History YMMV / Thelandbeforetime

** The last act of the film was completely changed from the original plan; after the PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure was when Littlefoot would view the apparition of his mother, and he'd find the Great Valley on his own. Initially happy at having got there, he'd realize it wouldn't mean very much without his friends, and he'd go back to help them. The confidence from finding the Great Valley would also give him the character development necessary to take on Sharptooth. In the final cut, he and his friends come together to defeat Sharptooth before they find the Great Valley, making Littlefoot's despair in the next scene ("It's just too hard!") seem out of place.

** Spike's role in the original film is incredibly underutilized. He's set up to be TheBigGuy who's Ducky's adoptive brother, but in the actual story, the most he manages to contribute is acting as a footstool for Littlefoot and Petrie to reach tree star leaves. In terms of his dynamic with Ducky, not only does he have no lines, but Ducky has a much more pronounced dynamic with Petrie that still takes center stage after Spike is added to the team. It doesn't help that Ducky only hatches his egg within the last 30 minutes of the film, limiting Spike to being just an EleventhHourRanger.

* DesignatedVillain: While certainly a {{jerkass}}, Cera can come off as something of a Designated Villain thanks to the film's editing in two specific cases. In the first encounter with Sharptooth, she splits from Littlefoot at one point and runs ahead, ignoring his warning that she's going the wrong way. This is {{foreshadowing}} for the more extreme situation later, where Cera ignores Littlefoot's directions to the Great Valley and almost gets her and her friends killed in the Mountains That Burn, with Rooter's narration even saying that she "had gone the wrong way". However, in the first instance nothing befalls Cera from going her way and it's Littlefoot that Sharptooth catches up to, and in the second instance there isn't anything in the film suggesting that the gang didn't reach the entry to the Great Valley from the Mountains That Burn, meaning that while dangerous, Cera's way ''was'' the right one. As said before, this is a result of the [[ExecutiveMeddling extensive editing the film underwent]]. [[note]]In the original cut, Sharptooth had a JumpScare entrance right in front of Cera as she ran without listening to Littlefoot which shows that his warning was justified, and the entrance to the Great Valley is clearly shown to lie at the end of the uphill path Littlefoot was advocating for, with the gang having backtracked from the Mountains That Burn to get there.[[/note]]

** Ali is also in consideration as probably the most ''wasted'' character of the entire franchise, mainly due to the blatant SequelHook that the fourth film's ending implied she'd be the first guest character to return (which unfortunately went to the far more popular Chomper who would return in the very next film after Ali's debut film). Much like Hyp and his friends, Ali also gets one episode appearance in the TV series which made her act completely OutOfCharacter compared to her portrayal in the fourth film.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is the Sharptooth a [[NonMaliciousMonster morality-lacking creature who's only killing out of predatory instinct]], or a sadistic {{serial killer}} who enjoys killing other dinosaurs out of vengeance and [[ForTheEvulz pleasure]]? Even the users on this wiki can't seem to decide. The discussion became a little more complicated when the sequels revealed that Sharpteeth are just as intelligent and sentient as the herbivorous dinosaurs, even having a language of their own. Notably, [[WordOfGod Don Bluth himself stated]] that he couldn't really view Sharptooth as a villain if he, indeed, was just a predator looking for food. Conversely, the novelization expands Sharptooth's role, and makes it very clear that he is anything but a predator desperate for food, instead writing him as a vengeful and prideful killer who is only chasing the protagonists due to a grudge, and who would slaughter the entire Great Valley if given the chance, [[ForTheEvulz just because he could]].

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: In a particularly horrifying interpretation of the film. [[labelnote:Click if you want to never be able to watch this movie the same way again]]Note the title: Land ''[[HidingInPlainSight Before Time]]'', meaning the Great Valley is Heaven that existed before time. Littlefoot's mother told her son no one has ever gone there and returned, yet as the world dies all herds journey there. Only his heart and faith can find it, never his eyes. The earthquake near the beginning was a result of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, AKA the extinction of the dinosaurs. Meaning everyone was DeadAllAlong. The film is their [[{{Literature/TheDivineComedy}} journey through purgatory towards heaven]], represented by the Great Valley. The dinosaur that comforts Littlefoot directly after his mother's death is an angel trying to get him to overcome his anger over his mother's death, for which he blames both her and (secretly) himself. Likewise, his mother often coming back as a ghost to remind him of what she taught him so he'd never forget the way. The lava field is where Cera overcomes her sin of excessive pride, and where the rest of the group learns that there are no "shortcuts" to heaven, and that they must go on the path set for them, and have faith in it, or they'll never get there. The Sharptooth is representative of the kids' fear of their own mortality, and by killing him, they have finally let go of all of their earthly attachments, aside from Littlefoot, who still has guilt for the death of his mother. When he finally accepts her death, he finds the Great Valley, along with everyone else, where the rest of their families are waiting for them in the afterlife.[[/labelnote]]

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: In the first film, Cera exemplifies this along with BaseBreakingCharacter. Despite being the deuteragonist, Cera shows almost nothing but antagonistic behavior and reprehensible qualities towards the main characters. [[BigBad Sharptooth]] is undoubtedly the main antagonist and a bigger threat overall to the cast, but it can be (and has been) argued by fans (and by Creator/DonBluth himself, no less) that his villainy is because of the food chain and only acts as such out of survival.[[note]]Although the original scriptwriter intended for Sharptooth to be more villainously AxCrazy, which is [[AdaptationalVillainy reflected in the film's novelization.]][[/note]] Cera doesn't get that excuse: she not only openly intimidates, physically hurts, and insults the others (especially Littlefoot), but she even stoops so low as to [[UngratefulBitch insult Littlefoot's mother who was killed trying to save the both of them]] and leave Ducky, Petrie, and Spike to their deaths in [[LethalLavaLand the Mountains That Burn]]. In response to criticism about her character, the sequels [[TookALevelInKindness greatly toned down Cera's less-than-savory traits]], making her more of a short-tempered, bossy, yet loyal and caring JerkWithAHeartOfGold who always helps her friends when they're in danger.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny:
** Part of what made the film such a success, and why it was so fondly remembered with 80s and 90s children is because it was incredibly innovative by the standards of the time. Like ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'' and ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'', it tackled themes more complex than viewers were used to seeing in films aimed at children; rather than the off-screen shot in ''Bambi'', this film showed the protagonist's mother getting wounded and dying, as well as the child actually having to cope with it. This can seem a little passe in light of a glut of children's fantasy films since the 90s killing off a parent or having an orphan protagonist (most famously ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''). The film also had FantasticRacism in the subtext, which seems rather mild compared to the likes of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'' incorporating real-world racism directly into the plot. At the time, it was compared favorably to Disney films from the 40s and 50s. So while many animated films since have perfected the formula of a darker story with complex themes that children can still enjoy, they do owe a lot to this one's success.
** For its time, it was also an incredibly accurate representation of dinosaurs in fiction. The fact that it didn't go for stock dinosaurs helped in its favor big time. Then along came ''Film/JurassicPark'', and a lot more ScienceMarchesOn, and the film can be left feeling more derivative of the former.

** In "The Brave Longneck Scheme", Chomper is chased and nearly killed by several angry adult longnecks just for being a young shaprtooth. He gets over it pretty well.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''IV'', ''V'', ''VII'' and ''X'' are often considered this compared to the other sequels. It helps that compared to the others, they have more depth and tackle complicated issues about morality and family, while also directly linking themselves to the original movie's plot in some way.

** What happened to Cera's mom and siblings, none of which were seen after the first half of the original movie? A popular {{Fanon}} theory is that they were part of the herd led by Pterano, which all got killed by raptors.

* UncertainAudience: At the time, the film got some criticisms for being too dark and tragic for children but also too cutesy for older viewers (the ''People'' magazine review even said "unclear audience"). The $84 million Box Office gross proves there was indeed an audience for it.

** Spike's role in the original film is incredibly underutilized. He's set up to be TheBigGuy who's Ducky's adoptive brother, but in the actual story, the most he manages to contribute is acting as a footstool for Littlefoot and Petrie to reach tree star leaves, and in terms of his dynamic with Ducky, not only does he get no lines, but Ducky has a much more pronounced dynamic with Petrie that still takes center stage after Spike gets added to the team. It doesn't help that Ducky only hatches his egg within the last 30 minutes of the film, limiting Spike to being just an EleventhHourRanger.

** The baby pterosaurs are incredibly cute. Especially the one that offers Littlefoot the cherry.

%%** The film's signature tune "If We Hold on Together" should feel like [[SweetnessAversion an utterly saccharine and syrupy song]]. But given its placement after the rest of the film's dark and almost disturbing tone one can't help but find it to be utterly heartwarming.

* EvilIsCool:
** While it is obvious, the presence of Sharpteeth and Fast-Biters are almost always appreciated by the fandom as they're, well, predatory dinosaurs and provide most of the series's more intense moments. Special mention goes to the Plated Sharptooth in ''The Mysterious Island'' for being a ''Gigantosaurus'' and fighting against a ''Tyrannosaurus'' pair, Swimming Sharpteeth in ''Journey to Big Water'' for providing some of the series's scariest moments, and the Sharpteeth trio in ''The Great Longneck Migration'' for providing a suitable climax for said film.

* FriendlyFandoms: The fandom is on good terms with the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic bronies]], as well as fans of almost everything dinosaur-related.

* FanonDiscontinuity: There are many ''many'' different forms of this, too many to list. This is especially true for these movies since they are musicals and are LighterAndSofter. Depending on who you ask, you can:

* TheWoobie: Bron, Littlefoot’s dad. Separated from his wife and the son he’d never met, he later she was killed, and spends years not knowing if Littlefoot survived. When he finally meets Littlefoot, Littlefoot is rather angry with him, which, while understandable, is still hard on Bron. And just when they’re finally starting to make up for all the lost time together, Littlefoot decides to go back to the Great Valley. While Bron naturally understands and respects this decision, but you still want to give the poor guy a big hug.

* FanonDiscontinuity: There are many ''many'' different forms of this. This is especially true for these movies since they are musicals and are LighterAndSofter. Depending on who you ask, you can:
** Ignore ALL the sequels. They're all results of turning a beloved movie into a CashCowFranchise anyway.
** Accept the original and the first sequel ''only''.
** Accept the movies up to ''Journey Through the Mists'' and ignore the rest, due to a writer switch that was perceived to have made things go downhill after that quality-wise. Also, the production team radically altered the environment to make it look like just about anywhere else in the world rather than the memorable prehistoric landscapes from before.
** Accept the movies up to ''The Secret of Saurus Rock''. ''The Mysterious Island'' and this film each have their good points and interesting guest characters, but the latter would be the last film to have non-conspicuous computer graphics.
** Accept the movies up to ''The Big Freeze'' and ignore the rest [[note]]with the only exception being ''The Great Longneck Migration''[[/note]]. We met the cool and compelling Pterano in the last movie, and here we see Ducky and Spike's relationship get some interesting attention. But after this, the movies are more sitcom-like in nature, with multiple gag plots, characters like Cera's dad acting wildly OutOfCharacter, and [[{{Anvilicious}} even more explicit morals]] than with the first seven sequels.
** Accept the movies up to ''The Great Longneck Migration''. We get a reprise of the best song from ''The Mysterious Island'' in ''Journey to Big Water'' and in this movie we finally meet Littlefoot's dad.
** Accept the movies up to ''The Great Day of the Flyers''[[note]]as well as ''Journey of the Brave''[[/note]]. ''The Wisdom of Friends'' tends to be ignored, even by diehard fans of the sequel films, due to its [[DenserAndWackier overly silly nature]].
** Accept all the sequels and ignore the TV series, which many find to be dreadfully saccharine even in comparison to the sequels.
** Accept all the sequels ''and'' the TV series. ''The Land Before Time'' is ''The Land Before Time'', no matter what it is.
** Or any variation of the above.

** The film's signature tune "If We Hold on Together" should feel like [[SweetnessAversion an utterly saccharine and syrupy song]]. But given its placement after the rest of the film's dark and almost disturbing tone one can't help but find it to be utterly heartwarming.

plots.

** Hyp and Pterano, two of the most enjoyable characters of the series, who each get their own very catchy VillainSong, and turn out to be much more sympathetic than they first seem.

** In "The Brave Longneck Scheme", Chomper gets over being chased and nearly killed by several angry adult longnecks just for being a young sharptooth pretty well.

* AccidentalInnuendo: Cera's father, Mr. Threehorn, is credited as "Daddy Topps" in the original film - another dinosaur pun that no one batted an eye at in 1988, but [[HilariousInHindsight subsequent decades]] would [[HaveAGayOldTime prove to be a different story]].

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''VII'' and ''X'' tend to be considered this, seen as far better than the other sequels. It helps that compared to most of the other sequels they have surprisingly more depth and tackle complicated issues about morality and family, while also directly linking themselves to the original movie's plot in some way. ''X'' especially garners praise and is seen as the sequel that comes the closest to capturing the magic of the original film.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''V'', '' VII'' and ''X'' tend to be considered this, seen as far better than the other sequels. It helps that compared to most of the other sequels they have surprisingly more depth and tackle complicated issues about morality and family, while also directly linking themselves to the original movie's plot in some way, even if they don’t quite capture the magic of the original film.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''VII'' and ''X'' tend to be considered this, seen as far better than the other sequels. It helps that compared to most of the other sequels they have surprisingly more depth and tackle complicated issues about morality and family, while also directly linking themselves to the original movie's plot in some way, even if they don’t quite capture the magic of the original film.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''VII'' and ''X'' tend to be considered this, seen as far better than the other sequels. It helps that compared to most of the other sequels they have surprisingly more depth and tackle complicated issues about morality and family, while also directly linking themselves to the original movie's plot in some way. ''X'' especially garners praise and is seen as the sequel that comes the closest to capturing the magic of the original film.

* WTHCastingAgency: Will Ryan does stand out a little as Petrie. It wouldn't be as glaring if the other protagonists weren't voiced by actual children, making it sound more obvious that this is an adult actor portraying a child character. WebVideo/JennyNicholson even joked that it could occasionally feel like he was an adult trying to fit in with the kids. To some, his performance is classic. Others prefer the higher voice Jeff Bennet uses in the sequels. It’s hard to find common ground.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Opinions on Bron are divided. Some think he's a tragic character, while others find [[{{DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou}} his backstory]] to be unconvincing and UnintentionallyUnsympathetic.

* WhatTheHellCastingAgency: Creator/NikaFutterman as Ali has gotten this reaction, as she makes the character sound like a middle-aged, cigar-smoking woman even though she’s meant to be a little girl. It’s particularly jarring when compared to her original appearance in ''Journey Through the Mists'', where she was voiced by an actual child actress.

* HilariousInHindsight: Littlefoot's claim that the Sharptooth would easily drown in deep water due to having scrawny arms would now seem to be childish naivety for modern audiences more familiar with dinosaur media depicting ''T. rex'' as a [[Literature/JurassicPark powerful]] [[Series/PrehistoricPlanet swimmer]]. In fact, many fans use this [[ScienceMarchesOn updated depiction]] to claim that the [[HesJustHiding Sharptooth isn't really dead at all]].