Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 56

IE LTD It D-ttSl 5 TD DTTD LTD 1 D-6 Santa Cruz Sentinel Sunday, Nov. 27, 1988 'Land Before Time' is a deli ght for all ages tlefoot's mother introduces him to the spiritual side of life, and later on the whole band gets a lesson in how the what seems to be the easy way may turn out to be just the opposite. For the most part, the subtleties of these insights gets lost in the scale of the action and the landscape. But no matter. "The Land Before Time" is a unique place to visit for all and young alike.

It is so strikingly realized on-screen, few viewers will mind that it is drawn better than it is written. A picture's worth 1,000 words and all that and "Land Before Time" is at its best when there are no words to distract from its glorious sights, carnivorous villain following them everywhere they go is a some-kindasaurus identified as a "sharp tooth." Despite the molten geography and other inhospitable features of prehistoric times, Littlefoot and his friends spend a fair amount of the film cavorting and doing standard cartoon schtick popping out of eggs in cute ways, playing with frogs in a pond in cute ways, all snuggling up together to keep warm in cute ways. While you've got a pretty good idea they're going to make it to the Great Valley, the screenplay does make room for some metaphysical moralizing along the way. Lit- 4 By RICK CHATENEVER Sentinel staff writer Whenever you turn around, there's a sharp tooth who's trying to eat you. There are volcanoes all over the place and deep pools of sticky black oil a guy could drown in.

When you get hungry, there are no leaves on the trees to eat. Whenever you try to get your bearings, there's an earthshake rocking and rolling the landscape, turning mountains into valleys you can't get across. If you're a baby Brontasaurus named "Littlefoot," it doesn't take long to realize life is no picnic in "The Land Before Time" at the Del Mar. animated dino-fable was conceived by the "American Tale" team of animator Don Bluth and executive producer Steven "Spielberg along with George 'Lucas and several other executive producers. Bluth trained at Disney Studios before going his own way several features ago.

Now from his own studios in Ireland, he has established himself as an animation artist to rank with the best of them maybe even Walt himself. Bluth's vision of "The Land Before Time" is both informative and beautiful. The prehistoric world millions of years before there were any humans around to say what it really looked like is realized with detail and style. While natural disasters volcanoes, for instance are everyday occurrences, there is also a dreamy, pastel quality in the background, adding both color and warmth to cushion young audiences' arrivals in this foreboding place. "Land Before Time" is being released to go head-to-head with Disney Studio's own "Oliver Company" through the holidays.

When it comes to the quality of the art, "Land Before Time" is the winner, hands-down. It has the look of a Disney classic roundness, shadows, a richness and texture which wonderfully disguise its two-dimensional reality. The orchestral music enhances the classical effect, as does the editing. When it comes to the story and characters, though, it doesn't do quite so well. It's the sadness search for the Great Valley in going for artistic and expansive in their settings, they're definitely going for cute in the foreground.

Defying conventional dinosaur prejudices about intermingling among the species, Littlefoot, a Brontosaurus, winds up leading a merry band which includes a Pterodactyl named Petrie; a Triceratops, Cera; a Stegasaurus, Spike; and an Anatosaurus named Minimi Mil SIGOURNEY'WEAVER'SfMIYRBLD tomhanks Gorillas TXT TUT? yfTOT1 JLl'N JL 11- JLO JL I The Adventure of DianFossey tOA Front St. 426-9409 "Shirley HacLaine gires a virtuoso i Littlefoot (left) and Anatosaurus rather than the dangers which may trouble the kids in the audience. The experience of losing a mother is upsetting, even if she is a Bron-tosaurus. The theme may have worked in kid classics from "Babar" to "Bambi," but here it gets things going in a melancholy direction which sets the tone for a big chunk of the film. Littlefoot eventually learns to deal with his loss and even picks up some Lucas-ish metaphysics in the process.

But a lot of this stuff is too subtle to register with the younger kids in the audience, and the movie has to struggle to regain its sense of cheer, just as Littlefoot and his friends have to struggle against all the dangers along its perilous path to the happily-ever-after ending, otherwise known as the Great Valley. While Bluth and company are THURSDAY! KEVIN KLINE MICHAEL PAUN 426-7500 JULIE WALTERS FOR HEMDALE FILM CORPORATION HEIWOALE REUCASUMO COPPOfWTlOtVI ASSOCIATION WITH THE STERN-HERMAN OflGAMZAIION MAR CENTER acknowledged at Oscar time, her real triompu la maung Maaame aucn a thoroughly enjoyable person with whom to spend an evening. Rick Chateneven S.C. Sentinel 'WANDA' COMES TO TOWN JOHN CLEESE JAMIE LEE CURTIS -NICKELODEON3 Lincoln Cedar Shirley i i a "The Land Before Ducky. Stu Krieger's screenplay walks a thin line, packing in lots of information on one hand but filtering it through cartoon consciousness.

Rather than using scientific names, the characters are identified functionally whenever possible Littlefoot is a "long neck," the aloof and prissy Cera is a "three-horn," the Pterodactyl is a "flyer." The mil lp JsJ(HH V-! I LINE SCREEN II NOWIt PUNCHLINE 6i1 S-10140 SMILUS Hi 1 13:55 BARGAIN MATINEES 3:55 SHOW $3.25 TTTT1 performance which will undoubtedly foei MacLaine a i i r-1 1 PG-13 HIT Delancey SCREEN I Delancey Madimi 0:25 (4:20 Todi-Sit-Sm.) BARGAIN MATINEES 4:20 SHOW $3.25 8:00: 6:00, 7:00, 0:00 a I BUSTIER A AJJAMcr iltSOUSATZKAft ENDS WEDNESDAY THE SPBimJALLY UPLIFTING FILM OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON" Monfml Gurttt Sadhana an enchantedjourney back to the source NIGHTLY 7:00. 9:00 CINEMA 427-1711 "THE HOST INTELLIGENT PSTCHOSEXUAL MT8TEJCT SINCE BLUE VELVET'." MorktUmm TRACK 29 ENOS WED 6.45. 825. 1005 i 3.10. fi 00 SUN.) "AS HYPNOTIC AS THE NEW YORKER THE THIN BLUE LINE ENOS WED 6 35.

30 4.40 SUN "A nrtihng look mt the Auu fide of geaia. IMAGINE JOHN LENNON ENDS WED. NIGHTLY 10J0 2 SUN "THE ONE INDISPUTABLE MASTERPIECE OP 10S8," Chmrtem TMjior BOSTON PHOENIX Salaam Bombay EN03 SOON 7 00. 9 10 i. 2 At.

4 55 SUN) "AN ADORABLE COMIC FABLE" -Newsweek BAGDAD CAFE NIGHTLY eO, B-10. 9.55 300. 4 45 SUN) NICKELODEON' Lincoln Ctdix Ends Wednesday "LARGER THAN LIFE MOVIE-MAKING." -BmwakmmnArBOY "A GREAT AMERICAN MOVIE" to Udo IK HOUSTON POSt TUCKER ihi iii i his mil With Je Bridges -PLUS- a masterpiece." Richard Frccdman, NEWHOUSE NEWSPAPERS running on empty Christine Lahtl pg- SUNDAY SHOWTIMES: TUCKER 2:45, 7:00,10:40 EMPTY 4:35, 8:50 NOW SH0W1NBI Sii. PHIL COLLINS JOHN DALY AND DEREK GIBSON PRESENT SCREEN I At 7:00 10:45 Sean Connery in "THE PRESIDIO" At 8:45 Tom Hanks Sally Field in "PUNCHLINE" SCREEN At 7:00 10:30 "WHO FRAMED ROGER At 8:45 Tom Hanks in "BIO" SSI EDI FAMILY NIGHT THURSDAY ALL SEATS Christmas Still Alive When "ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS" a Sal. Sun.

1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 NO PASSES-NO BARGAIN MATINEES NO FAMILY NIQHT Walt Disney's Animated "OLIVER Frl. Sat. 12:30. 2:30, 4:30, 8:30. 8:30.

10:00 Sun. 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30 8:30 NO PASSES-NO BARGAIN MATINEES NO FAMILY NIGHTS Jolhui when Bill Murray gets ovnwucu (pg-13) I nnrniirn) ''''i Sat, Sun. 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 Whoopie Goldberg in "CLARA'S HEART" r) Frl. A Sat. 2:50, 6:50.

10:35, Sun. 2:50, 6:50 Co-Feature "Back by Popular Demand" Jamie Lee Curtis In "A FISH CALLED WANDA" (Rj Sat. Sun. 12:50, 4:50, 8:50 12:10, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30 4:30, 0:30, 8:30 AN NFH PRODUCTION A DAVID GREEN FILM PHIL COLLINS JULIE WALTERS 'BUSTER' cow LESLEY WALKER OHvM Scon ANNE DUDLEY Production Oeugner SIMON HOLLAND Diraclar ot Photognohy TONY IMI S.C Allocate Product, REDMOND MORRIS Enculttt Pioducm JOHN DALY and DEREK GIBSON ScmnoUy COLIN SHINDLER Proouctd by NORMA HEY MAN OMcud by DAVID GREEN t'Bf A UNIVERSAL RELEASE CO A m7 Trwinnr Crossing 324 Front St. 426-9409 RESTRICTED This holiday season, Journey to the most wonderful place in the Home.

GOODIM I A SCROOCED RETURN I WIST1) aaaaaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaswmj TODAY 12:35 2:55 5:15 7:45 IN 4 TRACK DOLBY STEREO PG-13lgfi, CALL THEATRE FOR SHOWTIMES NO PASSES NO FAMILY NIGHTS NO BARGAIN MATINEES Itebock! And this UNITED ARTISTS' Efil AFTERNOON FILMS AT ALL THEATRES AT CINEMA, RIO AND APT08 4101. capitola p.d., 4tmm1 swiu annabeth gish juua roberts "MYSTIC PIZZA" (R) OAILY 1:00, 3:05, 5:05, 7:13, 30 "A GRIPPING MOVIE THAT DOESN'T LET OO." Gene SIMM TDday Wc TV METTVLSmCEP SAMNEOi, "A CRY IN THE DAILY 1:00 3:15, 5:35, 6 00, 10 MICHAEL CAINE BEN KtNGSLEY "WITHOUT A CLUB" iroi DAILY 1:16, 3:20. 6 7:40 Sopirilo AoTnlMlon "U2 RATTLE AND HUM" (PO-tJ) DAILY 9 50 BANC HO DEL MAR CtHTEH, M4-OS41 "HOLD-YOUR-BBEATHTtGHT DRAMA." JoelSqrlABCTV KELLY MCGILUS JODIE FOSTER "THE ACCUSED" 1:00, 3:15, :30. 7:46, 10:00 HE'LL STEAL YOUR HEART! PHtl. COLLINS JULIE WALTERS "BUSTER" FRI-SUN 10.06 120S SOQUSt.

3AHTA CRU1, 4a-2O0S DISCOUNT GENERAL ADMI8SION FIRST AND WEEKDAYS BEFORE 6 PM 11M PACIFIC. SANTA CP.UZ. 42frOt1t A LUCASSPIELBERG PRODUCTION OF A DON BLUTH FILM "THE LAND BEFORE TIME'V, wtth miM nort "FAMILY DOQ" OAILY 1:45,3:30, 6:15, 7:16. 9:15 ROBERT DOWNEY JR. KIEJTJt SUTHERLAND iQAQ DAILY 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 8:00, 9:45 CHUCKY IS ONE MEAN S.OJJ." f3rtN I'.

ItAILY NEWS CATHERINE MICKS CHRIS SARANDON "CHILD'S PLAY" DAILY 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 Loult Goooctt, Jf "IRON EAGLE II" rai DAILY 1:30. 3:35, 5:40 parol Aemlttlortr- "BIRD" (R) DAILY 6:15 "A as lit SO. flfVCR, SANTA CRUZ, 2 saves Chrisfcnas Sun. 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, MOLLY RINGWAJJJ ANDREW MCCARTHY "FRESH HORSES'Ur, 1:16, 3:16, 5:15. 7:15, 9:30 PETER O' TOOLE STEVE GinTENBFJtG DARYL HANNAH A HAUNTING COMEDY "HIGH SPIRITS" 1:30, 3:30, 6:30.

7:45, 9:45 THE MOST WONDERFUL PLACE IN THE "COCOON THE RETURN" poi i4TBACDotorsrfnfO 18:35. 2:65, 5:18, 7:45. 10:16 NO PASSES NO FAMILY NIGHTS NO BARGAIN MATINEES NO PASSES NO FAMILY NIGHTS NO BARGAIN MATINEES.