Ice Age: Continental Drift (Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier, 2012) Review

If the Ice Age film series existed in the nineties then this one would definetly be 'direct to video'. Seeing as companies no longer do this and decide to milk a franchise for everyething it's got, they decided to go all out and do their best! Seriously. I was impressed with this one. I thought that four was too many and, considering how good the third one was, I thought this wasn't going to be as good as the others. Was I right? Let's find out.

After some more of Scrat's meddling, the continents begin to drift apart. This causes Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), Diego (Denis Leary) and Sid's granny...Granny (Wanda Sykes) to be seperated from Ellie (Queen Latifah), Crash (Seann William Scott), Eddie (Josh Peck), Manny and Ellie's teenage daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer) and her friend Louis (Josh Gad). After drifting on an ice burg for a while, the protagonists are picked up by a pirate ship led by Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) where he proposes that they join his crew. After escaping his grasp and destorying his ship, the heroes leave him and his crew behind as they continue their venture. Now Gutt wants revenge on Manny, Sid and Diego while they try to get back home.

Ice Age is a good franchise but there was one thing it was missing throughout all the films: a classic villain. The first villain was boring, the second was forgettable, the third was cool but it was just a giant dinosaur. No motive, no character. Now we have Captain Gutt and he is brilliant. Peter Dinklage does a fine job of providing the voice for this character and it really suits him. He's clearly designed after Blackbeard from Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. Villains seemed to be missing from the Ice Age series and it's great to have one that's up there with Disney villains. The other new characters are great too. Shira (Jennifer Lopez) is Gutt's right hand...woman and offers as the love interest for Diego. About time he got one...even if she is a femme fatale. Her development is a bit all over the place but it's more of a subplot. Peaches was only a baby at the end of the third one but is a teenager now. I love how they made her not part of the cool crowd. She and her friend Louis are outcasts but Peaches does try to fit in though. She learns a pretty damn good moral and her development as a character is well written.

Did you like Buck in the last film? You did? And you want him back? Too bad. Cameo only...and that's for people who were paying attention. He was what made the third one so great and the best in the series. Take that away and you only have the second best in the series. Gutt is an okay replacement. Don't get me wrong, he's great but just not as good as Buck. Those mammoths that Peaches is trying to fit in with...OH MY GOD are they annoying. GAAAH! I hate people like that. They did a good job of portraying bratty teenagers well. What? That was Nicki Minaj? THAT explains a lot. Thank God they didn't make Peaches like this or I would have lost faith in this franchise. Thank you so much!

Ice Age: Continental Drift is the second best of the Ice Age films. There is a lot here but I mostly love that Ice Age now has a great villain in the form of Captain Gutt. Peter Dinklage, I salute you. The character decisions were good ones and the CGI graphics have really improved. They look fantastic. There are more furry characters this time and this offers chances for more fur textures that look amazing. Well, that's the Ice Age series...hilarious as I would consider it to be a heat wave outside. Keep thinking cold thoughts, keep thinking cold thoughts. All in all, it's a good series and, while it isn't solid series (thanks a lot, Meltdown), it still has great moments. You know, it didn't clarify that this is the last one...I wouldn't actually mind a fifth one considering that the third and fourth ones are superior to the first one. YEAH!


7/10
A fun animated film. The villain is a good addition and the visuals are just stunning!