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The Land Before Time

The Land Before Time

Family · Animation · Adventure · 1988

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.

Movie details

The Land Before Time

“It is the dawn of time, the land of the dinosaur. Lost and alone, Littlefoot and his friends are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.”

1988 Family · Animation · Adventure 1h 9m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.2 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Land Before Time?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave

The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave

Animation · 2016

On a day known to the dinosaurs as "Treasure Day", Bron becomes stuck in the Mysterious Beyond. This event urges the young Longneck Littlefoot to take his friends on a quest to the Fire Mountain to save his father. Along the way, they befriend a Flyer.

Dinosaur

Dinosaur

Adventure · 2000

An orphaned dinosaur raised by lemurs joins an arduous trek to a sancturary after a meteorite shower destroys his family home.

The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire

The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire

Adventure · 2000

Littlefoot and his pals set off in search of a "stone of cold fire" that fell from the night sky. Since he's the only one who has seen it though, nobody really believes him. Petrie's uncle Pterano offers support only because he thinks the stone has secret powers and wants it for himself but conceals this from the rest. The young dinos must figure out the truth, before Pterano gets the power.

The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur

Adventure · 2015

An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

The Croods

The Croods

Animation · 2013

The prehistoric Croods family live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug, his mate Ugga, teenage daughter Eep, son Thunk, and feisty Gran gather food by day and huddle together in a cave at night. When a more evolved caveman named Guy arrives on the scene, Grug is distrustful, but it soon becomes apparent that Guy is correct about the impending destruction of their world.

How to Train Your Dragon 2

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Fantasy · 2014

Five years after uniting the dragons and Vikings of Berk, Hiccup and Toothless soar beyond their homeland, charting the vast unknown. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider with a startling connection to Hiccup. And as the ruthless dragon conqueror Drago Bludvist rises to seize control of both dragons and people alike, Hiccup must step into his role as a true leader and, alongside his friends and Toothless, protect Berk from a devastating war.

The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water

The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water

Animation · 2002

Littlefoot befriends with a mysterious, fun-loving dolphin-like creature named Mo, who is trapped in "new water" caused by heavy rain. The gang then goes on an adventure to the "big water" to bring Mo home.

The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration

The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration

Animation · 2003

A bedtime story leads Littlefoot and his grandparents on a journey to a new land, where Littlefoot discovers someone who vanished before he was born: his father! Now Littlefoot must decide between two worlds. Will he leave to be with his friends in the Great Valley, or stay behind and start a new life with his father?

The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island

The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island

Animation · 1997

A plague of locusts strikes the Great Valley, decimating the plants and forcing the dinosaurs to migrate in search of food. When the adults in the herd begin fighting over the scarce resources, young Littlefoot and his friends Petrie, Cera, Ducky and Spike split off from the main group, becoming stranded on an island after their path was destroyed by a tsunami. As they search for a way off the island, they encounter an old acquaintance who may become friend or foe.

The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends

The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends

Animation · 2007

Littlefoot learns a series of important lessons following an incident that nearly costs his grandmother her life. Soon afterwards, three dinosaurs arrive claiming they have lost their way.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Don Bluth

Written by

Tony Geiss · Judy Freudberg · Stu Krieger

Gabriel Damon

Gabriel Damon

Littlefoot (voice)

Candace Hutson

Candace Hutson

Cera (voice)

Will Ryan

Will Ryan

Petrie (voice)

Judith Barsi

Judith Barsi

Ducky (voice)

Helen Shaver

Helen Shaver

Littlefoot's Mother (voice)

Pat Hingle

Pat Hingle

Narrator / Rooter (voice)

Bill Erwin

Bill Erwin

Grandfather (voice)

Court is in session

Put The Land Before Time on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.