The Film
The Ice Age film franchise seems to be lasting longer than the actual Ice Age. It's actually a lot more successful, too, given its cuddly characters and the $2.8 billion box-office take. That's probably why Fox can't seem to crank these things out fast enough.
That wouldn't be all that bad if Ice Age: Continental Drift had a nice message about friendship, family, or even climate change. Instead, it's just a rapid-fire adventure, with storms, tidal waves, and nasty pirates. And all of that scared the crap out of my 6-year-old.
Because in this fourth installment, that pesky Scrat's pursuit of an acorn causes the Pangaea continent to break up. (Hence, the title.) It also causes wooly mammoth Manny (Ray Romano) to get separated from wife Ellie (Queen Latifah) and his daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer) -- literally. Luckily, Manny's pals Diego the tiger (Denis Leary) and Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) are along for the ride, as is Sid's fiesty, toothless granny (Wanda Sykes).
Ice Age: Continental Drift has an insane amount of famous voices and an insanely fast pace. It's certainly not going to hold a special place in your heart, but it should hold the attention span of the average Ice Age fan for its 88-minute runtime.
The Picture
When it comes to the many companies cranking out animated features, Fox is definitely the least talented of the lot. That's not to say that Ice Age: Continental Drift is an ugly movie -- not even close. It just doesn't have the same finesse as something from Pixar or even DreamWorks. That said, the animation has improved a lot over the series and what you get in this fourth installment does look good. The sky and the ice have varying, stunning blues and the rest of the film displays a nice palette. Details are also pretty wonderful, with each of the characters showing off lush fur and other accents that make this a very interesting image overall.
The Sound
The blockbuster franchise gets a worthy DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, which it uses to its full advantage for the most part. Each of those famous voices is always crystal-clear. Also, the slew of surround noises, including cracks, creaks, exploding rocks, rushing water, thunder and background chatter, make the experience a pretty immersive one.
The Extras
Like the movie, the extras featured here will mainly interest the film's target audience. If you fall into that category, opt for the "Party with a Pirate Mode" to have additional clips and other extras pop up on the screen during the film. There's also a companion iPad coloring book app, a pair of deleted scenes and a music video. For something a bit more in-depth, there are several interesting featurettes that dissect the franchise and the film's characters, as well as two making-of shorts and a "Sign Along" option for deaf viewers.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to kiddie offerings, Ice Age: Continental Drift probably isn't your best choice. It's not even the best Ice Age movie. It does offer the best image, however. Also, the furry crew's latest adventures and the plethora of new characters seen here will surely entertain fans of the franchise.
Product Details
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