This trope isn't about Crossing the Desert, although those two go hand in hand a lot. Crossing the Desert is a plot, Thirsty Desert is the setting - namely, a boiling hot Death World full of pony-sized spiders chasing after you.
But I don't think if you minimize the threat, it takes away the trope. The trope itself loses its teeth when you throw in a genie, sure, but Aladdin is still in the desert.
Edited by 97.114.86.220
Does the desert in question necessarily have to be desolate and devoid of life, or can it just be a scorched Death World in which Everything Trying to Kill You is in full effect?
Note that just because a desert can be a Death World full of nasty, nasty creatures doesn't automatically mean it's not teeming with life. It just so happens to be a biome rife with extremely tough survivalist plants and animals (maybe even people).
Edited by 97.114.86.220
Dry Paratroopa
Why was the trope renamed to be after the Pikmin 3 area if it's not even an example? The real Thirsty Desert has water in it.
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Isn't the trope really about desert crossings and not necessarily about the desert as a setting? Take the Star Wars films, where there really are no examples of desert crossings, where the characters are in danger of dehydration or overexposure. The desert is just a backdrop or referred to as a harsh place, and not necessarily illustrated as one.
Desert crossings are almost formulaic in film. There is almost always a direct shot at the sun, fading into closeups of the characters sweating, breathing with their mouths open, talking about how they need water, etc.
Think of Aladdin. I mean the guy is marooned in the desert but there's no desert crossing or "thirsty desert" trope because he has a freakin' genie who can get him out.
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