Follow TV Tropes

Following

History WesternAnimation / TheLandBeforeTime

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AccidentallyCorrectZoology: Pterosaurs with a fluffy covering can be seen attending Littlefoot's hatching, nearly 20 years before the existence of pycnofibers was first identified. However, most other pterosaurs in the film don't seem to have any covering.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* AccidentallyCorrectZoology: Pterosaurs with a fluffy covering can be seen attending Littlefoot's hatching, nearly 20 years before the existence of pycnofibers was first identified. However, most other pterosaurs in the film don't seem to have any covering.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* CallASmeerpARabbit: The dinosaurs refer to themselves by descriptive names, such as long-necks, three-horns, spike-tails, etc. Oddly enough, they still refer themselves collectively as dinosaurs, but only in the sequels.

to:

* CallASmeerpARabbit: The dinosaurs refer to themselves by descriptive names, such as long-necks, three-horns, spike-tails, etc. Oddly enough, they still refer themselves collectively as dinosaurs, but only dinosaurs in the sequels.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* CallASmeerpARabbit: The dinosaurs refer to themselves by descriptive names, such as long-necks, three-horns, spike-tails, etc. Oddly enough, they still refer themselves collectively as dinosaurs.

to:

* CallASmeerpARabbit: The dinosaurs refer to themselves by descriptive names, such as long-necks, three-horns, spike-tails, etc. Oddly enough, they still refer themselves collectively as dinosaurs.dinosaurs, but only in the sequels.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* RefugeInTheWest: The OpeningNarration tells how in the midst of a drought some dinosaur herds strike out toward the west, to search for the Great Valley, a land still lush and green.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:


If you would like to read the movie storybook by Jim Razzi, click here: https://archive.org/details/landbeforetime00razz/mode/2up
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ChasingAButterfly: Littlefoot and Cera chase a frog (or a [[CallASmeerpARabbit 'hopper']], as they call it]]) before their first encounter with Sharptooth. Ducky also chases after a bug when she first hatches.

to:

* ChasingAButterfly: Littlefoot and Cera chase a frog (or a [[CallASmeerpARabbit 'hopper']], as they call it]]) it) before their first encounter with Sharptooth. Ducky also chases after a bug when she first hatches.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ChasingAButterfly: Littlefoot and Cera chase a frog before their first encounter with Sharptooth. Ducky also chases after a bug when she first hatches.

to:

* ChasingAButterfly: Littlefoot and Cera chase a frog (or a [[CallASmeerpARabbit 'hopper']], as they call it]]) before their first encounter with Sharptooth. Ducky also chases after a bug when she first hatches.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* TheCenterpieceSpectacular: The first Sharptooth encounter serves to end act 1 of Littlefoot's journey. As the deadliest predator around hunts them he and Cera try to survive as his mother fends him off and just when it looks like they might escape the land erupts around them, shutting them off from the rest of their family. That Littlefoot's mother dies after scores the loss of Littlefoot's halcyon days.

Added: 76

Changed: 118

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike. If you don't think the five of them are cute you may not have a pulse.

to:

* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike. If you don't think Ducky is obviously intended to be this.
** The baby pterosaur that offers Littlefoot
the five of them are cute you may not have a pulse.cherry can be seen as this.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:


* OffModel: An unfortunate side effect from outsourcing to [[Creator/{{AKOM}} South Korea]] and [[Creator/WangFilmProductions Taiwan]]. However, the later films by Wang do see a (slight) uptick in quality as the series goes on as opposed to AKOM's, which go the opposite direction.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
To remove the markup.


* 1998 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVITheSecretOfSaurusRock'': Littlefoot meets Doc, an elderly longneck voiced by Creator/KrisKristofferson (the first CelebrityVoiceActor to feature in any of the sequels) he assumes is the folk hero "The Lone Dinosaur," and accidentally damages a very important stone, bringing bad luck to the Valley.

to:

* 1998 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVITheSecretOfSaurusRock'': Littlefoot meets Doc, an elderly longneck voiced by Creator/KrisKristofferson (the first CelebrityVoiceActor [[invoked]]CelebrityVoiceActor to feature in any of the sequels) he assumes is the folk hero "The Lone Dinosaur," and accidentally damages a very important stone, bringing bad luck to the Valley.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ScarecrowSolution: Four of the dinosaur children cover themselves in tar and pile on top of each other to save Cera from a group of aggressive Pachycephalosaurus.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* AweInspiringDinosaurShot: The original film begins with a narration about Earth's history before introducing dinosaurs into its description. The dark, grungy atmosphere is contrasted by hopeful music with dinosaurs doing stuff like a Longneck overlooking a lake, a Swimmer looking after her nest, a Swimmer infant (Ducky in particular) surviving the jaws of an agitated tortoise, a flock of Fliers flocking, and a Threehorn family observing their children playing.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* DisneyVillainDeath: Averted; Sharptooth appears to suffer from this early in the film, plummeting down a canyon during the earthquake, yet not only do we see his body later, but he turns out to be NotQuiteDead.

to:

* DisneyVillainDeath: Averted; Averted at first; Sharptooth appears to suffer from this early in the film, plummeting down a canyon during the earthquake, yet not only do we see his body later, but he turns out to be NotQuiteDead.NotQuiteDead. Later played straight near the end of the film when he falls off a cliff and into the lake below, with a boulder falling on top of him for good measure.


Added DiffLines:

* EvilOverlooker: The film's poster (pictured above) depicts Sharptooth standing atop a cliff, looking down at the heroes as they walk across a fallen tree.

Added: 2197

Changed: 335

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
That's misuse of Species Surname.


* SpeciesSurname: A variation, in that the dinosaurs' words for each other are usually derived from their scientific names. For example, Triceratops = Three Horn.

to:

* SpeciesSurname: A variation, in StockDinosaurArchetypes: One of the main elements of this franchise's setting is that [[CallARabbitASmeerp each sort of dinosaur is given a simple-sounding title, like "Longnecks" and "Sharpteeth" to make them more identifiable from each other]]. Even so, there are still a lot of other ways they stick out from each other...
** The various types of herbivores in
the dinosaurs' words for first film have different personality traits to distinguish each other more drastically, which contributes to each kind of dinosaur having relations that are usually derived from their scientific names. distant and cautious at best and [[FantasticRacism outright discriminatory at worst]]. For example, Triceratops = Three Horn.Littlefoot is a Longneck (''Apatosaurus'') who is raised with good principles by his loving mother and tries to befriend anyone he meets. In stark contrast, Cera is a Threehorn (''Triceratops'') who is bought up to be haughty and bossy, traits influenced by her father who is quite stern, gruff, and generally not sociable with other dinosaurs. Later films show that most herbivores generally get along very well, provide for each other, and would put aside their differences to help one another against predators. These traits are best shown with the aforementioned Longnecks, Swimmers (hadrosaurs), Spiketails (stegosaurs), Clubtails (ankylosaurs), and even fliers (pterosaurs), though there are a few examples of unkind and even antagonistic herbivores.
** Carnivores usually come under two types; Sharptooth for larger predators and Fast-Runners for raptors and smaller carnivores, and given that the protagonists mostly consist of herbivores and children at that, they play antagonistic roles. To make them further stand out, they don't speak and are mostly shown as persistent and unkind foes who won't stop in trying to devour the kids if they can manage. Some films have managed to show Sharpteeth in a more sympathetic light, as shown by Chomper and his parents and the animated show goes to feature Ruby, a Fast-Runner (''Oviraptor'') who similarly gets along with plant eaters and becomes a member of the core gang. It's also emphasized that Sharptooth's growling and roaring in contrast to the herbivores speaking just fine is actually their own language and that predators too can learn to talk if they practice on that and that Sharptooth as a whole type is really just animals doing what they could to survive and see another day, with the only truly evil one being the Sharptooth from the first film [[AdaptationalVillainy and that's if the novel adaptation is taken into account]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Wisdom of Friends is unpopular for sure, but stuff like this belongs on the YMMV page.


* GenreShift: ExecutiveMeddling aside the first film was still pretty dark and serious. The sequels are lighter musicals-comedies, particularly ''The Wisdom of Friends'', which [[FanonDiscontinuity fans tend to pretend never existed]]. Thankfully, ''Journey of the Brave'' returns to a somewhat bearable quality.

to:

* GenreShift: ExecutiveMeddling aside the The first film was still largely pretty dark and serious. The sequels are lighter musicals-comedies, particularly ''The Wisdom of Friends'', which [[FanonDiscontinuity fans tend to pretend never existed]]. Thankfully, ''Journey of the Brave'' returns to a somewhat bearable quality.Friends''.

Added: 200

Changed: 198

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:


* AmbiguousTimePeriod: Given the variety of species from different times that appear in this movie, exactly when it's supposed to take place is anyone's guess. The sequels make it even more ambiguous, if that's possible.

to:

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: AmbiguousTimePeriod:
**
Given the variety of species from different times that appear in this movie, exactly when it's supposed to take place is anyone's guess. The sequels make it even more ambiguous, if that's possible.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* 2000 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIITheStoneOfColdFire'': The gang, in addition to two mysterious outsiders, must race Petrie's uncle [[Creator/MichaelYork Pterano]] to find a meteor allegedly imbued with magical properties. Notably the first of the sequels to be animated via digital inking, coinciding with a conspicuous AnimationBump.

to:

* 2000 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIITheStoneOfColdFire'': The gang, in addition to two mysterious outsiders, must race Petrie's vainglorious, morally-dubious uncle [[Creator/MichaelYork Pterano]] to find a meteor allegedly imbued with magical properties. Notably the first of the sequels to be animated via digital inking, coinciding with a conspicuous AnimationBump.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* 1998 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVITheSecretOfSaurusRock'': Littlefoot meets a dinosaur he assumes is the folk hero "The Lone Dinosaur," and accidentally damages a very important stone, bringing bad luck to the Valley.
* 2000 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIITheStoneOfColdFire'': The gang, in addition to two mysterious outsiders, must race Petrie's uncle Pterano to find a meteor allegedly imbued with magical properties.

to:

* 1998 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVITheSecretOfSaurusRock'': Littlefoot meets a dinosaur Doc, an elderly longneck voiced by Creator/KrisKristofferson (the first CelebrityVoiceActor to feature in any of the sequels) he assumes is the folk hero "The Lone Dinosaur," and accidentally damages a very important stone, bringing bad luck to the Valley.
Valley.
* 2000 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIITheStoneOfColdFire'': The gang, in addition to two mysterious outsiders, must race Petrie's uncle Pterano [[Creator/MichaelYork Pterano]] to find a meteor allegedly imbued with magical properties.properties. Notably the first of the sequels to be animated via digital inking, coinciding with a conspicuous AnimationBump.



* 2003 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXTheGreatLongneckMigration'': Littlefoot and his grandparents, following an instinct endemic to all longnecks, leave the valley to find The Great Circle, with Littlefoot's friends distantly tailing them. Upon reaching their destination (and a multitude of other longnecks), Littlefoot meets his father, Bron.

to:

* 2003 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXTheGreatLongneckMigration'': Littlefoot and his grandparents, following an instinct endemic to all longnecks, leave the valley to find The Great Circle, with Littlefoot's friends distantly tailing them. Upon reaching their destination (and a multitude of other longnecks), Littlefoot meets his father, Bron.[[Creator/KieferSutherland Bron]].



* 2007 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIIITheWisdomOfFriends'': Littlefoot and friends help three goofy, [[TheLoad haplessly-blundering]] dinosaurs known as "yellow bellies" to the distant Berry Valley.

to:

* 2007 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIIITheWisdomOfFriends'': Littlefoot and friends help three goofy, [[TheLoad haplessly-blundering]] dinosaurs known as "yellow bellies" to journey to the distant Berry Valley.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* 1994 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIITheGreatValleyAdventure'': The gang find a mysterious egg just outside the Great Valley and hatch it, finding that it's a Sharptooth egg.

to:

* 1994 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIITheGreatValleyAdventure'': The gang find a mysterious egg just outside the Great Valley and hatch it, finding that it's discovering it to contain a hatchling Sharptooth egg.they befriend and name "Chomper".



* 1996 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIVJourneyThroughTheMists'': Grandpa Longneck gets sick with a deadly illness. With the help of fellow Longneck Ali, Littlefoot and his friends journey to find the flowers that are the cure.

to:

* 1996 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIVJourneyThroughTheMists'': Grandpa Longneck gets sick with a deadly illness. With the help of [[DistaffCounterpart fellow Longneck Ali, Ali]], Littlefoot and his friends journey to find the flowers "night flowers" that are the cure.



* 1998 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVITheSecretOfSaurusRock'': Littlefoot meets a dinosaur he assumes is "The Lone Dinosaur," and accidentally damages a very important stone, bringing bad luck to the Valley.
* 2000 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIITheStoneOfColdFire'': The gang, in addition to two mysterious outsiders, must race Petrie's uncle Pterano to find a magical meteor.
* 2001 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIIITheBigFreeze'': The Valley is once again put in danger, this time by a massive cold spell, while Spike meets members of his own kind.
* 2002 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIXJourneyToBigWater'': When the Valley floods, Littlefoot meets a swimming creature called Mo and helps him get back to the Ocean (the titular "Big Water").
* 2003 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXTheGreatLongneckMigration'': Littlefoot and his grandparents, following instinct, leave the valley to find The Great Circle, Littlefoot's friends following along. In addition, Littlefoot meets his father, Bron.

to:

* 1998 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVITheSecretOfSaurusRock'': Littlefoot meets a dinosaur he assumes is the folk hero "The Lone Dinosaur," and accidentally damages a very important stone, bringing bad luck to the Valley.
* 2000 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIITheStoneOfColdFire'': The gang, in addition to two mysterious outsiders, must race Petrie's uncle Pterano to find a meteor allegedly imbued with magical meteor.
properties.
* 2001 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVIIITheBigFreeze'': The Valley is once again put in danger, this time by a massive cold spell, while Spike meets members of his own kind.
kind and must decide whether to leave the Valley with them or remain with his adoptive family (and thus Ducky).
* 2002 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIXJourneyToBigWater'': When the Valley floods, Littlefoot meets a swimming creature (technically an ichthyosaur) called Mo and helps him get back to the Ocean ocean (the titular "Big Water").
* 2003 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXTheGreatLongneckMigration'': Littlefoot and his grandparents, following instinct, an instinct endemic to all longnecks, leave the valley to find The Great Circle, with Littlefoot's friends following along. In addition, distantly tailing them. Upon reaching their destination (and a multitude of other longnecks), Littlefoot meets his father, Bron.



* 2006 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIITheGreatDayOfTheFlyers'': Tria and Cera's father are getting ready to bring a new hatchling into the world. Petrie is having trouble with a precision flying exhibition the flyers are putting on, and the gang helps a microraptor named Guido, who doesn't know what he is.
* 2007 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIIITheWisdomOfFriends'': Littlefoot and friends help three dinosaurs to the distant Berry Valley.

to:

* 2006 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIITheGreatDayOfTheFlyers'': Tria and Cera's father are getting ready to bring a new hatchling into the world. Petrie is having trouble with a precision flying exhibition the flyers are putting on, and the gang helps a microraptor named Guido, who doesn't know what he is.
is suffering an identity crisis.
* 2007 -- ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeXIIITheWisdomOfFriends'': Littlefoot and friends help three goofy, [[TheLoad haplessly-blundering]] dinosaurs known as "yellow bellies" to the distant Berry Valley.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} "A new adventure is born..."]]]]

to:

[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} "A new adventure is born..."]]]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* OffWithHerhead: Thankfully averted, a newborn Ducky jumps directly into the mouth of a giant snapping turtle. Thankfully, her mother manages to grab her in time.

to:

* OffWithHerhead: OffWithHerHead: Thankfully averted, a newborn Ducky jumps directly into the mouth of a giant snapping turtle. Thankfully, her mother manages to grab her in time.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* OffWithHerhead: Thankfully averted, a newborn Ducky jumps directly into the mouth of a giant snapping turtle. Thankfully, her mother manages to grab her in time.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
It's getting closer to forty years ago now.


* ShownTheirWork: For the time, and remember it was thirty-odd years ago and the complete remains of some of the featured species (especially ''Tyrannosaurus'') hadn't been found yet, this was ''the'' most accurate dinosaur movie ever made (ignoring the AnachronismStew and TalkingAnimal issues). Even today, the care put into the film is impressive.

to:

* ShownTheirWork: For the time, and remember it was thirty-odd years ago 1988 and the complete remains of some of the featured species (especially ''Tyrannosaurus'') hadn't been found yet, this was ''the'' most accurate dinosaur movie ever made (ignoring the AnachronismStew and TalkingAnimal issues). Even today, the care put into the film is impressive.



%%* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: Ducky and Petrie.

to:

%%* * StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: Ducky and Petrie.Petrie uses "me" in place of "I".
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
YMMV on an objective page below the example line.


** If the first film is analyzed on it's own (see FanonDiscontinuity above), one could assume it takes place shortly after the K-Pg impact (since dinosaurs continued to exist for a few thousand years after the meteor struck) which would explain the near apocalyptic events the world is experiencing even before the earthquake. [[SequelReset Considering Don Bluth never intended to make any sequels]], this is the most likely scenario.

to:

** If the first film is analyzed on it's own (see FanonDiscontinuity above), its own, one could assume it takes place shortly after the K-Pg impact (since dinosaurs continued to exist for a few thousand years after the meteor struck) which would explain the near apocalyptic events the world is experiencing even before the earthquake. [[SequelReset Considering Don Bluth never intended to make any sequels]], this is the most likely scenario.

Changed: 152

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
The sequels used "swimmer" while the original used "bigmouth"


* AquaticHadrosaurs: Ducky is supposed to be some kind of hadrosaur, and she's the swimmer one among the five main heroes. "Swimmer" appears to be [[CallARabbitASmeerp the term dinosaurs use for a hadrosaur]], reinforcing this stereotype. That said, Ducky herself doesn't spend much time in the water. The sequels, however, call hadrosaurs "bigmouths", while "swimmer" is instead used as the word for aquatic reptiles such as plesiosaurs.

to:

* AquaticHadrosaurs: Ducky is supposed to be some kind of hadrosaur, and she's the swimmer one among the five main heroes. "Swimmer" appears to be [[CallARabbitASmeerp the term dinosaurs use for a hadrosaur]], hadrosaur]] in the sequels, reinforcing this stereotype. That said, Ducky herself doesn't spend much time in the water. The sequels, however, call hadrosaurs "bigmouths", while "swimmer" is instead used as the word for aquatic reptiles such as plesiosaurs.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Cera's mother and siblings are never seen in the valley, nor is there any sign of them in the many sequels. Topps eventually gets a new love interest and the way this is handled suggests they're still alive, but that's the only clue we get as to what happened to them. Ducky also had a father present in her family in this film. However, he was removed for the sequels out of respect for the real life tragedy (Ducky's voice actor Creator/JudithBarsi was murdered by her father not long before the film came out (WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven, in which she was the speaking voice of [[HeartwarmingOrphan Anne-Marie]], was also released after Barsi's murder)).

to:

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Cera's mother and siblings are never seen in the valley, nor is there any sign of them in the many sequels. Topps eventually gets a new love interest and the way this is handled suggests they're still alive, but that's the only clue we get as to what happened to them. Ducky also had a father present in her family in this film. However, he was removed for the sequels out of respect for the real life tragedy (Ducky's voice actor Creator/JudithBarsi was murdered by her father not long before the film came out (WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven, (''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', in which she was the speaking voice of [[HeartwarmingOrphan Anne-Marie]], was also released after Barsi's murder)).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* CassandraTruth: Played with. Littlefoot doesn't believe Cera when she claims she saw Sharptooth is still alvie, but then again, she filled her story with so many BlatantLies that it's hard to blame him.

to:

* CassandraTruth: Played with. Littlefoot doesn't believe Cera when she claims she saw Sharptooth is still alvie, alive, but then again, she filled her story with so many BlatantLies that it's hard to blame him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* JerkassHasAPoint: While Cera's whole story about her encounter with Sharptooth was riddled with lies, the part about him still being alive was true. When Littlefoot blows off her warnings of the Tyrannosaur's coming mere moments before he attacks, it ends up hurting his credibility with the rest of the team, which causes them to start leaning more towards Cera's leadership.


Added DiffLines:

* {{Temperceratops}}: Cera is a ''Triceratops'' and by far the most belligerent, short-tempered, and unpleasant member of the group. By all appearances, she got it from her father.

Top