“Ice Age” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown” are two of the most popular animated films of the past decade. The original was nominated for an Oscar back in 2003, and combined they made over $1 billion dollars worldwide. So it’s no surprise that they made a third.
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” brings back the favorite characters of the others films and adds some new ones. Manny and Ellie (voiced by Ray Romano and Queen Latifah) are expecting their first baby, and they want everything to be perfect. Diego (Dennis Leary) feels left out and is ready to move on, on his own. And Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo)is still looking for a family of his own.
Sid finds three eggs under the ice, and they turn-out to be dinosaur eggs. When the mommy T-Rex finds Sid and her hatched babies she takes them to a land below the ice, where all the dinosaurs live, and the rest of the gang sets out on a journey to find Sid and bring him home.
“Dawn of the Dinosaurs” is a lot of fun. In fact, I think it’s even better than the first two. The story is simple and easy for kids to follow. And the film teaches a great lesson about the importance of family.
The voices are great, especially newcomer Simon Pegg, who plays Buck, a one-eyed weasel who’s been living in the dinosaur world for years and helps the gang on their adventure. He has a lot of the best lines. All of the dialogue is smart and witty. This is a very funny movie with several laugh-out-loud moments. Plus, the story is action-packed, with many exciting chase scenes, which are great to watch in 3-D.
And, don’t worry, everyone’s favorite squirrel, Scrat, is back and this time he’s got a girlfriend, Scratte. But he must decide between his love for her and his love for….the acorn.
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” is rated PG. There are a few scary scenes involving the dinosaurs. Very young kids might get a little frightened a couple of times, so parents – be prepared. Outside of those scene the movie is perfect for kids 5 and up. They’ll have a ball, as will everyone. And the special-edition DVD and Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes, interviews with the voice actors and, of course, a new short featuring Scrat.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” gets a B+.
The success of “Dawn of the Dinosauars” means we will absolutely see a fourth “Ice Age” film. I’ll keep you posted.