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 1h 9m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🍅

65%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 2,844🍅65%Rotten Tomatoes●66Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 105,330

FamilyAnimationAdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“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.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Gabriel Damon
Littlefoot (voice)
Candace Hutson
Cera (voice)
Will Ryan
Petrie (voice)
Judith Barsi
Ducky (voice)
Helen Shaver
Littlefoot's Mother (voice)
Pat Hingle
Narrator / Rooter (voice)
Bill Erwin
Grandfather (voice)
Burke Byrnes
Daddy Topps (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Bluth
Writers: Don Bluth, Dan Kuenster, Larry Leker
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Ireland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 6.8× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Ireland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Land Before Time Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dan Molina shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gabriel Damon and Candace Hutson and Will Ryan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Bluth directs. James Horner scores. Dan Molina cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Ireland. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Made its money back 6.8× over at the box office.
338 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Ireland.
5Part of the "The Land Before Time Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Dan Molina shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Gabriel Damon and Candace Hutson and Will Ryan carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "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.".
10IMDB entry: tt0095489 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 10 themes, including "vulkan", "loss of loved one", "tyrannosaurus rex", "earthquake".
12Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Original score: James Horner
Editing: Dan Molina
Production design: Don Bluth
Sound: Ray Merrin
Runtime: 69 min · 1h 9m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $12,500,000
Box office: $84,704,291
Return: 678% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: The Land Before Time (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes: 65% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 66/100
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 105,330 votes
MPAA: G

Awards

2 nominations total

Part of

The Land Before Time Collection

The series follows a group of young prehistoric friends—Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike—living in the Great Valley. Together, they face challenges, go on adventures, and even raise a young Sharptooth named Chomper. Along the way, they learn valuable lessons about friendship, teamwork, and courage in stories filled with music, fun, and heart.

Also by

Don Bluth

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2020-07-26
★ 7/10
Maybe it's just nostalgia that makes me love The Land Before Time, but I'm pretty sure the beautiful scenery at least does hold up. And that theme music, oh my God, right in the chest... That might be nostalgia again... Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time.

Production companies