The Land Before Time

The Land Before Time is a 1988 American animated adventure film known in Quebec as Petit-Pied le dinosaure and in France as Le Petit Dinosaure et la Vallée des merveilles.

The Land Before Time is a 1988 American animated adventure film known in Quebec as Petit-Pied le dinosaure and in France as Le Petit Dinosaure et la Vallée des merveilles. It follows a young orphaned dinosaur, Littlefoot/Petit-Pied, as he journeys to the Great Valley with other young dinosaurs. The film launched a long-running franchise that expanded into many direct-to-video sequels and related television works.

Plot

A young dinosaur named Petit-Pied loses his mother and is separated from his family after a disaster. He teams up with other young dinosaurs and travels toward the Great Valley, a safer place with food and water.

Production

The film is an American animated feature directed by Don Bluth and associated with producers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It was released in 1988 and runs for just over an hour.

Franchise

The original film became the basis for a large franchise with many sequels released mostly directly to video. French-language sources describe the franchise as comprising 14 films through 2016.

Characters and species

Petit-Pied is presented as a young long-neck dinosaur, variously described in sources as an apatosaurus or diplodocus. The film also introduces other young dinosaur characters who travel with him, including Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike.