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Ice Age (2002)
Posted by Eeyore, Dec 5, 2002
After an hour and a half of laughter and visual-amazement, I now understand what caused the ice age and the breaking of the continents: the squirrels. I’m sure you’ve all seen them, trying desperately to burry their nuts before the winter hits, or perhaps as that little hump of fur flattened like a pancake onto the highway. In this case, the squirrel also brought with it the best parts of the film.
Genre: Comedy |
Cast: (voices by) Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Goran Visnjic, Jack Black |
Director(s): Chris Wedge |
Producer(s): Christopher Meledandri, Lori Forte |
Writer(s): Michael G. Wilson, Michael Berg, Peter Ackerman, Steve Young |
Official Site: http://www.iceagemovie.com/ |
Rated: PG mild peril |
Length: 85 minutes | Released: Mar 15, 2002 |
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Stars: 4.5 out of 5
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Ice Age is the story of three misfits who join together to form a pack to return a young child to his parents. The movie begins with the dawn of the ice age where animals of every sort are slowing making the trek towards warmer land. A fast-talking though dim-witted sloth named Sid (voice by John Leguizamo) is left behind by his family, and within minutes has gotten himself into trouble and is being chased-down by rhinos. Enter Manny (voice by Ray Romano), a moody woolly mammoth; to avoid being lunch, Sid tags alongside the grump, despite the uninviting atmosphere. The pair soon run across a small human infant and a devious sabre-toothed tiger named Diego (voice by Denis Leary). After some uneasy introductions, the animal trio begins its long, cold, trek to return the child to his parents.
The visual effects in this movie are amazing. There may not be Star Wars like CG effects; this is a cartoon, remember. Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge’s unique lighting software (called "Ray Tracing") sets the movie apart from previous attempts at all-CG films, however. The character and landscape details are tremendous, comparable to Final Fantasy and high-end video games. The only complaint I have is the lack of emotion shown on human faces. Granted, the depiction was historically representative, showing less-evolved figures, but there was an almost total lack of emotion to the characters. Where the artists excelled was in the design of the sabre-toothed squirrel named Scrat. The movements and reactions given by this acorn-crazed critter were hilarious: I was left rolling around on the floor during any sequence that included him.
The story line is enjoyable, and it will certainly entertain the younger members of the family. There are a few scenes that may be questionable for very young children—the first takes place in the ice caves where Manny relives the attack on his family by humans, and the second towards the end where the sabre-toothed tigers attack. Though neither of these scenes is particularly frightening, they do contain serious undertones that may leave your children uneasy.
If you’re looking to relax with a light entertaining movie, pick up Ice Age. You won’t be disappointed.
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