The time period is the Dawn of Man. The dinosaurs have long since departed the Earth, and an ice age is fast approaching. The animals, at least most of the them, are headed south for the long, hard winter. Among the exceptions are the industrious, frustrated squirrel, and three larger mammals; Manfred the Mammoth (voice of Ray Romano), Sid the Sloth (voice of John Leguizamo), and Diego the Sabertooth (voice of Denis Leary). These three have banded together on an unlikely quest: return a lost human baby to his tribe. However, while Manfred and Sid have the best intentions, Diego is pursuing his own agenda, which includes dinner.
The contentious relationship turned warm friendship between Manfred and Sid is virtually identical to that of Shrek and Donkey. The bonding that goes on between the animals and the baby recalls the way Boo worms her way into the big, bad monsters' affections. But, despite many plot similaries, the humor and sophistication of Ice Age never quite reaches the level of the other computer generated ventures - except on those occasions when the squirrel is on the screen. Also, the quality of the animation is a notch lower. It's not bad, by any means, but it's a definate step backwards, ofter more resembling the look of a computer game than that of a big budget motion picture.
Vocal casting is a critical element of any animated movie, and Ice Age gets it two-thirds right. The mistake is Ray Romano, who trademark low-key delivery turns Manfred into a walking invitation to doze off. He's boring; the word "animated" hardly seems to apply. Fortunately, Manfred's dullness is more than adequately counterbalanced by John Leguizamo's off-the-wall portrayel of Sid the Sloth. Once could make a case that Leguizamo is more effective here, where we don't see his face, than he has been in any of the outings where we do. Denis Leary offers an interesting portrayel of Diego - there's not a hint of sarcasm or irony in the performance. Leary in an unusual move, plays it straight.
Ice Age is perfectly acceptable family entertainment - the kind of movie that parents can take their children to without worrying about inappropriate content (for either youngster or adults). And, sometimes, that's about all you can ask for from a movie.
Porculus