The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving
It felt like a familiar ritual in the mid-90s, didn't it? Browsing the towering shelves of the local video store, perhaps in the dedicated animation section, and spotting another adventure with Littlefoot and the gang. After the heart-wrenching majesty of Don Bluth's 1988 original, a film that etched itself onto the souls of a generation, the Land Before Time franchise settled into a comfortable rhythm on home video. The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving, released straight to VHS in 1995, wasn't trying to recapture the epic, almost primal feel of the first film. Instead, it offered something else: a reliable, warm-hearted visit with beloved characters, perfect for a rainy afternoon curled up in front of the TV.
### Another Season in the Great Valley
Directed by Roy Allen Smith, who also helmed the second and fourth installments, and penned by Dev Ross and John Loy, The Time of the Great Giving brings us back to the sanctuary Littlefoot and his friends fought so hard to reach. This time, the threat isn't Sharptooth, but something perhaps more insidious for herbivores: drought. The Thundering Falls have dried up, water is scarce, and tensions are rising amongst the adult dinosaurs in the Great Valley. It’s a relatable, albeit slightly less dramatic, premise that sets the stage for our young heroes to once again prove their mettle. The animation, while clearly produced for the home video market and lacking the richer detail and fluidity of the theatrical original, still possesses that distinct Bluth-esque charm carried over into the Universal Cartoon Studios productions – expressive characters, colorful backgrounds, and a comforting visual style that felt right at home on our CRT screens.
### Familiar Voices and Prehistoric Bullies
One of the joys of these early sequels was the consistency of the core voice cast, helping maintain that connection to the characters we first met years prior. Scott McAfee returns with his earnest portrayal of Littlefoot, the ever-optimistic leader. Candace Hutson brings her signature sass back to Cera the Three-horn, and Heather Hogan captures Ducky’s cheerful sweetness ("Yep, yep, yep!"). Hearing them felt like catching up with old friends. This installment, however, introduces a new dynamic: bullies. Hyp the Hypsilophodon (voiced by Whit Hertford) and his cronies Mutt (Jeff Bennett) and Noddy (Scott Menville) are genuinely unpleasant, hoarding water and picking on our main group. Their presence provides the central conflict beyond the environmental threat, forcing Littlefoot and his friends to navigate social challenges alongside physical ones. While perhaps not the most nuanced villains, they serve their purpose effectively within the film’s straightforward narrative about sharing and cooperation.
### A Quest for Water, A Lesson in Sharing
When the adults’ bickering leads to squabbles over dwindling resources, the kids decide to take matters into their own tiny claws and feet. They venture out of the Valley, seeking a legendary water source in the Mysterious Beyond – a place still fraught with danger, even if this outing feels slightly less perilous than their original trek. Along the way, they inevitably cross paths with Hyp and his gang, leading to situations that test everyone's character. The film weaves in its central message – the importance of sharing and working together, especially during hard times – quite explicitly. This became a hallmark of the direct-to-video sequels: clear, digestible life lessons wrapped in gentle adventure. And yes, like its immediate predecessor, The Time of the Great Giving features musical numbers. While perhaps not destined for karaoke nights ("When You're Big" and "Standing Tough" are pleasant enough kids' fare), they fit the lighter tone these sequels embraced.
### The Direct-to-Video Era (Retro Fun Facts)
The Land Before Time III arrived during a boom time for direct-to-video (DTV) animated features. Following the success of Disney's The Return of Jafar (1994), studios realized there was a huge market for lower-budget sequels to popular animated films, delivered straight to the lucrative home video rental and sales market. Universal certainly capitalized on this with The Land Before Time, which eventually spawned a staggering thirteen sequels (and a TV series!) stretching well into the 2010s. This third entry reportedly cost around $4-5 million to produce – a fraction of a theatrical budget, but still a significant investment for DTV animation in the mid-90s. It became another reliable seller for Universal, proving the enduring appeal of these characters for families. It wasn't aiming for critical acclaim or box office glory like the original; its goal was to provide consistent, family-friendly entertainment on VHS, and it succeeded admirably in that mission. For many kids growing up in the 90s, these sequels were their primary Land Before Time experience, a regular fixture from the video store.
### Gentle Nostalgia, Enduring Charm
Watching The Time of the Great Giving today evokes a specific kind of nostalgia. It’s not the profound emotional impact of the first film, but rather the comforting familiarity of a well-loved cartoon series. The stakes feel lower, the world a little safer (despite the occasional fire or rockslide), and the lessons more overt. Yet, there's an undeniable charm to it. The characters remain appealing, the core message about empathy and cooperation is timeless, and the adventure, while simple, is engaging enough for its target audience. It represents a particular moment in animation history – the rise of the DTV sequel as a dominant force in children's entertainment. It might not be high art, but it’s a competently made, warm-hearted film that delivered exactly what families expected from the Land Before Time name on the VHS box.
Rating: 6/10
Justification: As a direct-to-video sequel, The Time of the Great Giving delivers a pleasant, if unremarkable, adventure with beloved characters. The animation is decent for its budget and time, the voice acting is solid, and the story imparts positive values. It lacks the depth and artistry of the original but successfully continues the franchise for its intended young audience, offering comforting familiarity and gentle lessons. It hits the marks for a 90s kid's video rental, but doesn't aspire to much more.
Final Thought: While it may swim in the shallower end of the Great Valley's narrative pool compared to the original epic, The Time of the Great Giving is a perfectly preserved little time capsule of 90s home video comfort food – a gentle reminder that even dinosaurs knew sharing is caring. Yep, yep, yep!