Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) User Reviews

A Joyous Delight

[RichardSRussell-1 · 8/10 · 1 July 2009]

I haven't had so many laff-out-loud moments in a movie for a long time. There's about an even mix of verbal and visual gags in this 3rd installment of the Ice Age family saga, they're all fresh instead of hackneyed, and they all work. You wouldn't think a film set in the age of mammoths would be able to run a parody of the old "red wire vs. blue wire" time-bomb scenario, but they find an ingenious way to do it.

Now those among you who haven't fallen prey to creationism are well aware that mammoths are very large mammals (and hence quite recent in geological time), while the last of the dinosaurs went extinct 65,000,000 years ago. So how does the plot explain their coexistence? Well, it seems that there's this entire hidden tropical world underneath the eponymous ice, and our heroes literally fall into it. (Don't overthink it.)

Suddenly Manny the mammoth and his pregnant mate Ellie discover that they're not only not the largest creatures on Earth, as they'd thot, but actually pretty petite compared to the Mama T. Rex, who in turn has to look up to Dad. It's a classic tale of nature red in tooth and claw, except for nobody actually getting eaten. (Well, several critters are swallowed whole but subsequently disgorged, slimy with saliva but basically unhurt; family film, y'know.)

The animation is terrific. Judging from the end credits, apparently the Astor beaver trade, long thot to be extinct, has experienced a renaissance in the animated-fur factories of California. Dino babies and mammal kids are ridiculously endearing. The 3-D is likewise terrific, well used where appropriate (especially in conveying a sense of scale for the underworld) but not overdone. The one carp I have is that 3-D simply does not lend itself to dissolves between scenes; I'm guessing the filmmakers figured this out themselves, as most of the time they used cuts.

The characters, familiar now from the 2 previous films, are well acted with distinctive personalities, and the comic-relief possums have an expanded role. New to the cast is Scratte, a long-lashed female squirrel who, in a running subplot (including mini-cartoons to both start and end the flik), vies with the iconic acorn for the undying devotion of Scrat. As a devotee of the tango, I particularly appreciated their version of it. Also new is Buck, a bold, intrepid, 1-eyed buccaneer of a weasel, voiced by Simon Pegg with British accent in full flower.

Really, it's amazing to realize how much stuff they managed to cram into barely an hour and a half. Never a dull moment, never a missed step. Why, then, does it not get my top rating? Not at all because, as a comedy, it doesn't deserve to be taken seriously. After all, Dogma was a comedy, and it maxed out on my rating scale. But Ice Age 3 wasn't quite an entire story, more a collection of loosely related parts. Every one of those parts was well done, tho; indeed, I'd gladly take any of them over the entire 2.5 hours of the noxious Transformers; sadly, this much better film probably won't do nearly as well at the box office. Too bad.

Enjoyable for kids and adults, but the concept starts to become old

[fred-kolb · 7/10 · 16 September 2009]

--Some minor spoilers, skip the part that describes the plot if you don't want to know anything about it--

Personally, I didn't like the second "Ice Age" movie that much. I thought it just wasn't original enough, and couldn't make an impact compared to the great original. So, since movies franchises often have the tendency to get worse with each sequel, I wasn't expecting very much of the third Ice Age movie "Dawn of the Dinosaurs". But, I have to admit, it was quite entertaining and funny, with many jokes and funny situations. The change of location from the white ice world, the main characters inhabited in the first two films, to the lush and green jungle, also did the movie some good, because the optic is just different and more exciting. While the first Ice Age movie still remains unreached by either of the sequels, the third one considerably improves on the second one, with more humor, better action and interesting ideas.       

Manfred and Ellie, the two mammoths, are expecting a baby, and Manfred, who is really happy to become a father tries everything to make his wife more comfortable and happy. Meanwhile, the saber-toothed tiger Diego, has to deal with the fact, that he is not the youngest anymore, and that his instincts and reflexes are getting worse. He decides to leave his herd, because he feels his life is coming to an end. Sid, the sloth, wants to have children of his own, and when he discovers three abandoned eggs in a cave, he decides to take them with him. One morning, he realizes that three dinosaurs have hatched from the eggs, and to make matters worse their mother is already looking for them. She attacks Sid and her three babies and abducts them to her world, a large, lush and green jungle, that is located directly under the thick layer of ice. Manfred, Ellie, the two opossums Crash and Eddie, decide to save Sid and eventually meet up with Diego on the way again. They are then joined by the mad wannabe pirate Buck, a weasel, who lost his eye to a gigantic monster, named Rudy, that lives somewhere deep in the jungle. Sid, meanwhile, tries to convince the dinosaurs' mother, that he can provide more for the children than her, but eventually has to accept that children belong to their real mother. The squirrel Scrat, once again reunited with his precious nut, has to deal with an entirely new problem. A femme fatal squirrel, who uses her charm to take Scrat's nut away from him. Being a lot smarter and trickier than him, she gets to keep the nut for most of the time, but eventually falls in love with Scrat, after he saves her from deadly lava. But what is more important to Scrat, his nut or his new girlfriend?

With so many animated movies flooding the market these days, it becomes quite hard to come up with new ideas. Talking animals certainly isn't one, but if the characters have enough history and emotion, it really doesn't matter. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" really profits from a slightly new approach to the material, which includes some very obvious parodies. The new character of Buck was most definitely inspired by Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the final battle could have directly come from one of the "Star Wars" movies. Then we have the dinosaurs, who are, of course, extremely evil and always hunt down the main characters. All in all, the movies appears slightly stretched and has some relatively slow bits, for which the beginning and ending compensate, though. Especially the first 20-25 minutes, are some of the funniest in any Ice Age movie. And the scenes involving Scrat and his new girlfriend are just as funny as they have always been.

Then we have once again, the actors who give the characters their voices. Ray Romano, who has such a unique voice, speaks Manfred, Denis Leary is Diego, John Leguizamo is Sid and Queen Latifah is Ellie. Buck, the pirate, is voiced by British actor Simon Pegg. Animated movies can never be judged according to acting, because the true leading actors here are the animators. But just as we are used to, the previously mentioned actors put their best effort into providing their character's voice.

So, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is entertaining and enjoyable, but certainly not the best animated movie of the year. Still it is a good 90 minute time filler, and those who enjoyed the previous Ice Age films, will definitely also like this one. (3.5/5)

The third installment in the Ice Age movie franchise is funny and entertaining, with some very original ideas, but certain lengths throughout the entire film.

Surprised that I enjoyed it.

[troykleasner · 7/10 · 21 June 2009]

Not a bad flick. I don't remember liking the first one, skipped the second one and the only reason I went to see this one was because it was a "sneak preview" that started right after the movie I had gone to see and it was in 3D. I recommend seeing this one in 3D as it was worth the extra couple dollars. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The story was really stupid and didn't make any sense (dinosaurs living under the ice???), but it kept me interested the entire movie, partly because of the hilarious side story with the acorn loving animal and an excellent job by Simon Pegg as Buck the weasel(I just got done watching his TV show "Spaced" so maybe I am a little partial), who I had no idea was going to be in the movie. This movie also did a wonderful job of keeping everyone in the audience interested. The theater was packed and the only things you heard besides the movie was popcorn chomping and laughter, lots of laughter. Definitely worth seeing at the theater.

A cool addition to the Ice Age series

[dudedazzreviews · 7/10 · 10 October 2010]

I'm a fan of the Ice Age movies and I think they're quite funny to watch and it's one for kids and adults but is a trilogy always a good idea? After Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, a lot has happened for these lovable characters. Now that Ellie and Manny are together, they are going to have a baby which leaves Manny wanting everything to be perfect for when the addition arrives. Diego is bored and takes a look at his attitude and wonders if he's too laid-back about everything. Ice Age wouldn't be Ice Age without Scrat who is still trying to catch that acorn but has met his match when female sabre-tooth squirrel, Scratte, wants the acorn too. After Sid sees how happy Manny and Ellie are, he wants a family of his own so he steals three dinosaur eggs which leads to Sid being kidnapped to a weird underground world where his friends have to save him.

The animation is simply brilliant and very well done and the characters are funnier too, especially the little clips of Scrat and Scratte fighting over the acorn. The story in the movie was very good for a kids' movie and adults can be assured that they will like it too. The jokes were quite funny and there were some sneaky jokes in there for adults but children wouldn't probably see it. Also the one-liners in the movie are pretty funny too, such as when Manny says to Sid, "Don't worry, you'll meet a nice girl with low standards". The cast who lend their voices for our heroes were great too, especially Simon Pegg as Buck who added a bit more of comedy to the movie.

Overall, I would say that this is better than the second movie but not the first. It's a great watch for kids and adults alike and is sure not to disappoint.

Read more reviews at: www.dudedazzmoviereviews.wordpress.com

Ice Age 3 is the return of true family films

[bearfaceproductions · 10/10 · 11 July 2009]

Ice age 3 was really funny and it stays true to the series. Same old characters, a whole new adventure that everyone at any age can enjoy.

I saw the critics and I thought to my self that it would be good, but I didn't expect much, but I really did enjoy it more than I thought. It may not be the best compared to the other Ice Age films, but it still a great thrill ride that the audience can enjoy.

And if you find a theater near you that has it in digital 3D, go and watch it in 3D, because the action and adventure will excite you even more than it actually does.

Normally people think since it's a third part, then the movie won't be that great, but hear me when I say that keep that thought out of your mind and parents, take your kids with you, they are sure to leave with a smile and a long lasting excitement for more.

100% enjoyable, its a 10!

A Nutshell Review: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

[DICK STEEL · 6/10 · 4 July 2009]

I think Ice Age has already established a strong franchise, and if it sticks to its own narrative formula, it should still find some legs to carry on the laughs with more movies to come, since the character base keeps on expanding, and unless the box office receipts tells the filmmakers otherwise. Like the adage goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As always, the film opens with the adventures of Scrat from what you would already have seen from the trailer, where he encounters Scratte and has to decide which to give up, a potential relationship with a lover who sometimes prove to be manipulating his feelings, or that perennial piece of acorn that is always just as elusive. That'll bring you to the opening credits, before you're introduced to the all too familiar characters in Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) the Mammoths, Sid (John Leguizamo), Eddie (Josh Peck) and Crash (Seann WIlliam Scott) the possums, and Diego (Denis Leary) the sabre-tooth tiger, that rag- tag team of a makeshift herd who have stuck together through thick and thin, ready for one more adventure.

The story's somewhat scattered this time round, with each character being pre-occupied with their respective concerns. Many and Ellie having to face some jitters with the looming expectations in being new parents, and in so this threatens the dynamics of their herd, with the aging Diego having his morale low due to his physical deterioration and decision to leave the herd, and Sid being a little more idiotic than before, this time adopting some three baby dinosaurs as his own kids.

And because this surrogate parent role was especially not welcomed by the baby dinosaurs parent, which turns out to be of the T-Rex species, Sid's failure to give them back meant they all had to be forcefully taken to the dino's natural habitat, in a lost world still filled with lush greenery and plenty of other roaming prehistoric, and supposedly extinct creatures. In other words, with the action taking place in this part of the world, the title "Ice Age" did somewhat seem like a misnomer, as gone are the usual white, snow covered environment, that made way for thick forests and undergrowth.

Which somewhat took the polish off the film, and I felt that both the characterization and the plot and subplots suffered. The usual themes which has been beaten to death in the earlier films, like trust, sacrifice and friendship get repeated again here, and the first half of the film really looked tired despite the 3D enhancement that I've opted for, with only depth of field, and as far as I can tell, no specific set action sequence to milk the potential of a 3D presentation. The story became bogged down with trying to handle too many different character motivations at the same time that it only managed to give each some cursory attention.

Thankfully the slack was picked up in time for quite an exciting finale. This was in fact like a culmination of what the new character, voiced by Simon Pegg, could do, as Buck the possum which had gone bonkers. The filmmakers here seemed totally satisfied with allowing Buck to steal the show, and stole the film it did, with his Jack Sparrow-like swagger for that sense of adventure, coupled with an unsound mind, a fearless and gung-ho attitude, and plenty of wonderfully crafted dialogues and comedic instances. Comedy, a staple in the Ice Age movies, seemed to be stuck at a low with the usual name-dropping references to pop culture that Buck actually arrived at the right time to save the day.

What could be a problem was of course the lack of a strong antagonist to shake things up a little. In the first installment we got the sabre-tooth tigers, and the second being a fight against the nature's wrath. This one had a tough cookie dinosaur in a T-Rex, but seriously, do we need another Rex as a bad character? Otherwise the "villains" just pop up whenever the situation calls for it, or became a sort of an enigma before finally appearing for some 2-3 minutes worth of screen-time. This made the film lose that sense of urgency in developing its narrative, and looked for the most parts that it was just coasting along, waiting for something major to happen.

Given the way it bade farewell, I think there is still enough fuel for a couple more Ice Age movies, but the next time, I'm hoping for a lot more focus, a lot more genuine comedy, and for the animation to remain as flawless as it currently already is, if not better. Amongst the three, my least liked, story-wise, but it surely had the most memorable character of the lot in Buck.

Nothing short of awesome!! Great 3d bluray as well!!

[joiningjt · 9/10 · 26 August 2020]

Just an overall perfect family movie but adults can enjoy it as well and simon pegg as buck was a great addition. My wife and I watched this film just us 2 old farts and we enjoyed the heck out of it. We own the 3d bluray yes we're the few the proud the extinct the 3d LOVERS !! Cant understand why more people didn't give it a go some of the bluray movie we own I cant imagine not being 3d!! Gravity is a 7. Hut as a 3d it's a 10!! Even titanic was better in 3d!! And avatar forget it. A 3d MASTERPIECES!! Anyway enjoy bvb this movie it's a blast!!

Fun for kids, tiring for adults

[Gordon-11 · 10 August 2009]

This film is about the Sid bringing home three dinosaur eggs in order to start his own family that he longs for.

The animation in "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" is very good. The initial scenes which Sid finds the eggs are impressive, as the shadows and the amount of light on the eggs changes when Sid moves. The scene where an animal falls into water looks actually perfectly real and not animated.

However, the content of the film was a major bore. The same supposedly funny material keep coming up, as if the filmmakers ran out of jokes. I got so tired of squirrels chasing nuts and animals falling from height. The jokes may be entertaining if you do it once, but not when repeated thirty times. In addition, most of the entertainment is geared towards young children, which means there is not enough material to keep adults interested.

I find "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" tiresome and boring. I was waiting for it to end about half way through already.

Desperate nonsense...but excellent desperate nonsense!

[joben-525-633946 · 6/10 · 26 December 2012]

'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' certainly makes the crew at Blue Sky Studios look desperate and deprived of ideas as they render straight off the ice age script (what the film is supposed to revolve around) and head under the ice to tackle dinosaurs.

Crazy? Certainly.

Ridiculous? Of course.

Is it good? Incredibly!

Though it may be what I have stated in the first paragraph, 'Dawn of the Dinosaurs' is a hilarious and visually fabulous tale of how Sid the Sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo) is taken hostage by a Tyrannosaurus-Rex and Manny (voiced Ray Romano), Diego (voiced by Denis Leary), Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah) join forces with the hysterical one-eyed weasel named Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg).

Again, you may imply from the above the narrative is rather similar to 'The Meltdown' and the original. Yes this is true despite the completely different scenarios. The basic plot is very familiar and not much fresh ground is covered; the change of environments and villains means though it is far less noticeable.

The film's main highlight is Simon Pegg's weasel Buck who is outrageously funny from almost every line of dialogue. Pegg voiced the troublemaker perfectly like a can't-be-bothered-teenager and he is able to give him a distinctive cheeky attitude with effortless ease.

'Dawn of the Dinosaurs' is certainly ridiculous and mental in the fact it has nothing to do with ice age's and teaches you nothing about dinosaurs. However, it keeps the spark alive in the 'Ice Age' franchise with another consistent source of entertainment for all ages.

A Wonderful and Entertaining Tale of Love and Friendship

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 9 July 2011]

Manny is anxious with the pregnancy of Ellie and builds a playground for the offspring. Meanwhile, Scrat disputes an acorn with the female Scratte and they fall in love with each other while Diego feels old since he is unable to catch a gazelle. The lonely Sid feels jealous of Manny and Ellie and when he finds three dinosaur eggs in an underground cave, he steals and brings them to the surface. He hatches the eggs during the night and on the next morning, three dinosaur babies believe that Sid is their mother and follow him everywhere.

Meanwhile, the real dinosaur mammy seeks their offspring out and when she finds the trio, she brings them back with Sid to her underground world. Manny, Ellie, Diego, Crash and Eddie pursue the dinosaur to rescue their friend and stumble with a dangerous underground world. But they are helped by the smart and talkative one-eyed weasel known as Buck that wears a patch and chases the dangerous Rudy, who was the responsible for the loss of his eye.

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" is a wonderful and entertaining tale of love and friendship, with adorable characters and witty situations. The love of Manny with Ellie is very beautiful; the triangle of love among Scrat, the acorn and Scratte is hilarious; the love of Sid with the three dinosaurs is funny and also heartbreaking. For me, the best scene in the story is when mammy dinosaur brings the three babies to the top of a tree and Sid is unable to climb it and says goodnight to the children. But maybe the most important is the friendship Manny, Ellie, Diego, Crash and Eddie with Sid, risking their lives to save their friend. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): A Era do Gelo 3" ("The Ice Age 3")

And a third time's the charm!

[neenahhh · 7/10 · 6 November 2011]

Manny and Ellie are expecting a baby, which makes Diego and Sid question themselves. Diego yearns to be back out in the wild and Sid wishes he had a family of his own. Due to Sid's determination, he ends up stealing some baby eggs, which results in everyone discovering a new world filled with dinosaurs.

The movies in this trilogy just keep getting better and better! This film still has the humor and charm that the last two movies had. It kept me entertained. Sequels usually don't do good in the market- more so if it is a threequel. Surprisingly, "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" wasn't at all bad! The new additions were hilarious and amusing.

My only complaint about the movie was the unnecessary "too-long" footage of Scrat and his female frenemy. I think the movie could have done better if it wasn't for them. I would have liked to see more of the main gang, rather than Scrat and his nut problems. It gets tiring after a while.

Overall, this was still a funny movie! A great addition to the trilogy! I still wonder if there will be a fourth movie to the franchise.. I can only hope that it stays as funny and as true to these three movies.

Sometimes funny, sometimes not

[dobbin-4 · 5/10 · 5 July 2009]

This is the third movie in the highly enjoyed Ice Age trilogy and after the fantastic first one and sadly slightly lackluster second movie, my reactions when I heard of this movie was that of not caring. But when I had seen everything else at the cinema I went, and I must say this movie was pretty entertaining. Its plot, while predictable kept me entertained and the character's were kept true to their usual self's.

Some negative movies though is the humour it resorts to if a scene starts to drag on a little and this film we saw a lot of the same humour used in 100 films before it but only a small fraction of the films jokes were taken up with this and mostly the film kept original.

Overall, I think I enjoyed the movie more then the second one, but the second one had this bit for style and grace. I will give this movie 52%.

Okay, but diminishing returns are setting in

[YourFamilyExpert · 6/10 · 17 January 2017]

The Ice Age films have never achieved (or aspired to) the greatness of Pixar or the better films in Dreamworks' canon. That said, they've always had a light and easy charm that adults can enjoy right along with their kids. By now audiences know exactly what they're getting from an Ice Age film, and the best compliment one can pay this third film is that it maintains the quality of previous entries. What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in improved visuals (a pterodactyl chase in particular is stunning), a fun turn by Simon Pegg as a wilderness warrior, and the simple fact that after three films they still keep coming up with innovative mini-stories about Scrat and that acorn.

Breezy entertainment is watchable

[wildlife-ptech · 7/10 · 25 October 2019]

Rating

7/10

This sequel is fast paced and breezy and packed with good action scenes and zany jokes. Fast momentum makes it watchable for adults. Kids will enjoy the film.

It would appear moving away from the ice, on top of actually providing us with a little bit of adventure, was the answer all along.

[johnnyboyz · 6/10 · 5 March 2013]

Can a film still be called "Ice Age" when it takes place somewhere that resembles the tropics? For two whole films now, we've followed the adventures of a mammoth; a sloth and a sabre tooth tiger across the barren, icy lands at a time when land and continents intercepted with one another as one great big piece of terrain. There we sight gags to do with fossils and about evolution; second unit sequences involving icicles and would-be water flumes in a state of being frozen solid as well as meek tracts on global warming threatening to burn up all the frost and ice. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a refreshing shift away from such things, the entry that moves things away from the above and into the locale of a jungle, a thriving; bustling zone wherein the crew are dwarfed by trees and shrubbery rather than glaciers and where the threat arrives in the form of dinosaurs. The sense of adventure is more omnipresent than usual, that sense of a space being alien or unfamiliar much more apparent. The answer, then, to the question is "No", but the film is all the more better because of it.

This sense of stark change is actually synonymous throughout the film, and things are genuinely better as a result. Not only has location changed, director of this edition Carlos Saldanha, with the more recurrent Mike Thurmeier, have started pairing the central characters off on top of having one of them face imminent fatherhood. All of this is before the distinct shift in filmic tone and narrative arc – an entry resisting depicting these animals trekking on a one way route across anonymous snowy plains trying to get somewhere, or deliver someone to someone else. Moreover, we're taking a leaf out of one of those old 60's monster movies wherein a bunch of people are stuck in a place time has forgotten; a place wherein strange creatures and dinosaurs rule the jungle dominated roost and the likes of Jackson's King Kong remake as well as 2001's second Jurassic Park sequel have much more recently dared to exploit on grander, bigger budgeted scales.

Gone too is the sardonic wit and general cynicism attributed to Manfred and Mammoth, replaced with a sort of 'goofy impending father' routine as he carries on with where he left off beside partner Ellie at the end of Ice Age 2. He is, of course, part of a group of three including Diego (Leary) and Sid (Leguizamo), the respective sabre toothed tiger and sloth; Diego of whom sees little future in his current predicament with these guys (facing an impending child on the scene/Sid's slapstick antics), and longs for an adventure as gags about old age and domestic suffocation rear up. Wouldn't you know it, Sid goes missing on account of a Tyrannosaurus Rex taking him after he stole, and then observed hatch, her eggs – thus, it's up to these remaining characters as well as the Seann William Scott and Josh Peck voiced quick-fire critters we were introduced to in the second film to tag along and save him. Upon stumbling upon a previously unaccounted jungle dominated world below the surface, they hook up with Simon Pegg's survivalist weasel Buck, who acts as their guide through the terrain. Interestingly, when we first encounter him, it is a recreation of the very instance Sam Neill's Dr. Grant character is rescued from all manner of prehistoric beats by the very boy he is involuntarily searching for in Jurassic Park III. As soon as those gas canisters go off, it is revealed to us right where we are in relation to this new addition and we ease into it in that sense.

It comes as a relief that we can slog through this sort of film once again after the tedious disaster that was Ice Age 2. This is funnier and more exciting, with a lot of adventure to be had out of it. There is an urgency to things this time, a huge dinosaur akin to Jurassic Park III's Spinosaurus is on their tail and that element of chase works better here than it did in number two, when flesh-hungry fish were gobbling up anything foolish enough not to respect the fact there was a massive thaw swallowing everything up behind them. Where things break down in this sense of children and adults liking the same content, however, are in the scenes when Manfred mulls over potential fatherhood; while few people below a certain age will get quite the desired kick out of seeing Buck emerge from a muddy swamp alá Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now.

Few people would argue against the recurring squirrel character Scrat being the funniest thing in any of the films, but where it is often advised in any walk of life not to try and mend things that are not broken, the film decides to revamp his own on-going crusade to finally snare an acorn he's been forever been attempting to obtain. The overlying joke inherent with this skit was always the cruel denial after the apparent security one would obtain what one wants, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs vamping up the core of the gag in their introducing of a female foil for Scrat; a sort of odd mesh of the Cadbury's Caramel Bunny with the jagged, brisk animations that came with the central characters from Disney's 1963 film The Sword in the Stone upon transformation into squirrels. Thus, these sequences have mutated into an odd, borderline bawdy, tease-and-denial routine wherein the laughs come hearty and somewhat regular, but with that nagging sensation at the back of one's mind as one realises this is a kids film. Regardless, the film is so much fun and is so immune to doing any wrong, that they've managed to mess around with the franchise's best and most popular item and still just about get it right.

Ice Age 3 delivers the goods, and appeals to grown-ups and kids alike

[saarvardi · 9/10 · 28 June 2009]

My wife and I attended an early press screening for the third Ice Age installment two weeks ago and had a wonderful time. The film easily tops the second outing of the series, and is right on par with the first - with just the right mixture of new characters and settings vs. the older ones we've all grown to love (especially Scrat. I can watch a whole movie with this guy).

This time around, Manny and Ellie are expecting a baby mammoth, something that leads to unexpected responds from Diego and Sid. When Sid decides to become a parent himself in return, he steals three giant eggs he accidentally bumps into, only to later realize they're dinosaur eggs that belong to a pretty angry mother. When mother-dinosaur kidnaps Sid, it's up to Manny and friends to return him home safely. Adventures ensue as they find out that underneath their icy world lives a land filled with enormous and sometimes menacing dinosaurs, one which our friends would need to cross in order to rescue Sid.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is cute but not insulting, the visuals are stunning and if you forgive the obvious historical loophole (there were no dinosaurs during the Ice Age) you can actually have quite a good time. The dinosaurs add a lot to the plot, and there's actually a very cool, nice sense of adventure throughout the film, one that was somewhat missing (in my opinion) from the previous installment. All this adds to a fun and thrilling experience - alongside the visuals, jokes and general good atmosphere.

To sum things up - Ice Age 3 is an above average animated film, that'll appeal to grown-ups and kids alike. I gave it 9 out of 10.

a little confused in history, more is really fun.

[miguelneto-74936 · 7/10 · 3 October 2016]

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the third film in the saga Ice Age which has 5 films, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is lower than the first film, more is slightly better than the second, even being a little more without logic, as for example the film's dinosaurs, obvious that it is an anachronism, more is the deliberate anachronism (at least I think), the film is funny, Buck character who has excellent Simon Pegg to the voice, is a fun and funny character , not to mention it has very good moments it confronting dinosaurs, the end is cool, the script has many problems, more is acceptable, the soundtrack is still good, and the main characters still fun, Ice Age: Dawn of the dinosaurs is a fun and funny movie. Note 7.4

'Ice Age' Getting Better & Better

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 18 December 2009]

Frankly, I was shocked this movie was so good. I mean, sequels aren't supposed to this entertaining, are they? This Ice Age series - three films, so far - just keeps getting better and better, funnier and funnier.

I think the key to their success is discovering what the movie's fans liked and putting those two characters in larger roles. I am speaking of "Sid The Sloth," who is always hilarious and voiced magnificently by John Leguizamo. "Sid" has more lines in this movie than the other two, I would venture to say.....and that's fine with me and most other folks.

The other "character" is "Skrat," the squirrel, who is joined by a female squirrel. "Skrat" has the hots for her, but she's still no competition when it comes to the elusive acorn. Nothing is more important than holding onto one of those and both squirrels are very funny in their battles for possession of that acorn.

As for the story, just picture Sid pretending to be a mom to a threesome of baby dinosaurs. That's all you need to know - it's pretty wild. In all, this is an extremely funny film which also looks, as the other two did, fabulous on Blu-Ray.

One word: AWESOME!!

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 27 August 2019]

All our favorite characters - including the new ones introduced in 'Ice Age 2' - are back for yet another adventure. It was delightful to see the new characters were not as annoying as in 'Ice Age 2'.

This installment plays like an 'Ice Age' vs 'Journey to the center of the Earth' meets 'Jurassic Park' - and its stunning! The element of danger is back, and - just like the first film - this one includes various genres including action, adventure, suspense, and humor that is actually funny - all at the appropriate time. The animation is stunning.

Scrat once again serves up a generous portion of fun and humor. The Tango scene is simply awesome!! (wonder how many times I watched this scene...). While other characters fall in love, Scrat still only has eyes for his beloved acorn. So funny! And then there's Sid, who discovers his Mother's instincts in this film... oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

This was an amazing action adventure thrill ride that will appeal to young and old. Who doesn't like dinosaurs, and an unconventional rescue party...!

Peaches!

[ravsten428 · 7/10 · 6 March 2012]

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs is not nearly as good as the original in the series but a lot better then The Meltdown.

In this part of the series Manny and Ellie are expecting their first child. Diego is losing his ability prey on animals and is getting older and he decides that he wants to leave the herd but he doesn't. Also we see the soft side of Sid (of course he always has been soft) as he fosters three dinosaur eggs he encounters. Later on we discover he has been taking care of babies that belong to a sort of ferocious T-Rex.

Perhaps the best parts of Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the new and vibrant character Bucky. A weasel looking animal he takes them through a land of new creatures that the clan have never seen before. They are walking through a plethora of dinosaurs that rule this land unlike their own. They eventually will find Sid who has become lost.

Bucky is hilarious as the nutty weasel he is. His jokes are funny. But some of them may be a little too adult like in humor to the point where it's downright filthy. But on a whole he is a great addition to the Ice Age series. Another funny part of the film follows our favorite prehistoric squirrel Scratt who while chasing his beloved acorn comes across a gorgeous female squirrel who tries to take his acorn away. The humor between these two comes down to the wire where they will end up falling in love. Has Scratt lost his mind giving up his prized acorn over a girl? Just watch and see.

I am also looking forward to Continental Drift.

Mediocre third flick

[C-Younkin · 5/10 · 29 June 2009]

A meltdown couldn't stop the "Ice Age" crew the last time so now the filmmakers are upping the ante with dinosaurs. Does it make sense? No. If this third film in the series does as well as the first two, will Manny, Sid, and Diego next contend with aliens? I wouldn't put it past them. Heck, the only thing that's really supposed to make sense here is that these movies are trying to capitalize on a hit franchise. ("Dawn of the Dinosaurs" even more so as it rolls into theaters in not just 2-D but 3-D as well.) Just much like the third "Shrek", this is a forgettable and hollow installment, fine for kids but sure to have older fans of the series checking their watches.

The characters are all back. Manny Mammoth (Ray Romano) anxiously awaits the birth of his first child with Ellie (Queen Latifah). Diego the saber-tooth tiger (Denis Leary) sees his skills as a hunter being diminished and ponders leaving the herd. And Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) feels like the odd man out and wishes for a family of his own. When he finds dinosaur eggs, Sid is determined to raise them as his own, not thinking that mama dinosaur is close by. She tracks Sid down and takes her eggs and him back to her underground valley habitat where dinosaurs and other animals live. One of them is a one-eyed, dinosaur-hunting weasel named Buck (Simon Pegg), who helps Manny, Diego, Ellie, and Ellie's possum brothers (Sean William Scott, Josh Peck) when they go looking for Sid.

Scrat the squirrel stars too, still trying to obtain that acorn. Usually his slapstick segments are some of the best parts of the film but even he is little more than lightly amusing. Scratte, a female squirrel, hinders his efforts this time and also serves as romantic counterpart but since neither talk and both seem to like the acorn more than each other, who cares. The same goes for the rest of the movie. The physical comedy gags are too far between and all that's left is a lot of outlandish personalities, most of which are more annoying than funny.

Plotting is limited, stretching the importance of family while at the same time doing nothing of any interest. Splitting the team up takes away from the fun, too many secondary characters only serve as a distraction, and the perils, which include plants, a large dino named Rudy, and floating lava will thrill the kids but be too dull for parents. This puts a damper on the 3-D animation as well, which has some nice snow and forest-filled landscapes but nothing that, figuratively, jumps off the screen about the characters or action.

The vocal actors are still matched up well, just they get very few actual funny things to say. Leguizamo's slurring, goofy performance as Sid is the most fun. Romano is well matched with the cautious, nasally Manny, as is Leary to the vicious Diego. And Latifah is sassy as Ellie. Simon Pegg gives the movie some life as Buck, a nutty safari-hunter who loves the thrill of the chase.

But we're a long way from the visual feast and energetic fun of "Up". I'm sure the kids won't seem to mind though. "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" exists for them. It's just too bad parents are forced to shell out big bucks for something that would have been just as good for cheap had it gone directly to DVD.

For more reviews, check out Leesmovieinfo.com

Steps up its game to become the best of the series so far

[tomgillespie2002 · 7/10 · 12 August 2012]

With Mannie (Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) shortly expecting their first child, Sid (John Leguizamo) fears for the future of the herd. Soon enough, Diego (Denis Leary) decides to leave after failing to catch a gazelle, fearing he has gone soft. Sid finds three eggs in an isolated underground grave which he excitedly adopts, only for them to hatch the next day into tyrannosaurus rex's. When their angry mother attacks the herd and takes her babies back with Sid with them, Mannie, Ellie, Diego, Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck) go off in search of rescue only to discover an underground lost world still inhabited by dinosaurs. It is a hostile environment and the group are soon under attack, but they are rescued by a demented one-eyed weasel named Buck (Simon Pegg) who becomes their guide through the treacherous jungle.

There seems to be continuing theme throughout the Ice Age films. It could be said the first film dealt with childhood, with the three hapless creatures dealing with a delicate baby, and the second film dealing with adolescence, with Mannie finally discovering a female mammoth and falling in love. Naturally, the third film has Mannie and Ellie having their own baby, and therefore focusing on adulthood. Even the sabre-toothed squirrel Scrat is growing up, finding a possible mate in Scratte, and giving all his attention to her rather than his beloved acorn (which seems to be lonely in an inspired yet quite bizarre love montage between the two). Although, in my opinion, the first sequel The Meltdown (2006) was a step back compared to the first film, the third is the best of the bunch, and it's nice to know that the films are growing just as their characters are.

The 'underground lost world' is admittedly a bit of a cheap way to throw in some dinosaurs, but I found it hard to care with animation this beautiful. The opening shot amongst the tree tops of the jungle, with dinosaurs slowly moving and eating from trees, is truly stunning, and a real improvement of the slightly blocky animation of the first film. Sadly, Diego is again given little to nothing to do, and seems a waste of Leary's talents, but the introduction of Buck was certainly a smart one. With Buck as our insane tour guide, it becomes easier to put up with Mannie and Ellie's slightly dull moral heart of the story and enjoy lines such as "about three months ago I woke up married to a pineapple. An ugly pineapple! But I loved her so...". In Pegg's hands his sheer randomness is hilarious. Directors Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier have stepped up their game rather than relying on the Ice Age franchise to bring in the punters, and given the series the kick up the arse it needed.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

A simple story executed to near perfection.

[popcornposse · 8/10 · 29 June 2009]

Its all about family in essence. Starting one, keeping one, becoming one, protecting one. A family film about family is always going to ring the right bells (unless Eddie Murphys in it), and this is no exception! It's funny, its sharp, it's clever, and when it wants too will tug on your heart strings. It's everything a great family film should be. It has just as much humour to keep the grown ups happy as it does the kids.

It's not perfect; it starts fairly slowly with scenes we've already scene twenty times in the trailer, but the further you go into this adventure the more fun you will have.

A fantastic new addition to the franchise is "Buck" (Simon Pegg) a looney tune hermit possum who joins the herd around half way through. When he enters the scene, the whole movie shifts up a gear! Some of the stuff he comes out with will have you rolling in the isle! If you have the chance, you must see it in 3D! It's amazing how this new version of such an old and dated technology can suck you even deeper into a film! The chases are more exciting, the locations more real, it works so well! And it doesn't give you a migraine!

Overall - Like a franchise should, Ice Age gets better and better and better! If you liked the first, you'll love the second! If you loved the second, you'll go crazy for the third! 2D - 8/10 3D - 9/10

Excellent visuals, funny gags and characters overshadow it's lackluster story and it's lack of heart & antagonist

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 6/10 · 2 December 2012]

After the success of Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, another sequel is inevitable, but only this time, it became the start of a franchise that has completely gone downhill due to it's lackluster reviews despite it's success at the box office much like the previous film. One of our three friends named Sid gets captured by a T-Rex after he finds three of it's babies and it's up to Manny, Ellie, her possum brothers, Diego, and a new character named Buck to save him as they encounter some of the dangers that lie withing the dinosaur world.

Just a brief note, I like the first Ice Age. It was a classic and a great start for Blue Sky Studios. I also liked the first sequel as well. It wasn't as excellent as the original, but it was well executed due to one of the character's back-story. This one isn't as terrible as some say it is, but when it comes to a complex story, this one seemed to be lacking not only in it's heart, but it's antagonist and I completely understand why it got seriously panned by the critics.

To be fair, it does have a nice premise about our heroes meeting the dinosaurs for the very first time, but even that doesn't save the story itself from being too thin by using a lot of subplots (trying to save Sid from a mother T-Rex or volcano, encounter three dangerous courses with Buck, you name it) and the dialog, much like the second film, lacks the wit and irrelevance of the first Ice Age. The second half does get dragged a bit especially towards the end and the script isn't that good.

Flaws aside, I think I like the characters and their nice moments throughout the film especially Scrat who steals every scene along with a beautifully attractive new saber tooth squirrel named Scratte and the romance between is both funny and cute. The best character who steals the show the most goes to Buck voiced by Simon Pegg with his funny gags. In fact, the voice acting isn't that bad after all thanks to Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and others. The music from John Powell isn't the strongest, but it's pretty decent, there are some gags that got a chuckle out of me and the pacing moves along very nicely. The strongest aspect goes to the visuals especially the look of the dinosaur world which is in my opinion the best aspect of the animation.

Overall, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs isn't a terrible entry to the franchise, but with a better story and a better script, it would've so much better. I understand that lots of people also hated it as much as the previous one, but I think that this is a decent third entry.

Fun for everyone.

[kirk-246 · 10/10 · 3 July 2009]

6 hours ago,I went to the movies to catch the 4:40 showing of 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' with my older sister and her boyfriend.I liked the first movie but I haven't seen the second,but that didn't stop me from wanting to see the 3rd installment in the popular series.Boy,am I glad that I spent money and 94 minutes of my life by seeing this.The movie was packed with humor,action,adventure,interesting characters,and even some heart.There are many relationships between characters in this movie that help it from melting.Manny and Ellie are 2 happy woolly mammoths who are expecting a baby.Scrat,the squirrel who continues on his hunt for acorns,meets a female squirrel named Scratee(Scrah-tay),and falls for her.Sid becomes a parent when he discovers 3 eggs underground.In short,I loved this movie.

Bring on Ice Age 4