I'm really glad I found this old thread. Some really deep insightful analyses being shared here. It's been a joy to read them all. The conversation of whether Littlefoot did kill Sharp Tooth for revenge or not reframes his entire character. If his sole motivation for engaging the t-rex was to avenge his mother then the way he did it (endangering his friends and Ducky especially) would be selfish. However, I think it's unlikely that Littlefoot did it without being at least, in part, subconsciously motivated by the desire for revenge. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
I had to rewatch the scene just now just to really see what might be going through the little apatosaurus's head.
- So here's the scene where the kids wade across the water. So we start with Sharp Tooth's roar, everyone's hiding behind that rock. Littlefoot hops out from behind the rock immediately. "Let's get rid of him once and for all" he says and starts laying out his plan while his friends are still cowering behind the rock. He doesn't seem as much fearful as he is angry.
- He details his plans. It's remarkable how quickly he figures it out. He seems actually a little excited. Completely confident in the plan it took him 10 seconds to come up with. Again, while the very real possibility of Sharp Tooth finding seems to be his implied motivation, I'm sensing it's not what drives him here. Also note that he doesn't seem the least afraid himself, in contrast to his friends. He probably doesn't even fully realize the danger that he is putting himself and his friends in.
- Later, Littlefoot is definitely the first to indicate that Ducky should be bait. I think the way the other kids are smiling here indicate that they too perhaps don't fully realize the danger they'll be putting Ducky in. To Littlefoot, this seems like a game to him. And the smile on Littlefoot's face here doesn't really suggest indifference or callousness to me.
So it seems like Littlefoot's motivation
could be the safety of the group. That he realizes that they'll only truly be safe once Sharp Tooth is dealt with once and for all. And considering how this one t-rex has been tracking them since the "earth shake", it's not entirely unreasonable. But that's not how it comes across in the context of the film at all. Quite the opposite, Littlefoot seems quite excited to get back at Sharp Teeth and despite the danger it puts them in. It's not like he's corned, with no choice but to lure the beast that's been stalking them into a trap. Sharp Tooth is even heading away from the kids at this point.
So even though he may not realize it himself, what drives him is probably a desire to kill the creature that's been stalking them and that took from him the most important other person in his life - his mother.
So does that make Littlefoot evil? Short answer: no. It makes him a kid. He's a smart, sensitive and genuinely caring kid. That he cares about his friends has been demonstrated many times.
But like a kid, his risk assessment is underdeveloped. And kids too have a deeply ingrained sense of revenge. Kids too experience anger and malice. In fact, these tendencies usually develop in children even fore things like empathy.
So we have here a traumatized, starved and also incredibly resourceful and intelligent kid. Who knows how much suppressed anger and frustration he's dealing with? Who knows when he last ate? And now he's finally given a chance to get back at Sharp Tooth. He's smart, so he figures out a plan to do it. And he executes it. He doesn't consider the danger it'd be putting everyone in, not because they're not important to him, but because it doesn't
occur to him. It's nothing but pure impulsive opportunism on his part. Let's not forget that Littlefoot risked his life to save Ducky mare moments ago. There should be no question that he cares about her.
It's also worth noting that Littlefoot is never seen endangering his friends live in such way again. In fact, in the sequels he's quite protective of his friends. Sometimes more so than what is rational. He'll leave them behind when there is something he needs to do outside the safety of the Valley, not realizing that they're stronger together.
I wonder if seeing Ducky so close to being comped up by the angry rex, and Petrie almost drowning, filled him with regret at that moment. Maybe he's compensating for that, and this could explain why he's much more protective and considerate in the sequels?
Anyway, so basically yes, I believe revenge was a subconsciously motivating factor, and that he acted recklessly but didn't understand the risks either. I don't think it would be fair to judge Littlefoot based on his actions here. I think, in context, they're fully understandable.
But that doesn't change the fact that he did risk his friends, especially Ducky. And that's probably something that's gonna stay with him and shape his personality and his actions going forward.
Don't forget that all 5 of them were hungry, and had been hiking for days. Since we are all sitting, well-fed and watered (and hopefully not in any immediate danger) in front of our computers, we have the luxury of unlimited foresight and a clear head. When one is in a dangerous situation, one tends to lose the ability to think absolutely clearly. I believe the desicion was much more on-the-spot than we imagine.
When I try to put myself in Littlefoot's case, I think of when I was 15, and got lost in a forest outside my old house. I had dozed off in a large tree, and woke up to find it about twilight. Remembering that dad said never to panic, I calmly slid out of the tree and thought about where to go. I thought: "Due to the Coriolis Effect, my body is tuned to walk counter-clockwise, since I live in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun is setting to my left, and in the morning I can see it from my bedroom window, which faces east. Therefore, east (and home) is to my right, and I should follow any paths that lead clockwise from my current position, since I want to retrace my path."
While it sounds like I had thought this through really well, in reality, I was cold, hungry and wanted to get home. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing, and the logic was proably reall flawed, but I thought, "Screw it, I gotta do something." Also, I didn't have the luxury of double-checking my logic, and making sure I knew I was right: daylight was almost gone, and I needed to use it while I had it.
Also, to follow my unblazed clockwise direction, I strayed off the path and did some risky things I certainly wouldn't have tried during the day, in a safer stuation. However, once I had made my original desicion, I didn't think enough to even consider changing course. Evey move I made was calculated to shave as much time off of my journey as possible, regardless of the consquences if I misstep.
I wound up exiting the forest and finding myself downtown, which was petty far away from my house.
Anyway, the point is, Littlefoot and co. couldn't afford to think clearly, and weigh the possible solutions anymore than I could've 5 years ago. They needed to make a desicion and stick with it. Littlefoot conjured in his head a possibillity of a way to eliminate Sharptooth, and once it was fully formed, he implemented it. If the others had had any better ideas, they would've said them, but they obviously didn't. And then they fell into place behind him.
Also, if anyone says that Littlefoot didn't look tired or exhausted, trust me he probably was. One of the marks of a good leader is the ability to hide one's own exhaustion, and put on a brave face for the others in your party. since Littlefoot had shown in the past that he was going and willing to be their leader, he knew he'd have to act the part completely, to keep the others going.
Precisely! This is perspective here is so important. When you consider Littlefoot's actions, you have to also consider his mental state, his exhaustion, the trauma he's been through.
Yet even with the movie as it is I doubt revenge to be the central motive of Littlefoot's decision. While he is certainly not immune to such traits I don't see Littlefoot as a character who would willingly risk the live of others to satisfy a personal hunger for revenge. I do not deny that Littlefoot probably did feel satisfied about the death of the Sharptooth, but I would not go so far as to consider his desire for revenge the central motive. Sharptooth did pose a threat to him and the others and Sharptooth had been very persistent in the pursuit of the kids. Had Sharptooth not been on the track of Littlefoot I suppose we can take it for granted that Littlefoot would not have tried to track down Sharptooth to get his revenge. Sharptooth happened to appear in a place where the terrain was suited to trap him and Littlefoot took that chance to get rid of the permanent threat. The lucky coincidence of the suitable terrain and the need to get rid of the permanent threat seem to be more plausible central motives for Littlefoot's decision than thirst for revenge.
This is also a very important point that I considered in my response. We shouldn't forge that Sharp Tooth did pose a continues threat to the kids throughout the movie and Littlefoot would have been aware of this. I have no doubt that this is a big reason why he did what he did. Still, I read it less as a decision made out of fear for his own life at that moment or in the future, and more like Littlefoot taking the chance to get back at the t-rex for everything he had done. And on that list would be all the times he attacked them AND what he did to his mother.
Littlefoot wanted to be rid of him once and for all. Like he said himself.
Lastly. I just had to...
Credit to Malte279 btw for that idea.
Littlefoot is just not the revengeful nature who would stand there proclaiming something like: "Never shall I set a foot (however little they may be 
) in the Great Valley before I haveth not spilled my foe's blood and satisfied my thirst for revenge!" Nor do I believe that he would think along these lines (lest in a poor imitation of middle English
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We can hang around eating food all day and he can tell me a bunch of wacky longneck stories (hey, I love a good story). 
