20th Century Fox | 2009 | 94 mins. | Rated PG
Given the success of the first two films (released during the spring of 2002 and 2006), there’s little doubt that third installment of the Ice Age series will appeal to the families looking for some innocuous fun, the whole clan can enjoy. Honestly, the story isn’t nearly as inspired as its two predecessors, and seems a bit old if you’re not in the films target audience, which is likely somewhere between 7 and 11. I’m just guessing here, because I don’t have any kids, but Dawn of the Dinosaurs will likely serve its target audience well, giving them a few laughs along the way.
Mammoths Ellie (Queen Latifah) and Manny (Ray Romano) are expecting their first child, leaving their friends feeling left out. Diego is unable to catch a gazelle (Bill Herder) and decides he needs to leave the herd in order to recapture his spirit. Sid (John Leguizamo) is taken away by a tyrannosaurus rex after her newly hatched babies’ mistake him for their mother, and Manny and his pack are forced to do whatever they can to save their lives. Meanwhile, Scrat (Chris Wedge) finds himself falling for the beautiful Scratte (Karen Disher), but is the attractive saber-toothed squirrel trying to win his heart or steal his precious acorn?
The best addition to the Ice Age franchise is Buck the weasel, voiced by Simon Pegg. A real adventurer, the little guy has managed to make a life for himself in the dino-land down under (he even has the Aussie accent to prove it). The meeting between Buck and Diego, is particularly intriguing, because the weasel is living the life Diego used to, but has long ago forgotten. Pegg brings his usual off the wall persona to his portrayal of Buck, which adds a little bit of excitement to a storyline that often feels stale. Perhaps the filmmakers realized Pegg’s value, because it’s hard not to notice how much screen time his Buck takes from the trio that started it all. Manny is reduced to repeated freak-outs about parenthood, Sid is upstaged by a gaggle of T-Rex’s, and Diego is mostly used as a vehicle to introduce Buck.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs doesn’t have the kind of humor that’s likely to appeal to adults; Buck’s throwaway remark about a butterfly is about as adult as it gets. “I knew him when he was a caterpillar. He must have come out,” says Buck. However, young child will likely enjoy the film, especially the addition of the crazy Buck. Overall though, I couldn’t escape the feeling that the Ice Age series may be nearing extinction.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs boasts a stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that is flawless. Colors erupt off the screen — prepare to be blown away when you reach the scenes involving the underground cavern’s lava lakes — and contrast is impeccable throughout. Blacks are deep and absorbing, primaries pop, and banding is nowhere to be seen. Detail is astounding as well. Every hair on Manny’s every shard of ice and rock that impedes the gang’s journey is crisp and refined. There is no sign of artifacting, aliasing, noise or any other digital. Dawn of the Dinosaurs sports a reference quality presentation.
The 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is solid, but it can actually be overpowering at times. Directional effects move well through the rear channels and show clear evidence of solid surround quality. The score by John Powell is very warm sounding and while it plays quietly in the background, its presence is clear. Dialogue is solid. Spanish, French and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital is included as well as several subtitle options.
The Blu-ray edition of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs includes a variety of special features, most of which are presented in high definition.
• Audio Commentary: Director Carlos Saldanha, co-director Mike Thurmeier, producers John Donkin and Lori Forte, art director Michael Knapp, character designer Peter DeSève, and supervising animator Galen Tan Chu sit down for a fairly dry group commentary that provides plenty of details about pre-production, scripting, changes made to the characters, design choices, and the technical challenges of various scenes.
• Storybook Maker (HD): After choosing a herd and a cover, your kids will be given access to a series of film scenes from which they can capture screenshots. From there, they choose page layouts, manipulate their images, insert text, and create multiple pages. Finally, they can read, edit, delete, and create a library of their storybooks.
• Evolution Expedition (HD, 18 minutes): Representatives from the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea tar pits discuss the animals featured in the film and their real life (albeit extinct) counterparts.
• Buck: From Easel to Weasel (HD, 7 minutes): A look at the development and design of Buck.
• Falling for Scratte (HD, 9 minutes): Meet Scrat’s new love, Scratte, and the work that went into her creation.
• Unearthing the Lost World (HD, 9 minutes): This behind-the-scenes catch-all is as basic provides a glimpse into the tone, themes, and aesthetics of Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
• Scrat Featurettes (SD, 14 minutes): Four quick hits for young film fans. “The Saber-Toothed Squirrel” is a faux-outtake from a ’50s documentary, “From Head to Toe” offers kids a drawing tutorial, “Breaking Story” involves a interview with two scientists who discovered Scrat, and “News Report” follows suit.
• Fox Movie Channel Featurettes (SD, 28 minutes): Five Fox Movie Channel featurettes dig a bit further into the production. The first of two “Making a Scene” specials dissects a scene, oddly enough, from the second Ice Age film; “In Character with John Leguizamo” returns to Dawn of the Dinosaurs with an interview in which Leguizamo discusses voicing Sid the Sloth; “”In Character with Ray Romano” does the same (but with Romano of course); “In Character with Queen Latifah” focuses on the voice of Ellie; and a second “Making a Scene” special explores a scene involving a hungry plant.
• Unfinished Deleted Scenes (SD, 5 minutes): Animated storyboards bring two deletions to pen-n-ink life.
• Music Video (HD, 2 minutes): A “Walk the Dinosaur” music video comprised of clips from the film.
• Scrat Shorts (HD, 12 minutes): Scrat takes center stage with two hilarious, well-conceived shorts, “Gone Nutty” and “No Time for Nuts.”
• Live Lookup: A feature that allows users to access actor filmographies and Dawn of the Dinosaurs info from IMDB.com.
• Standard DVD Version of the Film
• Digital Copy of the Film
• BD-Live Functionality
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