Review of Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) by Bradleycohen — 01 Aug 2012

Let me take you back to the early 2000s. The Dreamworks film Shrek was all the rage when it came out in 2001, and Pixar had its first serious competitor. With two titans of computer animation battling it out in a huge colosseum of moviegoers, it seemed like computer generated imagery (CGI) was the way of the future. As with most innovations in the history of film (like the transition from black & white to color), studios have always taken the "Innovate or duplicate?" stance. Throughout the rest of the decade, there were so many computer animated films that it was like an infestation.

But enough about history. Let's talk about a film that has... history.

The first Ice Age film from 2002 is known by pretty much everyone. It was a beautifully animated tale about prehistoric animals bringing a human infant back to his colony. What made this film work so well is that it had something for everyone. Adults could enjoy the familiar voice actors and timeless story while kids delightfully laugh at all the silly moments.

Flash forward 10 years later and we have Ice Age 4. The animation is some of the best I have ever seen. The characters have such a great charm to them that even the villains look absolutely adorable. All your favorites are back: Sid, Manny, Diego, the possums, and of course the lovably mute Scrat. The jokes are still funny, the silly moments are still silly, and the touching moments are still touching. The only thing this film lacks is an original story. It's your basic "family gets separated and has to find each other" story, and please don't ask me to sing Somewhere Out There.

The film's biggest strength, however, is the characters. They have such distinct personalities that it makes for a lot of humorous moments. Simply watching these characters argue is like watching an animated sitcom. The way they propose different solutions to their problems makes for some very creative scenes. When all of it adds up, you have a fantastic adventure filled with adorable characters and delightfully silly moments.