Rating: Summary: Slow Start, But Turns Around Halfway Through Review: The Story: Manfred the mastodon (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) are getting ready to migrate, separately, when fate brings them together and puts a human infant in their care. They travel through the brutal but starkly beautiful landscapes of 20,000 years ago, seeking the child's father, who is migrating with his tribe. Of course, the prey-predator factor complicates things, as man hunts everything, saber-toothed tigers hunt everything, sloths are usually prey, and mastodons are prize prey that are usually passed up because of their size. Oh, and along the way, a squirrel (?) tries to gather acorns for the (extremely long and harsh) winter.Story Commentary: This is a computer-animated remake of "The Three Godfathers" but the first half seemed a LOT like "Shrek" meets "Monsters, Inc." transposed into the distant past. Then, something happens, and the movie became wondrous for me. The things that created this transformation were: the turmoil and complexity of Diego's emerging character as he discovers a different way of being; the whole scene in the ice cavern, and especially the wall-drawing of the mastodon that Manfred sees (and then imagines into a microcosmic summary of Ice Age life); the growing sense of duty, stewardship, and surrogate fatherhood. The ice cavern scene is the start, and is an unforgettable movie moment for me. The interspersed vignettes of the squirrel (coati mundi?) provided great comic relief, plus an ending to make one chuckle. Technical Commentary: This film looks very different than did "Shrek" and "Monsters, Inc." but is on a par, technically, with them. The stark beauty of an Ice Age winter, turned into an icy playground with lethal traps and pitfalls, was a work of minimalist art. At the halfway point, I would have given the film two to three stars, and complained that it lacked originality times three. The last half gets five stars.
Rating: Summary: My Son LOVED it! Review: It had been a while since i'd sat down and actually 'watched' a movie w/ my son, but this one was good. lil' too short and obvious but very well voiced, etc.
Rating: Summary: Makes me cry . . . Review: out of boredom. However, my grandmother LOVES this movie; she bought it for everyone, and watches it all the time at our house (which is one of the reasons why i dislike it so much). She esp. loved the part when the baby points at the other guy. Ok, that was funny, but some of the things are redundant. The only thing i really liked about it was the tiger-guy. I thought he was cool. However, I do think its one of the better kid cartoons in the sense that it's something you can expect kids to like; it's also entirely decent (i'm always shocked by the more adult content in a cartoon). If I were thirteen years younger, I'd probably have given it a high five. As it is though, I recommend watching it only once- and give it a three.
Rating: Summary: One for All Ages Review: Although Ice Age is a children's movie, it is enjoyable for people of all ages. The slapstick comedy throws in jokes for adults and children alike. The wonderful graphic animation is a sure fit for the talented voices of the characters. As the trio of Manfred, Sid and Diego embark on their journey to find the home of their newfound friend, they will take you on a journey of laughter and end in smiles.
Rating: Summary: Good actors (voices) + good comedy + good looks = good movie Review: Ice Age may not be of the same order as computer animated classics such as Toy Story and Shrek, but it's still good. This playful family film has some funny moments and some dazzling visuals. One scene I found pleasing involved the mammoth, the sloth, and the saber-toothed tiger racing through the corridors of a vast ice cavern to catch a run-away baby (you'll know why if you see the movie). The squirrel/raccoon was awesome. I wish he would have had a larger role in the movie. Ice Age is one more film to add to the growing list of successful computer animated movies.
Rating: Summary: Not just for young children Review: A lot of people might not watch this because it is a childrens movie, and it would not appeal to them. That's what I was thinking before I saw this, but it turned out to be great. It had a lot of funny jokes, and I must admit this is one of my favourite Disney movies. The charecters are very original, and this movie is very funny, I would definitely reccomend it to both children and adults.
Rating: Summary: It is OK Review: With all the hype online and other media sources I thought this would be better. It is OK not great.
Rating: Summary: Makes me cry Review: Love the movie, makes me cry. Lovable cast that makes me laugh. Just don't buy this movie before you buy Lilo and Stitch. I may call you a traitor then..GRRRR
Rating: Summary: Good for Kids Review: While watching Ice Age, I had the strange feeling that I had seen this movie before. The plot seemed to be a frosty version of the same basic cartoon movie adventure with childish humor and some great animation. The characters were interesting and the voices were fitting, but they did not seem unique other than being a bit different from the average animals. This is a great movie for any kids or animation fans and is not a bad movie by any standards. But for those who want to see an amazing movie with similar animation, save your money for Shrek.
Rating: Summary: Lots of Fun Review: This movie was a lot of fun. I saw this with three adults and two kids and we all loved it. Not brilliant like Shrek, but no major drawbacks -- a pretty good DVD to share with the family. The best character is "Scrat", the squirrel that shows up at the beginning and end and parts in between. He is simply hilarious with his quest for the acorn - wish there was more of him. Visually this movie was very appealing as the Ice Age and interesting animals provided lots of fodder for the animators. Loved Ray Romano in this too, as the voice of the mammoth.
|