Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
The Facts:
This movie starts just as the other two have: the squirrel is trying to get his acorn. This time, however, he has competition in the form a female flying squirrel. After witnessing another failed attempt to catch the acorn, we are introduced again to our favorite prehistoric friends.
When we last left our prehistoric friends, the ice age was starting to thaw and a new romance was established for Manny (voiced by Ray Romano) with a mammoth named Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah). When we first meet the couple this time, we learn that Ellie is pregnant and that Manny is quite the worrisome father-to-be. Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo) and possum twins Crash (voiced by Sean William-Scott) and Eddie (voiced by Josh Peck) are eagerly awaiting the baby, while Diego (voiced by Denis Leary) seems to be having a midlife crisis and feels left out.
Naturally, Sid wants children of his own so that he can be a “mom” and have people who love him in case he is replaced by the coming baby. While wandering away from the herd, Sid discovers three giant eggs and decides to raise them. When they hatch, they are revealed to be baby Tyrannosaurus Rexes. When Mommy T-Rex comes looking for her babies, she takes Sid with her and the adventure begins.
Manny, Ellie, and the twins go on a quest to find Sid, which leads them under the ice and into the preserved world of the dinosaurs. Once in the dinosaur world, they are joined again by Diego. Only a few minutes in, they are saved from a violent dinosaur by a weasel named Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg) that lives a hermit-style life among the supposedly extinct dinosaurs. Even though he seems psychologically strained, the herd decides to follow Buck as their leader to find Sid.
While the rest of the herd is making their way through the jungle, Sid is busy arguing with the Mommy T-Rex over how to raise their children. Although he annoys the mother, she still protects him when a legendary dangerous dinosaur Buck calls “Rudy”.
With what is supposed to be a climatic ending, the herd finds Sid, the squirrel has a girlfriend, and more typical family friendly events occur.
.
Thoughts and Opinions
I had no real desire to spend $9.00 on a ticket to go see another Ice Age movie, but as a constant movie-goer who spends way too much at the cinema, I went as soon as someone asked if I would go. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed.
The Ice Age plot was good in the first one, and decent enough in the second one, but by the third time around it is just tiring and unoriginal. The characters are boring and predictable, but the plot is even more predictable. Even more disappointing is the lack of humor.
Being a family friendly movie, I understand that there are limits, but limits are not an excuse. I thoroughly enjoy Up, for example, and it was as Disney as you could get. With Dawn of the Dinosaurs there are only cheap attempts at laughs here and there. Even with these few jokes you can barely crack a smile because it is painfully obvious that the writers are begging for a laugh that just isn’t there.
Of course, if you are an eight-year-old hyper on the sugar from your overpriced cookie-dough bites, than you may find yourself giggling and enjoying the movie; I know my twelve year old sister enjoyed it enough. But if you’re a young adult or an adult without kids, then odds are you will be disappointed and not find the movie at all appealing.
Animation: The animation in Dawn of the Dinosaurs is just the same as the other two movies. Of course, it is well done, but it’s nothing that makes you gasp in awe. Perhaps that is because we have adapted to computer animation enough to not think twice about it. Regardless, it does its job and that’s about it.
I wish I could say more about this movie, but there is simply not enough substance to elaborate much more. To do so would just be to tire out an already exhausted plot. Even the characters are too dry to squeeze anything out of.
Why it got this grade/In Summary
The Ice Age movies are family friendly, but that is no excuse for them to be boring. Although it’s short enough to not make you want to gouge your eyes out, it still feels too long and just too dry. The characters have been spent, and it’s time to retire the series. Because of this I’ve graded this movie as a C.
As I’ve already said, I don’t recommend this movie. It’s not a closure to the series and it’s not a worthwhile addition to it. Of course, if you have young children then you may get more value out of it, but I would suggest an old-school Disney movie or a game of Parcheesi instead; you’ll save money and have more fun.
The IMDB page
This movie starts just as the other two have: the squirrel is trying to get his acorn. This time, however, he has competition in the form a female flying squirrel. After witnessing another failed attempt to catch the acorn, we are introduced again to our favorite prehistoric friends.
When we last left our prehistoric friends, the ice age was starting to thaw and a new romance was established for Manny (voiced by Ray Romano) with a mammoth named Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah). When we first meet the couple this time, we learn that Ellie is pregnant and that Manny is quite the worrisome father-to-be. Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo) and possum twins Crash (voiced by Sean William-Scott) and Eddie (voiced by Josh Peck) are eagerly awaiting the baby, while Diego (voiced by Denis Leary) seems to be having a midlife crisis and feels left out.
Naturally, Sid wants children of his own so that he can be a “mom” and have people who love him in case he is replaced by the coming baby. While wandering away from the herd, Sid discovers three giant eggs and decides to raise them. When they hatch, they are revealed to be baby Tyrannosaurus Rexes. When Mommy T-Rex comes looking for her babies, she takes Sid with her and the adventure begins.
Manny, Ellie, and the twins go on a quest to find Sid, which leads them under the ice and into the preserved world of the dinosaurs. Once in the dinosaur world, they are joined again by Diego. Only a few minutes in, they are saved from a violent dinosaur by a weasel named Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg) that lives a hermit-style life among the supposedly extinct dinosaurs. Even though he seems psychologically strained, the herd decides to follow Buck as their leader to find Sid.
While the rest of the herd is making their way through the jungle, Sid is busy arguing with the Mommy T-Rex over how to raise their children. Although he annoys the mother, she still protects him when a legendary dangerous dinosaur Buck calls “Rudy”.
With what is supposed to be a climatic ending, the herd finds Sid, the squirrel has a girlfriend, and more typical family friendly events occur.
.
Thoughts and Opinions
I had no real desire to spend $9.00 on a ticket to go see another Ice Age movie, but as a constant movie-goer who spends way too much at the cinema, I went as soon as someone asked if I would go. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed.
The Ice Age plot was good in the first one, and decent enough in the second one, but by the third time around it is just tiring and unoriginal. The characters are boring and predictable, but the plot is even more predictable. Even more disappointing is the lack of humor.
Being a family friendly movie, I understand that there are limits, but limits are not an excuse. I thoroughly enjoy Up, for example, and it was as Disney as you could get. With Dawn of the Dinosaurs there are only cheap attempts at laughs here and there. Even with these few jokes you can barely crack a smile because it is painfully obvious that the writers are begging for a laugh that just isn’t there.
Of course, if you are an eight-year-old hyper on the sugar from your overpriced cookie-dough bites, than you may find yourself giggling and enjoying the movie; I know my twelve year old sister enjoyed it enough. But if you’re a young adult or an adult without kids, then odds are you will be disappointed and not find the movie at all appealing.
Animation: The animation in Dawn of the Dinosaurs is just the same as the other two movies. Of course, it is well done, but it’s nothing that makes you gasp in awe. Perhaps that is because we have adapted to computer animation enough to not think twice about it. Regardless, it does its job and that’s about it.
I wish I could say more about this movie, but there is simply not enough substance to elaborate much more. To do so would just be to tire out an already exhausted plot. Even the characters are too dry to squeeze anything out of.
Why it got this grade/In Summary
The Ice Age movies are family friendly, but that is no excuse for them to be boring. Although it’s short enough to not make you want to gouge your eyes out, it still feels too long and just too dry. The characters have been spent, and it’s time to retire the series. Because of this I’ve graded this movie as a C.
As I’ve already said, I don’t recommend this movie. It’s not a closure to the series and it’s not a worthwhile addition to it. Of course, if you have young children then you may get more value out of it, but I would suggest an old-school Disney movie or a game of Parcheesi instead; you’ll save money and have more fun.
The IMDB page