3 July, 2009 2:06PM AEST

Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs

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Film Details

  • Actors: Voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg
  • Director: Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier - Directors
  • Classification: PG
  • Rating: 3 stars

I only have a rudimentary, schoolboy knowledge of paleontology, but I can safely say that the dinosaurs walked the earth before the sabre-toothed tiger and woolly mammoth, and they never shared the same space of land at the same time.

The makers of Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs have cheerfully turned evolution and pre-history on their heads and offered up an animated adventure that throws seemingly everything from the fossil record into the mix. Science teachers are sure to be very annoyed.

The third film in the surprisingly successful chilly saga picks up from where Ice Age 2 - The Meltdown left off.

Woolly mammoth couple Manny (voiced by Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) are happily waiting for the birth of their first child. Their other friends aren't reacting too well to the change however.

Sabre-toothed Diego (Denis Leary) thinks he's going soft and needs to leave the comfy family environment and strike out on his own. Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) is feeling terribly left out, so when he discovers a batch of abandoned eggs, he decides he's going to be a parent.

Only problem is the eggs contain baby dinosaurs and when the mother T-Rex finds out, she's anything but happy.

And then there's Scrat, the hapless squirrel, who's still pursuing his dangerous love of acorns, until he meets a female squirrel who's after the same thing, but she just might steal his heart in the process.

Ice Age 3- Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a very sweet adventure that goes down easily for kids and grown-ups alike.

It may be terribly predictable, but that's also a part of its charm. It's content to be fun without being too taxing. Its characters are well-realized and affable.

There's something very comforting in returning to this icy environment, where friendship and loyalty are more important than survival of the fittest.

In many ways it's an unlikely animated franchise. I was never sure the concept would stretch beyond just one film, but this installment should keep fans happy.

One of the biggest strengths of this animated film is that it doesn't appear to be trying to appeal to every demographic available.

While it has flashes of smart and knowing humour, those moments are relatively rare and for the most part, Ice Age 3 plays to its younger audience.

This has to be one of the cutest flicks around, with little baby characters that are positively adorable. There's so much sweetness on offer. It's not too sugary, but if you're looking for something more hip, like the Madagascar series for example, you might be a tad unsatisfied.

I find it really refreshing that the franchise has identified its audience as the tween and younger crowd. Too often the little kids are overlooked by smarty-pants film makers and writers who think they're way too clever.

It's enjoyable, but by no means is it a classic of the genre. The voice actors aren't stretched too much. Ray Romano and Denis Leary in particular sound like they're almost bored by the proceedings.

Simon Pegg's cliched but fun as Buck, a swash-"buck"ling weasel. John Leguizamo is hands down the best as poor old Sid the Sloth. It's like he's channeling Woody Allen and Adam Sandler simultaneously.

And Scrat's acorn joke may have worked in the first film, but it's getting really tired now. His side story is an unwelcome distraction.

Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs has a ragtag band of heroes, a crazy take on natural history, and the cutest carnivorous dinosaurs ever created. If you're being forced to take the kids, don't despair. It just might make you smile too.


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