Scrat’s back and as to be expected, he’s up to his old tricks again; this time inadvertently creating the solar system and causing more than a few problems for our prehistoric pals on Earth thanks to his never-ending pursuit of that elusive acorn. That’s right folks! The ICE AGE franchise continues with this fresh and funny fifth installment, ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE.
As has become the story standard, everyone’s favorite saber-toothed squirrel Scrat and his mishaps are the catalysts or inspirations for each film. Remember the splitting of the continents? Scrat. And now we learn about the creation of the solar system as Scrat sits in a vast icy wasteland trying to hold on to a lone large acorn when he stumbles into an alien spaceship frozen inside a glacier. Needless to say, Scrat’s antics get the acorn stuck in controls, prompting levers to start moving and in turn, the spaceship. Now loose out in space, things get even crazier as Scrat and his flying takes on all the bells and whistles of an apoplectic pinball machine, ultimately knocking planets and asteroids and comets around resulting in the solar system as we know it.
Meanwhile, down on prehistoric Earth, we catch up with some of our favorite friends and family, woolly mammoth Manny and his wife Ellie, their daughter Peaches who’s now engaged to a hipster mastodon named Julian, that slippery lisping sloth Sid and of course, Diego the saber-toothed tiger and his better half Shira. Also on hand are Granny, Louis, and Crash and Eddie. And as every dad throughout time can relate to, Manny is less than happy about Peaches getting married – especially to Julian. Ellie isn’t too happy either, but knows that you have to use psychology in order to get one’s child to do what the parents want.
As if Manny’s woes about Peaches’ impending nuptials aren’t enough, he’s got an even bigger problem. It’s his wedding anniversary. And he forgot. While Ellie and Peaches have planned a huge surprise party, Manny has done nothing for his wife. But remember all that banging and crashing Scrat is doing in outer space? Well, all those loose asteroids and meteors flying around start heading towards Earth. As they burn up entering the Earth’s atmosphere, a spectacular fireworks display unveils in the skies, something for which Manny takes credit as it being a surprise for Ellie. With love in air and the party in full swing, it looks like the night is a huge success; that is, until asteroids and meteors too big to burn up start crashing into the Earth forcing everyone to run for their lives, and Manny to be in the doghouse with Ellie. And in the midst of it all, who should appear but another old friend, Buck the one-eyed weasel.
Smarter than the average mastodon or mammoth (and thanks to some cosmic clues unearthed on series of ancient tablets), Buck quickly realizes what is happening and why. Given this isn’t your average meteor shower, and because there have been extinction level events in the past from meteors, there must be something on Earth that is attracting all the meteors. And Buck knows just what they need to do. Head to the Valley of the Meteors.
With some grand infusions of science talking about magnetism, and with instructional commentary provided inside Buck’s brain by Neil deBuck Weasel, the solution is clear. Remove the magnetic field that’s attracting the meteors. And of course, somehow Buck, thanks to another special brain appearance in the form of Pythagorus Buck, is able to devise a countdown clock giving our prehistoric residents a reason to put a spring in their step as they head for the valley. But Buck has another reason to make speedy tracks. He’s got dinobirds Gavin, Roger and Gertie hot on his tail.
As our intrepid travelers make their way across the now dangerous terrain, dodging meteors and dinobirds at every turn, they soon encounter the utopian village of Geotopia where they meet its leader, the Shangri Llama. Geotopia is like heaven on earth! A beautiful village with very very beautiful people. All are taken with this heavenly fountain of youth where no one ages and everyone is beautiful, but things get a bit heady when the source of this never-ending youth is discovered – meteors.
Can our troupe stop the meteors and destruction of Earth? Will the utopian society be destroyed? Will the dinobirds catch Buck? Will Peaches and Julian get to marry? And what the heck is Scrat doing now?
Back again in the voice acting fold are Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Wanda Sykes, Simon Pegg and more. The breakout voice performance, however, comes courtesy of one of the hottest talents out there today, Adam Devine, who steals the show as Julian. With a hipster bro ‘tude, Devine is at his best when going toe-to-toe with Romano’s Manny. Devine’s voice performance alone is worth the price of admission. Also an entertaining new voice in the mix is Jesse Tyler Ferguson as the Shangri Llama, along with Jessie J as the beauteous Geotopian sloth Brooke, Michael Strahan as a sexy Geotopian rabbit named Teddy with the hots for Granny. Of course, Nick Offerman is beyond fun as the evil dinobird Gavin. And yes, it really is Neil deGrasse Tyson voicing Neil deBuck Weasel.
Returning director Mike Thurmeier and new co-director Galen T. Chu, along with writers Michael J. Wilson, Michael Berg and Yoni Brenner, take a new tact with ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE in its celebration of the sidekicks as Manny, Ellie and Peaches really take a back seat to Buck (a fabulous Simon Pegg), Sid, Crash and Eddie (perfectly voiced by Seann William Scott and Josh Peck) and a scene-stealing Granny voiced as only Wanda Sykes can voice! But what they also do is expand the adventures and corresponding emotions. Silliness may always triumph, but this go round we feel the love – parental love, love of family and friends – as much as – fear of loss, fear of loneliness, fear of old age, fear of extinction.
Stepping up the production values, the animation team of Blue Sky has upped the ante a hundred fold not only in its use of color and shading, but in the overall production design and metaphoric contrasts and complements. Standout is the beauty and detail of Geotopia, a kaleidoscope of color and wonder which showcases the faceted crystals and geodes with the sparkle and dazzle seen in real life. Not to be overlooked is the dinoworld of Buck, Gavin, Gertie and Roger. Lush, green and floral, it has an Edenesque quality in its design.
John Debney ups the ante with a sweeping score that captures the gravitas of the extinction situation, while tempering it with a lightness befitting the silliness and fun of the film as a whole.
It’s a cool collision with comedy in ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE!
Directed by Mike Thurmeier and Galen T. Chu
Written by Michael J. Wilson, Michael Berg and Yoni Brenner
Voice Cast: ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Wanda Sykes, Keke Palmer, Adam Devine, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Nick Offerman, Neil deGrasse Tyson
