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'The Land Before Time' (1988)

Inspired by the "Rites of Spring" segment, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg sought to recreate the volatile majesty of prehistoric life. The result was "The Land Before Time," a family film about a group of baby dinosaurs traveling to the Great Valley... more in hopes of escaping oppression. Running a scant 69 minutes, the film was originally much darker in tone. The studio cut nearly ten minutes from the movie, claiming the removed scenes would be damaging to children. The sunny formula worked, as the franchise has spawned an astonishing twelve direct to video sequels. The most recent entry is 2007's "The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends."

What's your favorite kind of dinosaur? Have you seen all thirteen "Land Before Time" movies? Let us know at HeyMSN@Microsoft.com.

Frank Paiva is a playwright and actor in New York City. In addition to making regular contributions to MSN Movies, his work has appeared in The New York Times, the Seattle Weekly, the Not for Tourists guide, and on EdgeNewYork.com.

(Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection)