Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - You Can't Keep A Good Series Down

Ice Age: Continental Drift - At Least There are No Dinosaurs in this One

"Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012), the follow-up to 2009's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," 2006's "Ice Age: The Meltdown," and 2002's "Ice Age," was yet another blockbuster box office success. It took in $874 million worldwide, virtually assuring that this will not be the end of Sid the Sloth (John Lequizamo), Diego the prehistoric tiger (Denis Leary), Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Ellie the Mammoth (Queen Latifah), the possum brothers (Seann William Scott and Josh Peck), Buck the weasel (Simon Pegg), and, last but not least, Scrat the squirrel (Chris Wedge). When the recurring cast list of an animated film starts getting that long, you know it is a bit long in the tooth. However, against all the odds, the "Ice Age" series has endured to become one of the most successful Hollywood franchises in history.

It is several years after the events of "Dawn of the Dinosaurs," and Manny and Ellie have a teenage daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer) who has become interested in boys. This subplot, though, gets quickly swept aside by larger events. Meanwhile, Sid reunited with his family, but again has been abandoned along with his Granny (Wanda Sykes).

The continents separate, thanks to Scrat and his acorn, and Manny gets stuck on an iceberg with Sid and Diego. Granny winds up in a tree in the iceberg. Ellie, Peaches and many other animals are on a landmass moving towards a land bridge. The herd encounters an ice ship manned by animal pirates led by ape Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and smilodon first mate Shira (Jennifer Lopez). He makes them walk the plank, but they escape and in the process sink the ship.

The herd makes it back home, while Shira changes sides. Gutt creates a new ship out of ice and sets out after the herd to get his revenge. The herd reaches the land bridge, but Gutt captures Ellie and Peaches and prepares to kill them. Manny and Gutt then duel it out to the death as the herd searches for a new home.

Directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier, with a screenplay by Michael Berg, Jason Fuchs and Lori Forte, Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox are at the point of simply milking this concept for all that it is worth. The original idea was for the leads to be frozen in block of ice and thawed out in the present day, but, then, that would make further sequels a little more difficult - or at least make calling them "Ice Age" problematic. In any event, Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha, who between them directed all the preceding installments, are around as Executive Producers to make sure their legacy isn't tarnished too much.

There is no question that this "Ice Age" has similarities with "Madagascar," though set in different time periods. While each series has it devotees, "Ice Age" has done more business. Both series are aimed at kids, so they almost seem like they go together despite the different voice actors.

There are so many characters that some of the hold-overs, such as the Possum brothers, get little screen time. Character development is tough under those circumstances, and the plot has degenerated to the cartoonish. Even the antics of Scrat, which provided awesome comic relief in the previous films, are wearing a bit thin. There are plenty of goofy laughs if that is what you are after, and, given the huge box office, that certainly seems to be enough for a lot of people.

The "Ice Age" franchise seems to be running out of steam with this entry. The list of characters is expanding while the stories get more outlandish. It is slapstick humor which adults are likely to find increasingly tiresome, but small children are still enthralled by all the colorful 3-D animation animals. Be prepared to put the DVD on constantly for days when you get it, just be sure to tape the glasses on your child or something.

Should you go out of your way to see "Ice Age: Continental Drift"? It is an OK film if you have invested time in the first three installments, but this probably is not the one you want to start out with. And even if you saw the first three, this isn't one I would waste too much time on.

2012

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Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) - Let's Do the Meltdown Shuffle with Manny, Sid and Diego!

Ice Age: The Meltdown - Scrat Takes Over the Franchise

When we last left our intrepid ice-age denizens Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo) and Diego (Denis Leary) in, um, "Ice Age," they had survived the first rumblings of global cooling and taken care of a human child entrusted to their care. They're not out of the woods igloo yet, though: so far they've seen just the beginning of their troubles. In "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006), one of our heroes starts thinking about starting a family - and we all know that's when the real trouble usually starts.

Scrat just can't get rid of that nut!

Echoing the first film, this one has Scrat (Chris Wedge) trying to bury a nut, this time on a glacier. He manages to pound it in, but then out spurts a jet of water. It just so happens that the ice is melting. Once again, Scrat appears in hilarious vignettes elsewhere in the film.

Diego was supposed to be killed off in the first film!

Manny hasn't seen another mammoth like himself for... ages, but one day he stumbles upon what must be the last female mammoth left on earth. They can't tolerate each other, but there's something more: turns out she's crazy and thinks she's a possum. Now, we've all dealt with crazy partners - oh, wait, that's just me - OK, we usually know someone who's dealt with a crazy partner with baggage. Ellie (Queen Latifah), though, goes one step further and actually brings hers out in the open in the form of what she claims are her two possum "brothers."

I love that expression on Sid's face

The two possums, Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck), are cocky, loudmouth pranksters who cause everyone around them nothing but trouble. They enjoy playing "whack-a-mole" and generally annoy everyone. They sure do breath some extra life into the middle of the film, though.

For some reason, this reminds me of a scene in "2001: A Space Odyssey"

However, everyone now has a bigger problem: the water levels are rising, and the animals need to escape the flood. Diego is terrified of the water, and Sid tries to help him deal with that in some amusing "You just have to believe in yourself" exchanges.

Scrat still has the nut....

Manny puts some clumsy moves on Ellie, but she won't have any of it. They eventually learn to work together in order to save the others when the ground beneath them starts cracking.

The two possum brothers acting like frat boys.

Meanwhile, Sid the Sloth gets mistaken for a god by a group of mini-sloths, who intend to sacrifice him, but he manages to escape. In one of the funnier sequences in the film, nobody believes him when he tells his story in all seriousness.

I love how stoic Diego looks.

When the flood finally comes, everything is thrown into turmoil. Manny must prove his manhood when Ellie faces destruction, while Diego must confront his fears of water if he is to help the others to escape.

A little heroism is always good.

While the film ostensibly is about the main characters Manny, Sid and Diego, again it is Scrat who gets the biggest laughs. One can imagine the discussions about this in the studio cafeteria, when a voiceless character takes over a franchise. Some of the promotional materials even feature Scrat exclusively. Director Carlos Saldanha, though, did not rest on the franchise's laurels such as Scrat's break-out status. He re-tooled the characters to make them more expressive and emotive. As a result, this is a livelier film than the first installment. Saldanha's efforts were appreciated so much that he was invited back to do the follow-up film, 2009's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

Manny and Ellie kind of cramped on that ice floe.

The film was the highest grossing animated film of 2006 worldwide, even somehow topping "Cars." That is most likely because the characters and themes of "Ice Age" are more universal than those of "Cars." This also is a more comical franchise, whereas "Cars" tends slightly more toward drama and romance. What romance there is here is played strictly for laughs. Laughs travel well across the oceans, at least good ones do.

This just shows how universal this series really is.

The two possum brothers come near to stealing this film, just as Scrat did the last time. The pace also picks up appreciably in the second half after dragging a bit early on. Sequels aren't usually that original compared to their predecessors, even highly respected ones such as "The Godfather: Part II," but this is even more derivative than usual. The phenomenal popularity of Scrat is a double-edged sword, because, while he is a perfect comical character, his antics don't advance the story. The activities of the others, though, at times seem to be there just to give Scrat time to rest up for his next act.

"I'm dancing as fast as I can!"

In summary, this is not the best sequel ever made, but that probably isn't where they were aiming. It manages to again be a very funny film, which isn't easy with follow-ups. It only runs 91 minutes, and much of that is taken up with Scrat, so the plot is very simple and easy for the youngsters to understand. It's not really necessary to have seen "Ice Age" to understand this film, though it would help. The computer animation by Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Animation again is quite good, but not ground-breaking this time out. It is more of the same - which was quite excellent the first time around, and still is here.

Scrat never will get rid of that nut....

This plays exactly as it should, like a continuation of the first film without too much new thrown on the screen. Sure, a little more originality would have been nice, but you don't always get what you want. This will pass the time before you get to the follow-up, which is the jewel in the crown of the series.

2012

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Ice Age (2002) - Take a Trip Back in Time with Sid and Manny

Ice Age: In which We are Introduced to Sid, Manny, Diego - and Most Important of All, Scrat

Twentieth Century Fox doesn't do a slew of animation pictures, but when they do one, they tend to do it right. Fox Animation hit one out of the park with "Ice Age" (2002), a tale about assorted prehistoric mammals faced with new challenges when things start getting colder. Directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha from a story by Michael J. Wilson, "Ice Age" twas one of the surprise hits of 2002 and led to several enormously popular sequels.

Scrat became a Phenomenom

A saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat (voiced by Chris Wedge, though Scrat doesn't speak, just makes sounds), is trying to find a place to store his prized acorns. Innocently, he tries pounding them into the icy ground, which suddenly splits open beneath him, causing a rift that rapidly grows until it extends to the horizon. This sets off an avalanche and other disasters.  Then, Scrat is stepped on by a herd of fleeing animals, all heading south. It's turning into a real bad day for Scrat, but he perseveres, continuing at intervals throughout the film to try and bury the acorns, without much success.

Scrat is always trying to bury his nuts

Nearby, Sid (John Leguizamo), a wisecracking, clumsy sloth, is attacked by two large rhinoceros-like beasts. He is saved by Manny (Ray Romano), a deadpan, cynical mammoth who sends them packing. Sid and Manny become friends and team up.

The humans, who don't stick around long

Meanwhile, Soto (Goran Visnjic) also is nearby.  He is a Smilodon, a fierce line of big cats kind of like sabertooth tigers. He has a grudge against a tribe of humans and plans on raiding their camp, carrying off the chief's baby son and eating him. After an attack fails to produce the child, Soto sends his malevolent crony Diego (Denis Leary) off to kidnap the baby for him.

The cute human baby

Sid and Manny wander into Soto's realm and stumble upon the chief's baby and his mother, who have escaped from Soto by jumping over a waterfall. The mother mysteriously disappears, leaving the baby in Manny's care. Looking for the father, they can't find him - the humans' camp is deserted. Instead, they run into Diego, who is overjoyed at his good fortune. Not knowing Diego's true motives, they all join up until Diego guilefully guides them into an ambush. The three animals bond during their journey, but the final showdown with Soto looms.

Sid takes good care of the child

While a comedy with many historically impossible aspects, "Ice Age" is a great introduction to many animals that have long been extinct. Apparently, the producers brought in experts to help select the animals to use, and those experts had only one ultimate bottom line: no dinosaurs, which had died out long before. Thankfully for scientific integrity, there is not a Brontosaurus or T. Rex to be seen - not, at least, until they were introduced in one of the sequels.

Diego Points the Way

The likeable characters will amuse children, while very few adults will recognize all the animals. There are a few pop cultural references thrown in for laughs, such as a crashed flying saucer and asides about global warming. Combined with state-of-the-art computer animation, this is a very sophisticated film that isn't your usual "The Smurfs" "Hey, we're in New York!" set-up. Anyone should find something to like in this film which is voiced mostly by well-known tv character actors.

It's Nice that they take such good care of the baby

The best thing about the film, quite simply, is that it is gorgeous. The DVD transfer is as good as any on the market, and the Dolby surround sound will make you glad you invested in all those speakers. It has a less cartoony feel than "Shrek" or "Monsters, Inc.," to which it is often compared. However, don't be put off by that: it isn't one of those moralistic tales that try to tell kids how they should live or tries to teach them paleontology. It just gives simple insight into how people act in order to get along. A straightforward tale of relationships between animals who are well-rounded and develop as the film progresses, the film is a lot of fun. Many will find the minor character Scrat the real star of the film and the one they like the most. The knowing wise-cracks by the other animals about their own futures will entertain kids and adults alike.

The vistas really are quite scenic

Adults, though, may take extra delight from sequences in the film that remind them of the old "Roadrunner" cartoons of Chuck Jones. These references are a worthy tribute to Jones (which apparently was intended). More than that, "Ice Age" is one of the top animation films to date, which served as the foundation for one of the top animation franchises of all time, right behind "Shrek" and ahead of "Toy Story" in total grosses. This should be at the front of the shelf, right beside those classic animation films.

2012

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Toy Story (1995) - The Creation of Andy's Room

Toy Story: An Epic Experience in Animation History

In the Universe, there was the Big Bang. In the field of exploration, there was Christopher Columbus stumbling upon an entire continent that had somehow gone un-noticed by the Europeans. In film history, there also are pivotal moments: the introduction of the Hays Code in 1934; the advent of talkies in 1928; technicolor in the 1930s; 3D in the 1950s; the "Disney Renaissance" of the 1990s; and "Toy Story."

Buzz Lightyear and the aliens in the claw game

Well, "Toy Story" (1995) by itself perhaps doesn't quite reach those kinds of levels, but it comes darn close. "Toy Story" put Pixar on the map and began the pre-eminent animation franchise of all time. "Shrek" may have pumped out more films in its decade-long run, "The Land Before Time" might have generated, what, a dozen sequels, but nothing touches the grandeur of the "Toy Story" franchise and its bedroom full of wacky characters.

Woody greets Buzz

Tom Hanks, at that time just off his Oscar run in "Forest Gump" and "Philadelphia," stars as Woody, a pull-string cowboy toy owned by young Andy (John Morris). He is Andy's favorite toy, but his more important role is as the leader of all of Andy's toys. While acting lifeless with people around, the toys all come to life when left alone. One day, Woody leads an away team to find out what Andy is getting for his upcoming birthday. They find that one of those presents is a brand new space ranger toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Woody feels threatened and resentful that anyone should think that he alone is not enough for Andy. The other toys also worry him because they give Buzz a lot of attention. "Toy Story" chronicles Woody's jealousy and the beginning of his amiable rivalry with Buzz.

Woody and Buzz

Andy is going with his family to Pizza Planet, which has a science fiction theme, and he is going to take Buzz. Woody, though, is jealous and hides Buzz so that Andy can't find him and will have to take Woody instead. Instead of hiding Buzz behind the desk, though, Woody somehow drops Buzz out the window. The other toys are suspicious, thinking that Woody intentionally murdered Buzz. The plan works, though, as Andy winds up taking Woody to Pizza Planet anyway. On the way, though, Buzz gets in the car when they stop for gas and confronts Woody. Both toys wind up on the pavement, and Andy drives off without them.

Woody in the hands of his new owner Sid

Woody spots a truck going to Pizza Planet, so the two toys jump on it and ride there. Once at the restaurant, Buzz wanders off to an arcade game, thinking it is a ship that will take him back to his home world. Inside are aliens who have their own culture, honoring the mighty claw arm as their god. Woody comes to rescue Buzz from the machine, but Andy's neighbor Sid Phillips (Erick von Detten), who has a terrible reputation among the toys, captures both of them with the claw arm.

Buzz about to take Woody for a ride

Sid takes them home, and Buzz and Lightyear are frantic to escape quickly because Andy is moving to another home soon. Buzz tests whether he is, in fact, a toy and tries to fly, falling and losing his arm. Woody uses the arm to wave to his comrades in Andy's house and get help, but they assume he murdered Buzz. Sid's toys, who are all nice but mangled due to Sid's experiments with them, help out by reconnecting Buzz's arm, but Sid decides to have some fun and straps Buzz to a rocket to destroy him completely. Woody and Sid's toys rescue Buzz, and Woody scares Sid off by coming to life and telling him off for hurting defenseless toys. Woody and Buzz leave through a hole in the fence, but find that Andy and his family are gone to their new home.

Wood enjoying himself while flying

Buzz and Woody manage to get to the truck taking Andy's toys to the new home, but Sid's dog Scud chases them and almost gets Woody until Buzz intervenes. Buzz is now in peril, but Woody's attempt to save him using a remote-controlled vehicle fails when the other toys become suspicious of his motives and toss Woody off the truck into the street. The other toys realize their error, though, and come to help out. The remote-controlled car's batteries die, so Woody improvises and uses the rocket on Buzz's back to propel them all back into the truck. And comes by and is happy to rediscover the toys he thought were missing. They all get to the new house, and find out that Andy's Christmas gift is their worst nightmare, a new puppy.

The Toy Story cast

"Toy Story" is beloved by all, and is one of the best-reviewed films ever, and not just animation films. It was a breakthrough, because, while Disney had been dabbling with computer generated imagery (CGI) for decade, since "The Black Cauldron," it hadn't felt the need to create an entire film using CGI as Pixar did with "Toy Story." For Pixar, a nerdy little computer graphics company that did contract work for Disney, "Toy Story" was a bet-the-company gamble, and it worked. That Pixar, with no experience putting together feature-length animated films, was able to get all the minute details of such a production - casting, dialogue, plot, imagery, continuity, music ("You've Got a Friend in Me" by Randy Newman is a classic), on and on - done to perfection was a staggering accomplishment. Pixar's expertise is especially evident in the expressiveness they give to the toys' faces, particularly Woody's. This is what draws the viewer in and makes the toys friends and not just objects that can talk. Wisely, Pixar hired some of the most engaging actors in the industry, including Allen, Hanks, Wallace Shawn (Rex), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, John Ratazenberger as piggy bank Hamm, and the like to reinforce the human-ness of the toys. All this combined gives the ingredients for a smash hit. Which, of course, "Toy Story" was.

Bo Peep turns traitor: "Buzz has more gadgets on him than a Swiss Army knife.”

At heart, the key to the success of "Toy Story" and its sequels is that, in the tradition of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and too many cop films to count, it is a buddy film. Woody and Buzz form a terrific "Odd Couple," with Woody going through a very understandable sequence of emotions when his domain is threatened by the newcomer Buzz, but then backing off and not only accepting Buzz, but embracing his presence. Seeing the two work out their differences so that together they can accomplish more than either one of them alone in the final third of "Toy Story" is extremely satisfying. Allen has perhaps the best lines as the cocky Buzz, but Hanks always will be the sentimental favorite in any showdown between them because of his inherent likability. Hanks also gets some terrific "diva" moments, such as when he rants to Buzz about the true nature of their existence, a truly classic line of dialogue that is so good because it is so ridiculously appropriate and undercuts the sense of disbelief that may exist in the viewer's mind and lets him/her know that Pixar is in on the joke all the way:

“You are a toy! You aren’t the real Buzz Lightyear! You’re an action figure. You are a child’s plaything!”

While Mr. Potato Head is a fan favorite, Rex the cowardly dinosaur also provides lots of laughs

Buzz, of course, also has a great set-up to his character. For the entire first half of this Pixar film, he is convinced that he is on a failed space mission and has to repair his ship or find some other way back to his home world. Tim Allen is perfect as the deluded astronaut who keeps finding just enough positive reinforcement for his wrong-headed belief to maintain it in the face of stark reality. When he finally does face reality, his reaction is quite touching, and you will feel bad for this toy that he in fact is not out exploring the galaxy, but is forever entombed in Andy's bedroom. Tim Allen has just the right "everyman" attitude that is as convincing and winning as Hanks' amiability and soft-heartedness for Woody.

Sid just delights in mangling and torturing his toys

The most amazing thing about this franchise, though, is that "Toy Story" itself was just the humble beginnings. It may have grossed over $300 million, but that was a mere "bag of shells," as Ralph Kramden would say, in comparison to what was to come. "Toy Story 3," which came out in 2010 with Randy Newman's best work of all, nearly tripled this film's gross. What that says is that the franchise built up an awful lot of good will with this introduction to some of the most loveable animated characters ever created and attracted more viewers based on that reputation. It used to be thought that sequels could never do better than original films at the box office, but "Toy Story" showed that opening the door with a surprise-hit animated film was enough to generate billions later if the quality was good enough.

Woody feeling a bit left out

You can nit-pick all you want - boys usually stick with GI Joe dolls, and there isn't a single one in sight, the Hell of Sid's toys is not really explored sufficiently to give them life - but that gets you nowhere. "Toy Story" is a great animated film. If you have never seen "Toy Story," you might as well go out of your way to do so, because odds are terrific that, sooner or later, a friend will drag you to a sequel or will have one playing while you are visiting and you will enjoy it tremendously, but not as much as if you saw the original and the establishment of all the toys' relationships. It will just make the entire experience more enjoyable. Consider it fun homework.

Andy and his two recovered toys

Below is the original trailer for "Toy Story," and below that the Randy Newman theme song, "You've Got a Friend in Me":

2012

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