MovieChat Forums > The Land Before Time (1988) Discussion > They don't make em like this anymore

They don't make em like this anymore

posted 16 years ago by Trikeboy2
24 replies | jump to latest

This was my favorite movie as a child and is still mesmerizing at 27. Animated movies are rarely this good these days, even Disney movies. They go for the entertainment value and the laughs. The death of Little foot's mother and the conversation with Sooter dwarfs the death scene in the Lion King (another movie I love). There is no heart in most animated movies nowadays and as such they will not hold a special place in the hearts of today's youth. They will most likely remember them but find no reason to revisit them.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] julcltr 16 years ago

Well, I haven't seen this in about 10 years, but I do remember how touching it was. It makes it even more touching to hear Duckie's cute little voice. Rest in peace, Judith Barsi! You didn't deserve this kind of punishment from your wicked father and you know it!

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Knewsense78 16 years ago

"This movie is the definition of childhood nostalgia"-Abumchuck02

I couldn't agree with you more. I am watching this right now on HBO. I haven't seen it in quite some time.

[–] Emperor_of_Oranges 15 years ago

I agree. I love this movie so much and it is depressing how children don't appreciate this type of meaningful movie anymore.

Oh and I hate to do this but it really bothered me. Don't say this type of thing on an unrelated board:

You didn't deserve this kind of punishment from your wicked father and you know it!

It isn't respectful. Actually it appears to be something you said to attract attention to yourself and that really frustrates me.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] KTope 15 years ago

children don't appreciate this type of meaningful movie anymore.

That's not true. I just watched this for the first time in over 10 years with my 4-year-old daughter, she was glued to it from beginning to end. She seemed engaged in the story, and if I ask her about it in a month, I guarantee she will remember it. This is not the case with most movies she watches, mostly only the classics from my childhood and prior I dig up to share with her.

I am Jack's IMDb post.

[–] Emperor_of_Oranges 15 years ago

Ok, let me rephrase that slightly: Most children will not be exposed to this type of movie with a thoughtful message in it anymore. In addition, the majority of children actually will not appreciate the movie because what they like these days is as deep as a puddle because that is all that's available to them. Example: my brother prefers zack and cody over this. He is 12 so you would think he could tell the difference in quality and so on.

[–] NZLady 15 years ago

Ha! I had to check the name on this post because I thought it must've been something I'd forgotten writing up :)

I haven't seen the movie since I was a kid, but have rented it to watch tonight. I expect to feel the exact same way you do..

I wondered if I was the only one that believed they don't make em the same way anymore. I haven't had much interest in seeing the animated movies of today, because I'm not a kid anymore and prefer to watch the movies that enriched my childhood growing up.. but the ones I have seen really do lack something.. the storylines aren't as well put together.

The special effects of the animated movies today are amazing.. but you're right, they do go for laughs now.. but they don't tug at your heart strings the way the older movies do.. and I'd personally rather have the old animation with more of a touching story.. the story's the most important thing. If you're absorbed in the movie, you don't even notice how old it is.. it's about feeling like you're really there.. going through it with them..

Excuse the ramblings.. I'm a journalist :)

[–] ManWithGoodTaste 15 years ago

Hayao Miyazaki still does 'em like "they" used to :P

[–] solidblur 15 years ago

There is a huge key difference: the music. Alll music nowadays is accompanied by sh!t music like Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, Linkin Park etc. No composers, just pu$$y ass kids with record deals singing for jesus, america, abstinence and no to drugs. Just clean good fun, you know?

Get some real composers in there, treat kids like something else than small bags of money. BLOW THEM AWAY with emotion, just like you did with us. Kids were treated more like adults before. They were shows heartbreaking scenes and scary scenes, and those made for incredible movie experiences that we all discussed in the shool courtyard. "Did you see that scary one? I'm not sure I dare to. That scene was incredibly sad, I wish his mom came back to life!".

Now everyone is protected. Everything is downplayed. Good, clean, safe fun. God forbid (literally) that your kid should have some real experiences and feel some genuine emotion. Next I'm guessing that slide is gonna be removed, because your kid can fall off it. But isn't that the fun of the slide? The thrill of being high overground? Of getting down with huge speed? Protecting means not experiencing, not experiencing means not living.

In effect: we are killing our kids. Good stuff.

[–] gtaforever 15 years ago

i loved the land before time when i was a kid, its old school stuff! i havent watched it since i was a child tho

[–] gtaforever 15 years ago

i agree they just dont make then like this anymore.

[–] zeta1983-1 15 years ago

I barely remember this film but I remember I loved it as a kid. I agree though today's films will not have any staying powers. Most will be quickly forgotten cause there is no depth to them. Few films today will ever be considered classic.

[–] Dream_Demon 15 years ago

Honestly, I prefer old cartoons over new ones. They're so much better.

Welcome to my Nightmare- Freddy Krueger

[–] JCskateboy 15 years ago

This truely is a classic movie. The older cartoon movies are so much better than today's movies. The movie producers of children movies need to get there head straight and start making the movies meaningful and having a sense of adventure along with emotion and a great story.
I remember watching this 18 or 19 years ago when i was a child and it still is one of the best childhood movies i ever saw and grew up with along with its sequels.

[–] CosmosX9 15 years ago

Well said my friend, well said... ;)

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] jar87 14 years ago

I know what you mean about finding reason to revisit a movie. There are so many movies I saw as a kid that I have no desire to watch now as an adult, (most of them are Disney movies, in fact), and yet this past weekend through the magic of the internet I have found and watched the following movies: The Brave Little Toaster, The Last Unicorn, The Secret of NYMH, (those are all based on books, btw), All Dogs Go to Heaven, and The Land Before Time. Watching them all again now I can see why these movies stuck with me so much, (except for the last unicorn, i thought it was BORING now) and its interesting to see how many of them are Don Bluth films as well.

I mean, I've seen Mufasa die lots of times and I've NEVER teared up like i did watching Little Foot's mom die this time. This is the only movie that had a death in it when I was a kid that my parents truly lied n told me the deceased was sleeping, and that was Little Foot's mother. The writing is well done and the child voice actors are incredible, something you rarely see anymore.

[–] Bogart91 14 years ago

I just saw Dinosaur and that was a good movie too it really reminded me of this it has some humor and silly humor at that but it had heart to it and was pretty intense for a kids movie. Man i miss the 90's

I HAVE TO RETURN SOME VIDEOTAPES

[–] Mick1994 14 years ago

Yeah, on a scale of 1-10 Don Bluth is an 11 (maybe a 12).