The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
Ah, the siren song of the direct-to-video sequel! By the year 2000, the Land Before Time franchise wasn't just a beloved memory of Don Bluth's stunning 1988 original; it was a veritable institution occupying significant shelf space down at the local video rental joint. Walking those aisles often meant discovering yet another adventure with Littlefoot and the gang, their familiar faces promising gentle lessons and maybe a catchy new song or two. The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire arrived right in this pocket, a staple for families with VCRs still humming, offering a surprisingly cosmic twist to the usual Great Valley escapades.
### Whispers of the Sky Bright Stone
Directed by Charles Grosvenor, a name synonymous with the majority of these DTV sequels, The Stone of Cold Fire picks up with our familiar herd: Littlefoot (voiced this time by Thomas Dekker, who would later appear in TV's Heroes), Cera (Anndi McAfee), Ducky (Aria Noelle Curzon), Petrie, and Spike. Life is proceeding as usual until Littlefoot witnesses a spectacular object streak across the night sky and crash into the Smoking Mountains. Describing it as a "stone of cold fire," his story is initially dismissed, but soon intrigues Petrie's long-lost uncle, Pterano, a charismatic but exiled Pteranodon with a shadowed past. Pterano believes the stone holds great power, setting off a race to find it, complicated by the arrival of two oddly philosophical newcomers – the "Rainbow Faces" – who also seem drawn to the stone's mystery.
What always made this particular sequel stand out, even amidst the blur of Land Before Time entries (this was number seven, can you believe it?), was its flirtation with something almost... otherworldly. The "stone" itself, the enigmatic Rainbow Faces who speak in slightly baffling cosmic metaphors – it felt like writer John Loy (who penned numerous LBT sequels and other animated shows) was gently nudging the series towards a hint of science fiction. It wasn't quite E.T. meets dinosaurs, but compared to finding water or escaping Sharpteeth, seeking a potentially extraterrestrial object felt like a bold detour for the typically grounded (well, prehistoric-grounded) series.
### Familiar Comforts and DTV Charm
Let's be honest, nobody was renting The Land Before Time VII expecting the sweeping animation or emotional gut-punch of the original film. These sequels, produced efficiently for the home video market, had a different kind of charm. The animation, while simpler and less fluid, is colorful and serviceable, capturing the established character designs well enough. Charles Grosvenor knew the formula: keep the stakes kid-friendly, reinforce themes of teamwork and honesty, and sprinkle in a few musical numbers. The songs here, like "Beyond the Mysterious Beyond," are pleasant enough toe-tappers in the established LBT style, hummable ditties designed to lodge themselves in a young viewer's brain for an afternoon.
The voice cast, a constantly rotating roster throughout the series' long run, does a fine job stepping into well-worn shoes. Thomas Dekker brings earnestness to Littlefoot, while Anndi McAfee and Aria Noelle Curzon continue their familiar roles as the headstrong Cera and the sweetly repetitive Ducky ("Yep, yep, yep!"). The introduction of Pterano adds a layer of complexity, a character grappling with past mistakes, which gives the story a little more substance than just a simple fetch quest. His desire for redemption, even if misguided, provides a slightly more nuanced conflict.
### Retro Fun Facts: Power in the Stone?
It's interesting to note the timing of this release – 2000. While DVD was gaining serious traction, VHS was still king in many households, especially for kids' entertainment. These Land Before Time sequels were reliable rentals and purchases, costing far less to produce than theatrical features but clearly finding a dedicated audience. The sheer volume of them (eventually reaching XIV in 2016!) speaks to their enduring appeal for young viewers and perhaps the nostalgic pull for parents who grew up with the first movie. This seventh installment, with its slightly more ambitious plot involving the "stone," often gets singled out by fans of the sequels as one of the more memorable entries precisely because it dared to be a little different, even if the "aliens" (the Rainbow Faces) turned out to be more philosophical guides than little green men.
### Still Warming by the Cold Fire?
The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire is pure, unadulterated DTV sequel comfort food. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, nor does it try to recapture the specific magic of its 1988 progenitor. Instead, it delivers exactly what the cover art promised: another hour-plus adventure with beloved characters, simple moral lessons, and that slightly oddball plot about a mysterious space rock. It lacks the grandeur and emotional weight of the original, naturally, but viewed through the lens of late-era VHS nostalgia, it holds a certain charm. It represents that seemingly endless stream of familiar faces that kept video stores stocked and kids entertained on rainy afternoons.
VHS Heaven Rating: 6/10
Justification: This rating reflects its status as a solid, slightly more interesting entry within the Land Before Time DTV series. It delivers on the expected formula with familiar characters and themes, and the "Stone of Cold Fire" plot adds a memorable, unique twist. However, it's still held back by standard DTV animation and storytelling compared to theatrical releases or the original film. A warm, nostalgic watch for fans, but comfortably middle-of-the-road.
Final Thought: Maybe the real "stone of cold fire" was just the comforting blue glow of the CRT screen playing yet another adventure from the Great Valley, a reliable friend on the video shelf. Yep, yep, yep!