Overview
A young brontosaurus embarks on a perilous journey to find a paradise for dinosaurs.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- sentimental
- playful
- adventurous
- family movie night
- nostalgic rewatch
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the beautiful animation, endearing characters, emotional richness, and straightforward family adventure while finding it overly cute and occasionally too intense for very young viewers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Littlefoot becomes separated from his family after a devastating encounter and must continue toward the Great Valley alone.
Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky, and Spike overcome differences among their dinosaur species to survive together.
The journey contrasts lush vegetation and the legendary Great Valley with earthquakes, volcanic hazards, and predator territory.
Sharptooth pursues the young dinosaurs, creating sustained danger within an otherwise playful animated setting.
Films like The Land Before Time, and why
An American Tail
shares family-friendly animation, animal protagonists, coming-of-age adventure, and emotionally direct themes of friendship and loss
The Fox and the Hound
shares a young protagonist navigating wilderness danger, friendship, survival, and sentimental animated storytelling
Dinosaur
shares dinosaur-centered family adventure, vivid animation, perilous journeys, and an emphasis on cooperation among young characters
The Rescuers Down Under
shares child-oriented animated adventure, talking animal characters, environmental wonder, and a heartfelt journey toward safety
Movie Details
- Director
- Don Bluth
- Release Date
- 1988-11-18
- Runtime
- 69 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (2839)
Cast
- Gabriel Damon
- Candace Hutson
- Will Ryan
- Judith Barsi
- Helen Shaver
- Pat Hingle
- Bill Erwin
- Burke Byrnes
- Frank Welker
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Wonder Project Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Land Before Time about?
- A grieving young dinosaur leads an unlikely band of hatchlings through a hazardous prehistoric world toward a legendary sanctuary.
- What is The Land Before Time like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Land Before Time as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Land Before Time violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Land Before Time as mild.
- What did critics think of The Land Before Time?
- Critics broadly praised the beautiful animation, endearing characters, emotional richness, and straightforward family adventure while finding it overly cute and occasionally too intense for very young viewers.
- Which films are like The Land Before Time?
- Films with a similar feel include An American Tail, The Fox and the Hound, Dinosaur, and The Rescuers Down Under.
- How long is The Land Before Time?
- The Land Before Time runs 69 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Land Before Time?
- In United States, The Land Before Time streams on Wonder Project Amazon Channel.
In Ember's collections
Movies like The Land Before Time
- Dinosaur2000
- The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving1995
- The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock1998
- The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers2006
- Bambi1942
- The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses2005
- Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin1997
- The Brave Little Toaster1987
- The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends2007
- The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
