Ice Age is an animated family film about a group of unlikely animal companions attempting to migrate south as the titular Ice Age begins. Directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha, this wacky and lighthearted comedy is packed with memorable characters and hilarious scenes.
How to Stream or Download Ice Age
You can get the movie from iTunes. To start, click on the Download button below this review. Here’s the whole franchise timeline, if you’re interested
- Ice Age (2002),
- Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006),
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009),
- Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012),
- and Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).
The Film Review
This film spawned a successful franchise as well and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. Backed by an excellent voice cast, this is a comedy that’s great for families with young children or anyone who loves some quality slap-stick humor. It also delivers a healthy dose of emotion, suspense, and action, guaranteed to keep you invested in this prehistoric plot.
The story follows Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo), a dopey sloth who is left behind during the great animal migration to the South. After running afoul with a duo of rhinos, Sid runs into a lone woolly mammoth named Manfred (voiced by Ray Romano).
Although the pair don’t get along at first, they are forced to work together when they find a wounded human holding her infant son. As Sid and Manfred attempt to bring the child back to the human settlement, they run into a variety of unfortunate and often humorous circumstances.
For the most part, Ice Age is a lighthearted comedy with a lot of physical humor. It’s a story that is simple to understand but has a surprising bit of depth. For the youngest of audience members, it can even be slightly educational at times, pointing out the various feeding habits and characteristics of wild animals.
The characters are exceptionally cartoonish, but the film is presented in a somewhat realistic world. This adds some weight to the various dangers that Sid and Manfred encounter, including a sneaky saber-toothed tiger named Diego (voiced by Denis Leary).
Since the movie is a CGI-animated movie from 2002, it falls victim to some odd-looking visuals. In comparison to other animated movies from that period, the fil, still maintains its personality, but the “realistic” aspect of the visuals can look dated at times. There’s nothing that ruins the experience, but some shots feel exceptionally barren and dull.
That said, there are a few exceptionally cool scenes and sequences that are visually imaginative, so most of the dull scenes can be easily overlooked.
Generally speaking, this is a wonderful movie that is ripe with imagination and fun, regardless of your age or demeanor. The mixture of cartoon-like characters in a realistic world works to varying degrees, but the action onscreen is usually entertaining despite the visual fidelity.
The main cast of characters is always interesting and funny, thanks to great voice performances and solid slap-stick humor. You’ll likely be surprised by the heart and emotion that Ice Age evokes as well, as it delivers more than just the laughs.
If you’re looking for a great story to start with your family, look no further than the first entry in the well-regarded franchise.
