I LOVED the first Ice Age movie. Ruthless Diego, silly Sid and morose Manny made an eclectic but loveable herd.
The second movie, though, left me a bit meh on the franchise. I am not too keen on Ellie, despite the fact that Queen Latifah rocks. An elephant that thinks she is an opossum is a little too much for me. I like Manny. I want him to end up with someone loveable but not completely loony.
But the third movie, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, is every bit as good as the original. In fact, Robert Ebert gave it 3 1/2 stars, and says it is, "The best of the three films...pure invention."
First, Ellie is a bit more practical and down-to-earth in this movie, because she is expecting a little mammoth. So she doesn't seem so loony. Diego is trying to get back his edgy, bachelor side. Morose Manny has become an anxious Dad-to-be. And Ellie's possum 'brothers', while still wild and weird, are nowhere near as crazy as the newest characters.
Who, incidentally, are fabulous. First, there're three baby T-rexes looked after by Sid, who finds them as eggs and begins nesting in a bizarre parody of Ellie and Manny. The baby T-rexes do not play nice with the other kids.
They eat them instead.
And even my cool, we-don't-do-animation-any-more teens, who came to the theat to see the film with me after a little wheedling because they are fond of Diego found themselves loving Buck.
Who is Buck? He's sorta an Indiana Jones/Crocodile Dundee mashup who has been living in the dinosaur world just a little too long.
And he's undoubtedly certifiably crazy.
Why this all works, well, I just have to throw my hands up in the air because I have no idea, but it is utterly outstanding.
And as if that wasn't enough, Scrat is back!
The cute, terminally unlucky squirrel and his eternal quest for that elusive nut even features into the main film, rather than just a short at the beginning.
I watched the video of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs again last night, as I got a preview copy, and even though I had seen it in the theater already, I really enjoyed it. I was especially impressed, all over again, with the animation. It looked as good on my television as it did in the theater.
Oh, and there are lots of extras on the video versions! You can get a two-pack DVD set, and the second disk is full of cute Scrat shorts, musical extras, commentary and games.
The three-pack Bluray set also includes a third, digital copy of the movie.
In my opinion, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a must-buy for your video library.
I received a preview copy of the DVD (two disk set) to aid me in my review in time for today, its official street release date.
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