• The Land Before Time (1988)

    Littlefoot (Gabriel Damon), a young plant-eating dinosaur, is orphaned after his mother (Helen Shaver) perishes while protecting him from a vicious carnivore. With her last breath, she tells him how to get to the legendary Great Valley, where he will be reunited with others of his kind. With his friend Cera (Candace Hutson), Littlefoot sets out for the fabled land, meeting a variety of new friends along the way -- while also being tracked by the killer dinosaur that mortally wounded his mother.

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The Land Before Time
66
metacriticBased on 15 Critics
82
Based on 9 Users

Release Date: 1988

DVD Release Date: April 30th, 1997

G |1 hr 6 min

Plot Summary

Littlefoot (Gabriel Damon), a young plant-eating dinosaur, is orphaned after his mother (Helen Shaver) perishes while protecting him from a vicious carnivore. With her last breath, she tells him how to get to the legendary Great Valley, where he will be reunited with others of his kind. With his friend Cera (Candace Hutson), Littlefoot sets out for the fabled land, meeting a variety of new friends along the way -- while also being tracked by the killer dinosaur that mortally wounded his mother.

Cast: Gabriel Damon, Candace Hutson, Judith Barsi, Will Ryan, Bill Erwin, Helen Shaver, Pat Hingle, Burke Byrnes

Director: Don Bluth

Genres: Animated , Children , Adventure

Production Co: Lucasfilm Ltd., Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Keywords: Friendship, Mother, Growing up, Escape, Survival, Friend, Emotional, Underdog, Charming

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 75
    Roger EbertChicago Sun-Times

    I guess I sort of liked the film. although I wonder why it couldn't have spent more time on natural history and the sense of discovery. show more

  • 88
    Dave KehrChicago Tribune

    It is, in the best Disney tradition, a story of childhood's end, of leaving the family and accepting adult responsibilities. Bluth relates it through a smooth counterpoint of humor, sadness and horror. show more

  • 88
    Jay CarrBoston Globe

    From its opening evolution sequence of squiggly things in the water through its references to the great circle of life, The Land Before Time embraces a larger perspective than merely that of the adventure story. It's an affecting work, and a work of quality. [18 Nov 1988, p.29]

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