In 20th Century Fox’s third installment of the Ice Age franchise, Continental Drift, Manny, Sid, and Diego have all returned for a new adventure. After the continents break apart and set adrift, Manny becomes marooned on an iceberg with Diego, Sid, and Sid’s grandmother, Granny. Separated from his wife and teenage daughter, Manny must try and navigate the treacherous waters of the oceans to be reunited with his family. This quartet of prehistoric animals find that they have their work cut out for them as they travel the seas in search of land. From tidal waves to hurricanes to pirates, Manny, Diego, Sid, and Granny discover that there is no end to the obstacles they must maneuver around to find home again. While adrift they cross paths with a ruthless pirate named Captain Gut who tries to recruit the foursome into his crew of misfits. Determined to return home to his family, Manny rejects Captain Gut’s offer and while trying to escape the pirates’ clutches sinks Captain Gut’s vessel and booty. Not one to be defeated, Captain Gut gathers his crew and sets out to gain vengeance on Manny, his family, and his traveling companions.
Ice Age: Continental Drift is an interesting addition to the story of Manny, Sid, and Diego. Not as original as the first installment, Ice Age 3 concentrates on the relationships between Manny and his friends and family. Dealing with a teenage daughter, Manny has become an overbearing father who has trouble coming to grips with the fact that his daughter is growing up. There are two different story lines to this movie. One tells the story of Manny, Diego, Sid, and Granny trying to reunite with the herd. The other follows Manny’s wife Ellie and daughter Peaches as they try to escape the changing continent and meet up with Manny and his cohorts at the land bridge. The story lines are very predictable and although it has its funny moments, they are too few and far between to really enjoy the movie. Being a big fan of the first Ice Age movie I was a little disappointed with this addition to the franchise. Sid and Granny provide really the only comic relief through most of the movie.
I am sure that the kiddies are going to love this movie and get a kick out of all the strange prehistoric animals throughout the film, especially the little hamster like critters that help Manny, Diego, Sid, and Granny try to defeat the pirates and steal their ship. But for this kid at heart, the movie leaves a lot to be desired. There are no real twists and turns, just predictable fodder for an animated series. I did not quite understand the song the pirates sing when they first encounter Manny and his friends. It seemed out of place and just something thrown in at the last minute by the moviemakers. The actors and actresses that provide the voices for the characters like Ray Romano as Manny and Dennis Leary as Diego are almost wasted in this movie with the lack of comedic material. Even with newcomers like Peter Dinklage as Captain Gut and Jennifer Lopez as Shira, a love interest for Diego, Ice Age: Continental Drift misses the mark and falls short of expectations.