Candy Hutson Movies

In this third installment of the animated saga of a young brontosaurus and his pals, trouble has come to the Great Valley in the form of a meteorite. It fell just beyond the valley and now blocks the main water supply. As the land dries and thirst increases, the different species of dinosaurs who once coexisted peacefully become fractious. Suddenly Littlefoot and his friends are no longer allowed to play together. As bigotry and bickering increase, Littlefoot's gang decides that it's up to them to save the day. Since they went outside the valley in the last sequel, they know where water can be found, and though the Great Beyond is populated by tyrannosauruses and other carnivores, the youngsters know that they and their parents must take that risk in order to survive. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Hider in the House is a well-made and produced but ultimately unsatisfying and formulaic slasher thriller. Tom (Gary Busey) was an abused child who learned to avoid the abuse by hiding under sinks, in closets or anywhere he could be out of sight. After spending 10 years in a mental institution for setting a fire that killed his parents, Tom is released and finds a newly built house where he makes his home in the attic. The house is bought by Julie (Mimi Rogers) and Phil Dryer (Michael McKean) and their children. Tom begins to feel that he is part of the family, but when Phil is unfaithful to Julie, Tom plots his revenge. Busey is compelling in his role and builds Tom's character with skill to show him as both a dangerous and sympathetic psychopath. Unfortunately, the film does not fulfil its potential and slides into a predictable, formula ending, but the skillful direction and the good performance of Busey make this film well-worth viewing. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

Animation producer Don Bluth's fondness for overly cutesy characters and muddy color compositions work to the benefit of his feature-length cartoon The Land Before Time. Littlefoot, a brontosaurus child, must fend for himself when his mother is killed (shades of Bambi). With several other orphaned dinosaurs, Littlefoot seeks out the fabled Great Valley, where food and shelter is plentiful. Along the way, the kiddie dinos learn several vital (and politically correct) life lessons, all the while keeping themselves scarce whenever the fierce tyrannosauri gallumph into view. The cuteness of the characters (emphasized by the voice work) takes some of the harsh edges off the story, which makes the film eminently suitable for younger children; and the smeary color design is ideal for the time-frame of the film, which is set in the turbulent, nature-run-rampant period just before the dinosaurs died out. Apparently they didn't all die, inasmuch as a Land Before Time sequel was released on video in 1994. The earlier film inspired a 1988 Saturday morning cartoon series produced by Ruby-Spears, Dink: The Little Dinosaur. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi