The Land Before Time (1988)

 

Genre: Adventure/ Family

Time: 1h 9mins

Director: Don Bluth

Quick Summary: An orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley.

This is worth being traumatised. 

I need to speak about this right away but Don Bluth's animation is flawless. It's so smooth and I love the art style so much. The environment and background are so pretty, being such a bleak wasteland too, he managed to make this world really come to life. Full of pastels that are easy on the eye, and wonderfully designed characters, it's so lovely to watch this just for that.

This is moving and entertaining. Not only does it tell a story of friendship, courage, and love, but it also sheds light on the harsh reality of childhood friendships that are deemed unacceptable due to classism or racism, which is a common experience for many children. As well as the loss and grief of a parent. All of this isn't watered down, but it is told in such a gentle way that I do believe kids need it. It's important that they learn about these things, but it's also important to not be too disturbing.

For only being almost one hour long the pacing is incredible. It manages to blend perfectly important plot-heavy scenes and small sweet silly moments to keep it lighthearted, but it's never distracting from the story. It keeps going, even throwing in some really intense chase scenes that small kids might find scary. It has a good amount of weight to the whole journey and really does a good job of keeping you interested. 

One thing I will actually praise this for as well, none of the young characters were annoying or irritating. They all had their cute charms and mannerisms, even the one who was too prideful to ask for help. I found them all delightful.

Honestly, this film is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favourites of Don Bluth. With such a short run time, how can you not check this out? 

10/10

"Rooter: Oh, it's not your fault. It's not your mother's fault. Now, you pay attention to old Rooter. It is nobody's fault. The great circle of life has begun. But see, not all of us arrive together at the end.

Littlefoot: What'll I do? I miss her so much.

Rooter: And you'll always miss her. But she'll always be with you, as long as you remember the things she taught you. In a way, you'll never be apart, for you are still part of each other."