The Land Before Time

It looks and sounds as if it came out of the Disney Studios of the '40s or '50s. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing -- that's as much a compliment (in terms of the quality of animation) as it is a criticism.

The Land Before Time is as handsome and honest an animated feature as any produced since Walt Disney`s death; it may even be the best.

Do dinosaurs really lend themselves to ootsie-cutesiness?

For the most part, pic is about as engaging as what's found on Saturday morning TV.

After An American Tale, Bluth surely had the clout to make a more adventurous animated feature than this ...

Most of ''The Land Before Time'' is so authentically geared to the thinking of children that it should charm adults as well.

The animation is fine. But the Stu Krieger screenplay contains violence that might be hard on the younger ones, preachiness that's hell on adults and a never-let-up cuteness that can turn minds of all ages to mush.

Sharp animation and powerful visualisation of scale will enthrall a young audience but the clumsy cub-scout moralising feels, well, extinct.

If your little dinosaur lovers are still a bit young for Jurassic Park, then this charming cartoon should have them in raptures.

It's a beautiful movie to watch, and the cartoony characters are as endearing as they come.

The Land Before Time works by evoking the simple virtues of this art aimed at children, as it was in the beginning when Disney animated Mickey Mouse. This film deserves a place next to the often-revived animated classics.

A gorgeous production from beginning to end, The Land Before Time contains all the essential elements missing from most of Disney's recent efforts.