Actors: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Aziz Ansari, Joy Behar
Directors: Mike Thurmeier, Steve Martino
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: December 11, 2012
Run Time: 88 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
When I the last chapter in this “Ice Age” franchise, which was also the first in 3D”, “Age of the Dinosaurs”, I thought the series had jumped the shark. After a few viewings though, I that film has grown on me. I was excited right off to see “Continental Drift”. I thought the story looked cute, the 3D looks sharp and the new characters were fun. I was right on all-three aspects. This isn’t anything ground breaking in the story department but perfect for kids. There are a bunch of great new characters, voiced by Jennifer Lopez, Aziz Ansari and Peter Dinklage. This installment also introduces music into the film, with original songs and I think it works very well. Overall, I am very satisfied with this film and is perfectly timed for release to make a perfect Christmas gift this holiday season for every kid. Can’t wait to see what they come up with for the fifth installment in the “Ice Age” franchise.
Official Premise: This all-new chapter in the beloved Ice Age franchise reconnects families with herd favourites Manny, Sid, and Diego. Joining familiar friends of the Ice Age world on their latest journey is Sid’s long-lost and side-splittingly funny Granny plus a band of pirates led by the fearsome orangutan Captain Gutt. And no Ice Age film would be complete without celebrated icon Scrat, whose existence revolves around the elusive acorn. Scrat once again returns with his very own exploits; however this time his pursuits result in world-changing consequences.
One of the best aspects of the “Ice Age” franchise has always been its amazing voice cast. Ray Romano is always fun to listen to playing Manny. Denis Leary plays the tough guy with the big heart, very well as Diego. John Leguizamo was born to play Sid with that lovable slur. Queen Latifah joined the cast last year voicing Ellie and is a nice match for Manny. Also Seann William Scott returns voicing Crash and Simon Pegg as Buck. Newcomers to the cast include Nicki Minaj voicing Steffie and parents will enjoy the “Shaun of the Dead” reunion as Nick Frost joins the cast with Simon Pegg voicing Flynn.
Fox delivers this release with a wonderful combo pack included the 3D Blu-ray, the standard Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy and also Ultraviolet digital streaming copy. You can literally want this film whenever and wherever you are. The 3D presentation really suits this franchise well and looks even better at home in a sharp 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. I think that the depth added in the 3D and really makes the action scenes feel like your on a rollercoaster ride. Besides the 3D, the film is also backs but an incredible DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. There is no aspect of this Blu-ray release that isn’t amped up and ready to blow you away.
The special features are exploding out here with over four hours of extras. Kids are going to eat up watching the film with the interactive “Party with a Pirate!” mode, very fun. There is also a sing-along mode as well. I actually really enjoyed the original songs included here! There are many exclusive featurettes included, which gives some fantastic background into the production. “Through a Pirate’s Spyglass: Voices Ahoy and Capturing the Crew” look into the recording sessions with the cast. “Granny and the Stink of the Sloths”, “Scrat Got Your Tongue?” and “Whale of a Tale: Drifts, Rifts, Beasties and Myths” focus on each of the respective characters and their aspects in the film. There are two music video for the songs “We Are” and “Chasing the Sun”. There are also some decent deleted Scenes included. “The Scratist” is an all-new animated short spoof with the lovable Scrat. “Ice Age: The Story So Far” is a seires overview for those who need a refresh on the first three films. Lastly there are the original theatrical trailers included.
