The Land Before Time

The Land Before Time is a 1988 animated adventure drama film directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall. The film stars the voices of Gabriel Damon, Candace Hutson, Judith Barsi and Will Ryan with narration provided by Pat Hingle.

Produced by the American companies Amblin Entertainment and Lucasfilm, and the American-Irish Sullivan Bluth Ltd., it features dinosaurs living in the prehistoric times. The plot concerns a young "Longneck" named Littlefoot, who is orphaned when his mother is killed by a "Sharptooth". Littlefoot flees famine and upheaval to search for the Great Valley, an area spared from devastation. On his journey, he meets four young companions: Cera the "Threehorn", Ducky the "Bigmouth", Petrie the "Flyer", and Spike the "Spiketail".

The film explores issues of prejudice between the different species and the hardships they endure in their journey as they are guided by the spirit of Littlefoot's mother and forced to deal with the Sharptooth. This is the only Don Bluth film of the 1980s in which Dom DeLuise did not participate (instead, he starred in Disney's Oliver & Company that same year), and the only film in The Land Before Time series that is not a musical, as well as the only one to be released theatrically worldwide.

Released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (20th Century Fox) (as The Land Before Time Movie) or Universal Pictures (as The Land Before Time) on November 18, 1988, the film spawned a franchise with thirteen direct-to-video sequels and a television series as well as merchandise.

Plot
A series of catastrophic events is causing intense drought, and several herds of dinosaurs trying one of the last places livable, a paradise known as "land before time". These included a small herd of "long necks" gives birth to a single pup, named leg. Years later, leg play with Tricky, a "tri-Horn", who was trying to destroy a beetle, until her father intervenes, whereupon Leg's mother tells his son that the various species of dinosaurs have always been kept apart. That night, while Leg follows a "jumper", meet again, and the two Tricky play together briefly until a fierce "sharp teeth" that attacked them, but the Leg's mother comes to their aid. During their escape, remains seriously injured his back against attacks of sharp teeth. At the same time, an earthquake opens a deep ravine that swallows the Tricky and leg dentiaguzzi and divide from their herds. Littlefoot finds his dying mother, who with his last words asks his son to reach the enchanted Valley.

Depressed and confused, Littlefoot meets an old scolosauro named Rooter, who consoles him after learning of his mother's death. Littlefoot hears his mother's voice then that leads him to follow the "bright circle" over the rock that looks like a "collolungo" and then over the "burning mountain" to the land before time. Now only in his journey, leg shall meet again at Tricky and tries to convince her to join him, but she refuses his help, and arrogantly ends in darkness having fallen into a ravine.

Later, the leg is accompanied by a young "boccagrande" named Ducky, whose cheerful company takes him out of his depression. Shortly after, the two encounter a "volatile" named Petrie, whose fear of flying makes it extremely insecure and nervous. Tricky, who is looking for his herd, the sharp teeth unconscious inside the garrison. Thinking that he's dead, Tricky the molesta and wakes him unintentionally, then flees. Thereupon he runs into leg, Ducky, Petrie, and tells them that the sharp teeth is alive, even though the leg doesn't believe you. Then describes his encounter (exaggerating his bravery), accidentally launching Ducky in the air. When she lands, She discovers a dumb puppy "tail lapels," baptizing him Spike and leading him into the group. Looking for the land before time, puppies they discover a group of trees that is sharply depleted by a herd of diplodochi. The Group discovers however a tree that still has some leaves, and leg, Ducky, Petrie and Spike are getting the food with teamwork, reaching the top and peeling off the leaves. Tricky remains aloof, but when night falls she too falls asleep by the side of the leg for warmth and companionship.

The next morning, Littlefoot and his friends are attacked by the sharp teeth, but they escape through a tunnel too small because the predator there steps. Later they find the rock that looks like a collolungo Leg's mother was talking about, and then a series of mountains that burn. Tricky becomes However impatient the trip apparently aimlessly, and decide to go for another road, but Littlefoot tells her he is going in the wrong direction. The result is a physical confrontation between the two, which is won by Tricky. Littlefoot continues in his direction, while others follow Tricky. However, the Tricky path takes them soon in danger, since Ducky and Spike are threatened by boiling lava and Petrie crashes into a pit of bitumen. Leg save them, and then find Tricky molested by a pack of vicious pachycephalosauria, and having been tarred, scares them. Ashamed of his fear and reluctant to admit his mistake, Tricky leaves them in tears.

Later, while crossing a pond, Petrie sees sharp teeth. Tired of being stalked and determined to avenge his mother, leg, plotting a plan to lure him into the water (with Duck as bait) under a Boulder near, intending to drown him. Prime manages, but Littlefoot and Spike have trouble getting the stone, putting Ducky in serious danger. In the fight that follows, my breath coming out of nostrils of sharp teeth allows Petrie from flying. The sharp teeth jumps on the Boulder and the plan almost fails, until Tricky does not meet with the group to allow Littlefoot and his friends to push both the sharp teeth that the stone in the water below, thus causing his death. Littlefoot and his friends believe, however, that Petrie was eaten by the sharp teeth and I mourn the loss, but She finds it with joy, drenched and exhausted but alive.

Single leg follows a cloud that looks like her mother until the Land was reached by others. Upon arrival, Petrie impresses his family flying while Ducky presents Spike to his family that adopts him, Tricky meets with his father and leg joins her grandparents. The five friends gather finally atop a hill in a group hug.

Production Company
Pacific Bay Entertainment

First Appearance
20th Century Fox Animation

Distributor
20th Century Fox

BGM
The music for The Land Before Time was composed by James Horner, who had previously provided the soundtrack for An American Tail, and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of King's College. An official soundtrack was released on audio cassette and vinyl record on November 21, 1988, and later on CD by MCA Records, and features seven tracks from the movie.[11] The film's theme song "If We Hold on Together" was sung by Diana Ross and was released as a single on January 21, 1989, peaking at number 23 on the US adult contemporary charts,[12] and was later included on her 1991 album The Force Behind the Power.[13] A digital version of the soundtrack was released on a number of services on January 22, 2013 by Geffen Records.[14]

Label
Epic