MINI-REVIEW: Ice Age: Continental Drift

MOVIE
Ice Age: Continental Drift

CAST
Ray Romano,
John Leguizamo, Dennis Leary

RATING
PG

RELEASE
July 13, 2012

DIRECTOR(S)
Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier

STUDIO(S)
20th Century Fox,
Blu Sky Studios

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 27 minutes






STARS
**









REVIEW:

'Ice Age: Continental Drift' is the latest example of how lazy Hollywood is when making movies for families. The first film is a very well-conceived and very funny movie that can still be enjoyed despite having come out a decade ago. The second and third were good films, but didn't have the spark that the first one had. This fourth one replaces the charm of the first three films with bathroom humor, bad slapstick, and a heart so artificial that one doesn't feel any sympathy for the father/daughter relationship between Manny the Mammoth and his daughter Peaches. The main plot of the film involves the splitting of the continents along with a group of animal pirates, but there's an unnecessary subplot about Peaches trying to find who she really wants to be her friends.

The animation is the only good thing to say about this film, because everything else is really stupid. The voice actors clearly only did this more for one of two reasons: Reason #1: animated films give off really decent paychecks. Reason #2: to be featured in the music video that plays during the credits at the end of the film. It's understandable when the characters sing or dance because that's for the little kids to love. However when they show the actors in the voice recording studio singing the song, which is EXACTLY what they do hear, not only do they ruin the illusion of an animated movie, but they also succeed at ticking many people, including myself, off. 'Ice Age: Continental Drift' was made for no reason other than money.

There wasn't any joke that was funny in the movie, the story was as predictable as saying that you have breakfast in the morning, and the voice actors clearly show that they don't want to be involved with the project. Do yourself, and your families, a favor and skip the theater with this one. Wait for it on DVD and let your kids waste their time with it while you do something better with your time. Something has drifted other than the continents, and that's my interest with this series, which has lost all creativity in the idea department.




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