Animation Best Don Bluth Movie

[Dr. Evil]

The Bets of the Disney Renaissance thread has inspired me to make a thread about a group of Animated movies, that, while not Disney, are classics from around that time period (80's-90's). Don Bluth made some great movies around that time.

So what's your favorite? Or favorites?

Forgot to add a poll.

 

[Drizzle]

For me, it's a toss-up between "An American Tail" and "The Land Before Time".

 

[8wid]

Rock-A-Doodle, A Troll in Central Park, Thumballena are all great.

 

[Figs]

Secret of NIMH

 

[CGHulk]

The Secret of Nimh
The Land Before Time
also
An American Tail and
All Dogs Go To Heaven

 

[Darthkush]

1. The Land Before Time
2. An American Tail
3. All Dogs go to Heaven
4. Rockadoodle
5. The Secret of Nimh


Even though Bluth didn't direct it, I also love Fievel goes west(which would be at number 3 for me).

 

[mastermindjcg]

I consider Dragon's Lair Bluth's best film. Yes, I consider that a film, a short one, but just as cool and memorable as any rat movie he's put out in his hey-day.

 

[Lily Adler]

Been on a Bluth kick after rewatching Anastasia.

 

[Drizzle]

Been on a Bluth kick after rewatching Anastasia.

As an adult, much like Pocahontas I feel like Anastasia was kind of a heavy topic to convert into an animated family movie. But I can't deny this song slaps:

 

[Lily Adler]

As an adult, much like Pocahontas I feel like Anastasia was kind of a heavy topic to convert into an animated family movie. But I can't deny this song slaps:

The stage version omits this song and Rasputin as the villain and instead replaced him with Red Revolutionists.

Also Disney does own Anastasia now, but alas she will never become a Disney Princess.

 

[Sawyer]

I actually just watched The Land Before Time the other night. The little lizard girl was a little too cutesy for me, but I was into it. James Horner on a kids cartoon was an embarrassment of riches.

 

[Lily Adler]

I actually just watched The Land Before Time the other night. The little lizard girl was a little too cutesy for me, but I was into it. James Horner on a kids cartoon was an embarrassment of riches.

I was surprised by the critical reception of the Amblin Bluth films. Secret of Nimh was his masterpiece and then he kinda slowly got worse each film.

I do appreciate the show Mom for reminding me of The American Tail theme:

 

[Lily Adler]

Learned Don Bluth almost released his own version of Beauty and the Beast and he almost made Ice Age.

 

[DarkKnight88]

i really wish Universal would do something special with An American Tail and Land Before Time like how Disney used to go all out for their blu-ray releases. These films still hold up and was better than anything Disney released in the 1970s and 80s till Little Mermaid.

I don’t think I’ve even heard Spielberg talk about them retrospectively. It’s so strange since most of it was his idea even down to naming Fievel after his grandfather.

 

[Drizzle]

Learned Don Bluth almost released his own version of Beauty and the Beast and he almost made Ice Age.

I had no idea. There's artwork for it and everything!



That is 100% a gender-swapped Charlie from All Dogs Go to Heaven in this one:



This one's just silly:

 

[Lily Adler]

i really wish Universal would do something special with An American Tail and Land Before Time like how Disney used to go all out for their blu-ray releases. These films still hold up and was better than anything Disney released in the 1970s and 80s till Little Mermaid.

I don’t think I’ve even heard Spielberg talk about them retrospectively. It’s so strange since most of it was his idea even down to naming Fievel after his grandfather.

Apparently, Don and Steven had a huge fallout after The Land Before Time over creative differences. You can look up all the shelved Bluth projects to get the sense that he wanted to do more adaptations than original stories.

 

[Lily Adler]

I had no idea. There's artwork for it and everything!

View attachment 122304

That is 100% a gender-swapped Charlie from All Dogs Go to Heaven in this one:

View attachment 122305

This one's just silly:

View attachment 122306

Yep, apparently the Enchantress would have been the villain and play an Ursula role trying to prevent the Beast's curse from breaking by sabotaging their relationship. I have no ****ing clue how the Pegasus plays into it.

 

[Drizzle]

i really wish Universal would do something special with An American Tail and Land Before Time like how Disney used to go all out for their blu-ray releases. These films still hold up and was better than anything Disney released in the 1970s and 80s till Little Mermaid.

I don’t think I’ve even heard Spielberg talk about them retrospectively. It’s so strange since most of it was his idea even down to naming Fievel after his grandfather.

Yeah Bluth was basically single-handedly beating Disney at their own game in the '80s. I know All Dogs Go To Heaven isn't on the same level as An American Tail or The Land Before Time both in terms of critical and financial success but that was definitely in heavy rotation on my VCR when I was little.

 

[Lily Adler]

Yeah Bluth was basically single-handedly beating Disney at their own game in the '80s. I know All Dogs Go To Heaven isn't on the same level as An American Tail or The Land Before Time both in terms of critical and financial success but that was definitely in heavy rotation on my VCR when I was little.

The beginning of the end. He wouldn't have another hit until Anastasia. You knew things were bad when he did Thumbelina with the voice of Ariel as the star and A Whole New World ripoff sequence.

 

[Lily Adler]

Apparently, Don and Steven had a huge fallout after The Land Before Time over creative differences. You can look up all the shelved Bluth projects to get the sense that he wanted to do more adaptations than original stories.

Looks like Bluth was not happy with Universal as well. Sucks he and Amblin couldn't stay together.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Apparently, Don and Steven had a huge fallout after The Land Before Time over creative differences.

Such a shame though. I know Spielberg doesn’t publicly speak ill of any directors. But it seems he just completely avoids talking about them at this point.

Poltergeist is another of his 80s produced films that hasn’t had a decent documentary or a good bluray/4k release because of the elephant in the room of Spielberg ghost directing it over Tobe Hooper. He even wrote this one but I haven’t heard him talk about it in any capacity retrospectively.

 

[Drizzle]

I can't find too many details about the Bluth/Spielberg fallout other than Bluth getting upset at Spielberg over him trimming some 10 minutes out of Land Before Time so it would be less scary. I actually understand Bluth's argument. Kids in the '80s endured The Dark Crystal, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the Swamp of Sadness in The Neverending Story. Spielberg chickened out, IMO.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I can't find too many details about the Bluth/Spielberg fallout other than Bluth getting upset at Spielberg over him trimming some 10 minutes out of Land Before Time so it would be less scary. I actually understand Bluth's argument. Kids in the '80s endured The Dark Crystal, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the Swamp of Sadness in The Neverending Story. Spielberg chickened out, IMO.

To be fair, Spielberg got a lot of bad press just before for the double whammy of Temple of Doom/Gremlins horrifying children (more their parents), so I think he became sensitive to that afterwards.

 

[Lily Adler]

I can't find too many details about the Bluth/Spielberg fallout other than Bluth getting upset at Spielberg over him trimming some 10 minutes out of Land Before Time so it would be less scary. I actually understand Bluth's argument. Kids in the '80s endured The Dark Crystal, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the Swamp of Sadness in The Neverending Story. Spielberg chickened out, IMO.

Don't forget Return to Oz.

 

[Drizzle]

Don't forget Return to Oz.

Yup, that's actually a better example than Temple of Doom as far as traumatizing kids (even though it definitely happened with TOD, they did warn people with the PG-13 rating).