The Land Before Time Review

The Land Before Time

Release Date: 16th September 1989 - Australia

Production Companies

Universal Pictures

Amblin Entertainment

Lucasfilm Ltd. (Uncredited)

Sullivan Bluth Studios

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 69 minutes

Budget: $12,500,000

Box Office Gross: $84,460,846 

(Worldwide)

Plot Summary

An orphaned brontosaurus 

named Littlefoot sets off 

in search of the legendary 

Great Valley. A land of lush 

vegetation where the 

dinosaurs can thrive and 

live in peace. Along the 

way he meets four other 

young dinosaurs, each 

one a different species, 

and they encounter several 

obstacles as they learn 

to work together in order 

to survive. (Source - IMDb)

Voice Cast

Gabriel Damon - Littlefoot

Pat Hingle - Narrator/Rooter

Cadance Hudson - Cera

Judith Barsi - Ducky

Will Ryan - Petrie

Helen Shaver - Littlefoot's 

Mother

Bill Erwin - Grandfather

Burke Byrnes - Daddy Topps

Crew

Production Designer/

Storyboard Artist/Producer/

Director - Don Bluth

Story - Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss

Story Consultants - Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson

Screenplay - Stu Krieger
Co-Executive Producers - Kathleen Kennedy and 
Frank Marshall

Executive Producers - Steven Spielberg and 
George Lucas

Producer - Gary Goldman

Producer/Character Animator: "Cera", "Rooter" 
and "Spike"/Directing Animator: "Littlefoot" - 
John Pomeroy
Storyboard Artist/Character Animator: "Littlefoot's Mother"/
Directing Animator - Dan Kuenster
Directing Animators - Lorna Cook, 
Linda Miller, and Dick & Ralph Zondag
Layout Supervisor - David Goetz 

Background Stylist - Don Moore
Special Effects Directing Animator - Dorse A. Lanpher

Film Editor/Supervising Sound Editor - Dan Molina

Film Editor - John K. Carr

Music - James Horner

Review

Years ago, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg teams up again with Star Wars entrepreneur and his co-making partner of Indiana Jones, George Lucas and animator Don Bluth to create a special animated movie about dinosaurs. No I'm not talking about 'Jurassic Park' where it hasn't been made till 1993, we are take a trip through nostalgia into one of the old favourites from my childhood. I know 'THE LAND BEFORE TIME' means a lot to me when it happened to be animated in Don Bluth's style not Disney's. If you're looking for a Dino movie from Disney, I suggest it would be the similar and forgettable CGI movie 'Dinosaur'. I've been too proud to admit it, the characterisations and voice acting were all aged timelessly and joined up with Bluth's spectacular animation. It has been brought down by the weak standards of pacing and editing horrendously contributed by either Spielberg or Lucas.

I praise James Horner's score of the movie and was vividly gorgeous to hear. It has many ways to enhance the music, make it as light-hearted, dark or emotional in depth. I had almost forgot that one of the supporting leads Spike was actually a baby stegosaurus and he looked like a dinosaur from a different kind which had me confused?

Not one of his best and I agree with the creator's opinion for not intending the movie to be in 69 minutes. The majesty still remains behind in the old prehistoric classic 'THE LAND BEFORE TIME' for it is bound to be watched for future and younger generations. Find it someday and save up your money for the first, don't get me started on the other instalments that most of them are particularly bland and demeaning.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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