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The Land Before Time

Play trailer 1:35 Poster for The Land Before Time G 1988 1h 8m Kids & Family Adventure Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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65% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Littlefoot, a young plant-eating dinosaur, is orphaned after his mother 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, 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

The Land Before Time

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Beautifully animated and genuinely endearing, The Land Before Time is sure to please dino-obsessed tykes, even if it's a little too cutesy for older viewers.

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Critics Reviews

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Anne Stephenson Arizona Republic 08/23/2022
3/4
Just when you think animated movies for children have become a triumph of marketing over imagination, along comes Don Bluth to make you think again. Go to Full Review Amy Greene Atlanta Journal-Constitution 08/23/2022
The story does have a certain degree of charm, but the biggest flaw is that it covers several Major Life Themes without much subtlety or use of symbolism. Go to Full Review Jay Carr Boston Globe 08/23/2022
The spirit of Land Before Time is right. And, thanks to Bluth and his staff, the film's style is right, too. Go to Full Review Carla Monfort Espinof 05/13/2024
3.5/5
The Land Before Time is a charming adventure that, despite having a very dark moment, continues to excite and function as great family entertainment, thanks to its endearing characters and its universal message. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Mat Brunet AniMat's Review (YouTube) 04/07/2023
9/10
Before all the sequels and the dozens of episodes of the TV show, it was just a simple story of five young dinosaurs on a journey to a promised land, and that’s all you need for a heartfelt picture. Go to Full Review Eleanor O'Sullivan Asbury Park Press (NJ) 08/23/2022
Bluth and his enormous team of artists have done an exceptional job, drawing you into a world forbidding and, in the expected happy ending, enchanting. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Albert Feb 8 10/10 so glad they replayed it in theaters cause I was not born when it came out. See more Jared Feb 6 Excellent screening. Really loving the rereleases. See more Josh Jan 11 An all time classic film, presented for affordable pricing for families! See more Peter C 03/06/2024 the movie theater needs to fucking re-do everything. they have fucked up and need to fix their terrible problems!!! See more Bobby 03/04/2024 One of my all-time favorites! I’m thrilled to have seen it in theaters. See more Ryan G 05/31/2023 Still fresh after all these years. It is worth seeing on the big screen it you can. Still waiting for a worthy sequel though in the midst of all the direct to video attempts See more Read all reviews
The Land Before Time

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Cast & Crew

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Don Bluth

Director

Gabriel Damon

Littlefoot

Candace Hutson

Cera

Judith Barsi

Ducky

Will Ryan

Petrie

Bill Erwin

Grandfather

Movie Clips

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The Land Before Time

The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Petrie Saves His Friends From Sharptooth The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Petrie Saves His Friends From Sharptooth 2:12 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Finding Green Food The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Finding Green Food 2:13 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot is Born The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot is Born 2:12 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot Meets Ducky The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot Meets Ducky 2:12 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Flyers and Cherries The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Flyers and Cherries 1:28 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - The Friends Find Spike The Land Before Time: Official Clip - The Friends Find Spike 1:52 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - The Great Valley The Land Before Time: Official Clip - The Great Valley 1:57 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot and Ducky Meet Petrie The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot and Ducky Meet Petrie 1:10 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot to the Rescue The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot to the Rescue 2:59 The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot's Mother Dies The Land Before Time: Official Clip - Littlefoot's Mother Dies 3:04 View more videos

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The Land Before Time

The Land Before Time: Trailer 1 The Land Before Time: Trailer 1 1:35 View more videos
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The Land Before Time

The Land Before Time (1988) The Land Before Time (1988) The Land Before Time (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Littlefoot, a young plant-eating dinosaur, is orphaned after his mother 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, 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.
Director
Don Bluth
Producer
Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy
Screenwriter
Stu Krieger
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Lucasfilm Ltd., Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating
G
Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 18, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$45.8M
Runtime
1h 8m
Sound Mix
Surround