to entertain children and continue a beloved story, it succeeds. It’s sweet, harmless, and reinforces positive messages about friendship and acceptance. Watching it now evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for a simpler time in animation, when finding a new Land Before Time adventure at the video store felt like a genuine treat. It wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel; it was just trying to keep the herd moving, one VHS tape at a time.

Rating: 6/10

The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island is a solid, if unremarkable, entry in the long-running franchise. It delivers the expected blend of gentle adventure, familiar characters, and positive themes that defined the sequels. While the animation and music don't reach the heights of the original, the story is engaging enough, and the return of Chomper adds a welcome bit of continuity. It lacks the dramatic weight of Bluth's film but offers a comforting, nostalgic watch that perfectly represents the 90s direct-to-video animation boom.

It might not be the first Land Before Time tape you reach for, but sometimes, a trip back to the predictable comfort of the Great Valley (or a nearby island) is exactly the kind of gentle nostalgia trip you need.