The Land Before Time/The Land Before Time 2 DVD Animation (2008) Don Bluth

Description

Double bill of animated prehistoric dinosaur adventures. In ‘The Land Before Time’ (1988), young dinosaur Littlefoot is orphaned and so he sets off with a gang of fellow baby dinosaurs in search of a legendary green valley that offers safety from the plague that is sweeping the world. In the sequel, ‘The Land Before Time 2’ (1994), the young dinosaurs are coaxed into the forbidden ‘Mysterious Beyond’ by the mischievous Cera, and they realise that everything in their world is not as idyllic as they had thought The Land Before Time
This 1988 animated feature from Don Bluth (An American Tail) focuses on an orphaned young dinosaur, Littlefoot, who has to make his way to the paradise of the Great Valley in order to survive a plague. Along the way, he meets up with some other dinos from different species, and they all bond and travel together. On the way, they have plenty of adventures. Even with elements of suspense, this is a pretty relaxed movie that isn’t in a particular hurry to roll out its story. Kids will like the originality of the concept, and the themes of friendship and cooperation are well woven into the fabric of the entertainment, plus the music is great. Bluth’s artwork looks good, though–as always–he never seems to quite catch up with the quality of the Disney machine. –Tom Keogh
The Land Before Time 2 – The Great Valley Adventure
Young brontosaurus Littlefoot and his pals venture out of the Great Valley into the Mysterious Beyond and encounter a T-rex and a pair of omnivores who just want to be friendly. (Gulp.) The gang learns how hard it is to be a kid on one’s own in a scary place–what with landslides and ferocious “sharptooths.” This first sequel to The Land Before Time mostly holds up the visual quality of Don Bluth’s original, though the story is narrower and less interesting. Music by the Roches and James Horner. —