The 'Land before time' series has its high points. Of course the 1988 progenitor is the best, with its earnestness and substance, but 1995's 'The time of Great Giving' again reached for meaningful themes and ideas, and 1998's 'The secret of Saurus Rock,' going the other way and leaning into its silliness, was genuinely clever and fun. Otherwise - well, it's not that the other direct-to-video sequels are bad, because they're not. They are consistent, however, and they are consistently somewhat so-so: enjoyable, but modestly so, with shortcomings as evident as their strengths, and writing and execution that are rather simplified and unsophisticated. These issues have been routinely reflected in the dialogue, characterizations, scene writing, plot, voice acting, songs, and to some degree even in the animation. Sitting for the eighth entry in the franchise, there was no reason to think that 'The Big Freeze' would be any different. Indeed, for better and for worse, this is part and parcel with its brethren, and its lasting value is a little soft.
The saga of Littlefoot and his friends continues, with mild humor adjoining mild adventure and mild drama, and life lessons will be imparted along the way. I think the animators refined their digital methods a bit following 'The stone of cold fire' as it shifted away from traditional hand-drawn art, and there's perhaps some more nuance in the visuals - including, unfailingly, beautiful, detailed backgrounds, and character designs and other active elements that more than not are pretty swell. Reliable as the voice cast has been in and of themselves, their performances are maybe more grounded, and not quite as wholly juvenile as those heard in prior sequels. Even as they're regularly ham-handed the songs are variable in their quality, with some a touch sharper than others. There's not much to say about John Loy's screenplay that hasn't been said previously, but suffice to say that the picture more closely recalls a Saturday morning cartoon, or at most a cartoon that might air in the afternoon as elementary schools let out, more than a full-length theatrical presentation.
What I will say is that 'The Big Freeze' boasts more admirable sincerity than most of its predecessors with the thoughts that it broaches, hitting upon some important notions for the intended audience of a tender age (and, let's face it, for too many so-called adults, too). Then, too, some of the humor is a tad more amusing than elsewhere. I honestly do like this, and it's fairly well-rounded. I think the key trouble this flick faces is that from top to bottom it lands all too gently, lacking the vitality to make a mark even at its best, or at the most tense moments. Through moods both happy, sad, and ostensibly urgent it's too even-keeled, and while as a result it's not as gauche as other examples, its strengths are also made to feel more shallow in the process. In the way that is true of other fare that is so light and passively appreciable, the sum total is still worth watching in one measure or another. Even among other 'Land before time' films, however, this is kind of middling, so unless you have a special impetus to watch, this is something to check out only on a passing whim.
There was a lot of potential and real care poured into the writing, but in this case Charles Grosvenor's direction molds the movie into a form that's sadly unexciting and dull. It's still decent enough to merit a view if you happen to come across it, but definitely don't go out of your way for 'The Big Freeze,' and temper your expectations.
