The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island (1997) Plot Summary Explained

The leaf-gobblers are a swarm of large, leaf-eating dinosaurs that descended on the Great Valley and stripped all the plants clean, turning the lush green valley into a barren wasteland. This wasn't a deliberate attack, it was simply their nature to consume all vegetation in their path, forcing the valley's inhabitants to abandon their home.

• leaf-gobblers
• great valley
• destruction
• food shortage

Tensions among the valley families were rising as they argued over which direction to travel. Littlefoot feared his grandmother's herd would go one way while his friends' families would go another, splitting them up permanently. To stay together, Littlefoot led his friends away under cover of darkness, leaving a trail of marks for the grownups to follow so they could reunite later.

• littlefoot
• departure
• night
• separation
• friends

An earthquake (described as an earthshake) occurred in the ocean, generating a powerful tsunami that swept across the sea. This natural disaster destroyed the land bridge the children were counting on to reach the island, trapping them on the shore and forcing them to find another way across.

• earthquake
• tsunami
• land bridge
• island
• separation

Chomper is a young Sharptooth who met and befriended Littlefoot and his group in a previous film (The Land Before Time III: The Mysterious Island). Through his friendship with the herbivores, Chomper learned to communicate. When the children wake on the island, they discover Chomper can now speak, which represents the bond they formed in their earlier adventure.

Foreshadowing: Earlier films established that Littlefoot's group befriended a baby Sharptooth named Chomper.

• chomper
• talking sharptooth
• communication
• friendship

Even though Cera had met Chomper previously, her fear of Sharpteeth as a species ran deep. Cera's distrust created a rift with Chomper, who was hurt by her rejection. Littlefoot followed Chomper to apologize and reassure him, highlighting the difficulty of overcoming species instincts even when personal bonds exist.

• cera
• chomper
• fear
• trust
• species barrier

A massive Giganotosaurus, a larger and more dangerous predator than a typical Sharptooth, stalked the island and cornered the children at a cliff above the Big Water. This creature represented a serious threat far beyond what the young friends could handle on their own, forcing them to rely on Chomper's family for protection.

• giganotosaurus
• predator
• danger
• cliff
• island

When the Giganotosaurus cornered the children at the cliff, Chomper's parents intervened and fought the predator to defend the young herbivores. During the battle, the Giganotosaurus was overwhelmed and fell into the Big Water, with Chomper being pulled into the current while trying to help Littlefoot stay safe.

• chomper parents
• giganotosaurus
• battle
• protection
• cliff

Elsie, an Elasmosaurus (a large swimming dinosaur), arrived just in time to save Littlefoot and Chomper from drowning in the turbulent water. She returned them safely to the island, where Chomper's parents expressed gratitude and vowed never to eat the children, marking a new understanding between predator and prey.

• elsie
• elasmosaurus
• rescue
• drowning
• gratitude

After being stranded on the island, Elsie the Elasmosaurus offered to carry the children across the sea to the mainland. This allowed the young friends to leave the island safely and reunite with the herd, who had already discovered a lush sanctuary on the mainland shore.

• elsie
• return
• mainland
• crossing
• island

Yes, once the leaf-gobblers moved on, the Great Valley gradually regained its fertility and greenery. The herd returned home to resume their lives in the valley, bringing the story to a hopeful conclusion with the young friends safely back in their beloved home.

• great valley
• recovery
• return home
• leaf-gobblers

When the children first reached the Big Water (the ocean), they discovered the water was undrinkable. This forced them to continue their search for fresh water and food, adding to the challenges they faced during their journey and encouraging them to seek the island as a potential sanctuary.

• big water
• ocean
• drinking
• undrinkable
• salt water