Movie review: Fourth installment in ‘Ice Age’ series is a feel good film

By Amanda Hilow

Manny the mammoth and Sid the sloth are back in action for this month’s three-dimensional box office hit “Ice Age: Continental Drift.”

Not only are America’s favorite animated characters faced with everyday challenges like the pursuits of rebellious teenagers and unwelcome relatives, but they are also confronted with several perils and are forced to struggle for their own survival when their surrounding environment takes a turn for the worse in the fourth installment of 20th Century Fox Animation’s Ice Age saga.

After an unexpected visit from a dysfunctional and absent family, Sid and his friends find themselves stuck with a half-senile grandmother who ends up playing an integral role in the group’s survival after a devastating attack by Mother Nature brought on by one of Scrat the clumsy squirrel’s famous little “incidents.”

Wanda Sykes was the perfect woman for the role, and played the part to a tee by providing most of the comic relief throughout the movie.

When the ice splits and the lands are divided, Manny finds himself separated from wife and daughter, drifting into uncharted waters with Diego the saber-tooth tiger, Sid and Granny the sloth.

To find their way home and ultimately save Manny’s family, the team embarks on the adventure of a lifetime that tries their dedication, endurance and will.

Along the way, their lives are put at stake as history mixes with mythology when the characters deal with bloodthirsty sirens and treasure hunts for lost islands.

The familiar voices of Ray Romano and Queen Latifah join with new and well-received voices of artists Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj in this hilarious and motivational film, entertaining the entire family.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift,” with its classic good versus bad and man – or animal in this case – versus nature, not only sends an inspirational message to viewers with the ultimate triumph of good, but also provides enough comic relief to keep the audience laughing throughout the entire movie.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” is worth the trip to the theater.

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