Reviewed by Kate Rodger
Parents dreading the onslaught of the mid-winter school holidays - fear not - the Ice Age is here!
This is the third instalment of this money-making movie machine, and all the crew are back on deck for number three, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. And what’s more, they’re all in 3D.
This time around, Manny (voiced by Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifa) the mammoths are expecting a baby mammoth. Sid (John Leguizamo) is feeling left out, as usual, and Diego (Denis Leary) is going soft in his old age, and he’s not enjoying that one little bit.
My favourite, Scrat (the squirrelly thing) is back too, and he has some big life decisions to make of his own, as his heart interferes with his nuts, so to speak, when a disconcertingly feminine squirrelly thing (Scratte) arrives on the scene to tempt his fancy.
We have a couple of new faces on the ice block too. There’s some dinosaur action of course, and a new furry friend in the shape of a crazy one-eyed pirate weasel called Buck (voiced by the always fabulous Simon Pegg)
Cue all sorts of dinosaur mayhem (none of it too scary for the little ones, although the rating is Parental Guidance Recommended), some heart-warming furry family moments, and you’ve got an hour and a half’s worth of family-friendly entertainment.
So does it all come together to do the Ice Age legend justice? Well it certainly doesn’t do it any harm, and the added bonus of some gorgeous 3D really adds to the whole cinematic adventure.
While this latest Ice Age doesn't necessarily up the ante, this franchise is a very user-friendly one and a welcome sight for frazzled parents everywhere as school holidays loom.
And if you are lucky enough to live near a 3D cinema definitely opt for the whole geeky 3D glasses experience. It's dark, nobody can see you, your kids will think you're funny, and 3D dinosaurs are very cool!
Three and a half stars.
:: Directed by: Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier
:: Rating: M - Some scenes may scare very young children
source: newshub archive
