Review of The Land Before Time (1988) by Matt J — 14 Aug 2013

The Land Before Time was always playing on Saturday morning when I was a kid but I never sat through it all and always wanted to. And looking at it now it was an entertaining animated film even though the visual quality is somewhat dark and the plot is ridden with predominant sadness.

To start with the negatives, the visual quality of the animation is good but the colours used are predominantly dark, giving off a sort of monochromatic feel which isn't the most ideal for a kids movie, because its the bright and pretty colours that made me remember the movie series in the first place. Although the land would have been in such a state of bland colour, I just feel that for a kids movie it could have been more appealing through use of more vibrant colours.

Also, since the plot is thin the audience is hoping for some surprises in the dynamics, but instead The Land Before Time results in becoming a story everybody has heard enough times in enough ways with plenty of overused and repetitive dynamics which cluster and leave the plot lacking originality.

Lastly, the plot is a little too emotionally manipulative. It chronicles problem after problem that the characters are forced to face with resolutions not resulting in much joy, but rather hardships of dealing with the harsh situation the characters are stuck in. It's incredibly sad and is rather harsh for a kids film. Despite the fact that it used the animation as a front to bring fourth the harsh realities of the changing earth and loneliness, it wasn't too much of a happy story and I still felt sad in the end, even after the silver lining had been reached.

Nevertheless, The Land Before Time is enjoyable to a certain extent. Primarily because it features one of the finest animated depictions of dinosaurs from so early on in the year 1989, and I have no doubt I would have loved this movie had I have been significantly younger when I watched it. It's full of quality animation and the cutsie characters Don Bluth has a fondness for and a good musical score to carry it.

And the voice acting is strongly well developed, with the specific immense praise directed towards the late Judith Barsi. Taken from her in the prime of her life by her maniacal father, Judith Barsi makes a perfect Duckie. She has an adorably sweet voice which she has articulated excellently and followed direction so skilfully that her delivery of the line "Yep Yep Yep" is unforgettably adorable. She's one of the elements making the film more kid friendly.

And even though drama hits a little bit too hard, it is strong in the way it handles covering many adult contexts such as diversity, disaster, death, and poverty. Even though I would have enjoyed it more if it spent more time on natural history and the sense of discovery, and less time on tragedy, it was still good in its own sense.

Basically, The Land Before Time is well animated and well directed by Don Bluth who really had a passion for this piece, even though its primary focus is heavily on tragedy and its partly monochromatic.