Review of Ice Age (2002) by Demonicsoul — 30 Jul 2014

Story:

3 prehistoric animals from the Ice Age-Manny, a mammoth, Diego, a saber-tooth tiger, and Sid, a sloth-find a human baby away from its tribe. They decide to bring the baby back to the tribe as they're being led by Diego who might have something up his sleeve. The story here is pretty basic and predictable, and there's no surprises here. There's also a subplot with a saber-tooth squirrel named "Scrat", and in it we follow his misadventures as he tries to get an acorn. Besides that, the plot here is nowhere near the creativity of Pixar. 5/10.

Animation:

Unfortunately, the animation didn't really age well. Over 12 years after its release, it's animation is severely outdated with the colors and textures looking below average by today's standards. Even the character models look outdated. Good thing Blue Sky updated them in the sequel. Overall, it's animation may have been good back in 2002, but unfortunately, it didn't age well. 4/10.

Characters and Comedy:

This is where things get better. When it comes to our 3 heroes, all 3 of them are likeable. And it's all thanks to that baby they have. That baby is the centerstone that this film needed as it's responsible for all the character development and heartwarming moments that this film has. Manny starts off as a grouchy mammoth, but as the film progresses, it becomes clear that he has a dark past that he tries to hide and that it's explained why he dislikes the baby at first. Diego was sent on an objective, but after spending time with the crew and the baby, he slowly opens up to them. Finally, Sid is the comic relief character who isn't too annoying and is generally funny. Manny and Diego eventually grow to like him as he tries to form a "herd" with them. There's also Scrat who is hilarious as his style of comedy resembles the Looney Tunes style of humor. He's silent, but with all the attempts he makes to get that acorn, he quickly becomes a big highlight of the film, and eventually Blue Sky"s mascot. So the characters are likeable and have a bit of depth, and the comedy is great here. 8/10.

Sound:

The score is fine, but nothing memorable or amazing. 6/10.

Acting and Casting:

All the voices here do a great job, even if John Leguizamo can become occasionally too much to bear. I also like Scrat's voice, so props to Chris Wedge for his voice. 9/10.

Verdict:

Ice Age was a great start for Blue Sky Studios because of its great style of humor and great performances all around. Even though it's now a bit dated, this is an animated film that can still be enjoyed by everyone.