Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Among the major CG animation houses in America, Fox’s Blue Sky- responsible for the “Ice Age” franchise, along with the kind of dull “Robots” and the very delightful “Horton Hears a Who!”- is sort of the middle child between Pixar and Dreamworks’ PDI. They’re easily forgotten compared to what the wizards at Pixar and the rascals at PDI accomplish. They’re animation style hasn’t quite developed as rapidly as their contemporaries. Neither has their story development. “Ice Age” was a cute comedy of misfits in the time before man, but the sequel- 2006’s “The Meltdown”- felt forced, and it’s emphasis of comedy over character wasn’t exactly worth the price of admission (had I paid for it).
“Dawn of the Dinosaurs” is a return to form, however. Scratt is still trying to get his hands on that acorn (his exploits have always been the highlights of the franchise, especially in “The Meltdown”), while mammoth Manny (Ray Romano), sabertooth tiger Diego (Denis Leary), and sloth Sid (John Leguizamo) still constitute an appealing and off-beat “family,” which will be put to the test as Manny’s mammoth love Ellie (Queen Latifah) is expecting. Manny’s anxiety rubs off on Diego, whose age might be catching up with him, and Sid, who’s looking forward to being an uncle.
Maybe a little too much- Sid makes a bad mistake when he finds three little eggs abandoned under the ice and vows to raise them himself. When the three hatch into baby T-Rex’s, however, well, let’s just say mommy isn’t too pleased with Sid, leading the rest of this clan to follow it into a land underneath their own where dinosaurs roam the Earth, and a psychotic little weasel named Buck (Simon Pegg) will be their guide, with a mysterious menace he calls Rudy on the hunt.
After the wonderful animation triumph of “Horton Hears a Who!,” where Blue Sky beautifully captured the Suessian style of whimsy and sit, “Dawn of the Dinosaurs” is another step up for the company. It’s use of 3-D effects to enhance the story isn’t such to where seeing it in 2-D would lessen the experience for you, but there is a depth of visual detail and imagination we haven’t really seen out of the company so far that makes the film worth watching in either format.
A lot of that is because of the story, which takes some very real anxieties and has their characters overcome them with courage and loyalty towards one another. All of the actors play them with heart and humor. Of course, by this point they know these characters inside out, so it’s refreshing that the writers at Blue Sky have found some new territory to take them in (unlike a certain green Ogre and his pals over at Dreamworks…), rather than just having them crack wise all the time. That’s why they have opossum twins Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck), who don’t need a whole lot of development, and added a charismatic and decidedly goofy character in Buck, whom Pegg has a blast playing as not just a know-it-all lunatic but also a lonely romantic hunter.
But as always, I continually find myself being drawn to the misadventures of Scratt, who may have actually found a purpose beyond chasing that ever-elusive acorn when one like himself, Scratte, tries to take it for herself. But Scratt is nothing if not resiliant, very much like Wile E. Coyote going after that Roadrunner, and his arc is still the delightful core of Blue Sky’s prehistoric franchise. Word is a fourth one is already in progress. If Blue Sky stays on the course it’s forged out with this entry, and continues to elevate their art, consider me up for another go.
