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It all starts with a saber-tooth squirrel. That’s right squirrel. I
don’t know if there really were any saber-tooth squirrels, and I
have no desire to research the matter further. As far as I’m
concerned, the saber-tooth squirrel is the noblest creature ever to
have traversed this earth. For the saber-tooth squirrel, even after
bringing about cataclysmic devastation, never looses site of the one
thing that is really important to him.
Really, this all makes sense in the context of the movie.
Ice Age is a simple story about Manfred (a wooly mammoth), Sid (a
sloth) and Diego (a saber-tooth tiger) left to take charge of a
human baby during the great migration. After all, why wouldn’t a
wooly mammoth that desires nothing but solitude take on friends in
the form of a mile-a-minute sloth with a hairlip, a human baby and a
chain-smoking saber-tooth tiger? Okay, I’ve made-up the
chain-smoking part, but I believe it’s implied when said tiger is
played by Dennis Leary.
Above all else, Ice Age is the story of how we can suddenly find
ourselves completely involved in a situation we don’t remember
getting into in the first place. Still, since we’re talking an
animated feature aimed at kids, it’s about finding true friends in
people that are not just like you. Oh, and accepting that sometimes
bad things happen to you, but they’re not really personal. Or maybe
our place in the food chain doesn’t have to decide who we really
are. Or maybe it’s about doing the right thing even when others
expect you to do something else.
Either way, I’m sure that there’s a lesson in there somewhere.
Primarily, this is a movie that’s supposed to make you laugh. After
all, when you’re looking at an oncoming Ice Age, what choices do you
really have?
Ray Ramano voices Manfred, a decision that I questioned. After all,
Ramano’s voice is quite distinct. I’ve seen “Everybody Loves
Raymond” enough times to know that he’s Ray, the semi-spineless
husband that is henpecked both by his wife and mother on a regular
basis. How was I supposed to believe him as anything else?
Well, when playing a character that has no desire to be what he
really is, it works perfectly fine. Within ten minutes, you fully
believe that that he is Manfred with a plan for solitude that is
going to be interrupted.
John Leguizamo plays Sid, the sloth. I must confess that Leguizamo
is one of my all-time favorite character actors. It seems that no
matter what small part he has – either in a really good or really
bad film – there’s something about him that leaves me impressed. So,
what to bring to an animated film? A speech impediment. And
attitude. This is a sloth with no future, no prospects, and no sloth
friends – yet, he perceivers and finds friendship in this odd group.
Dennis Leary is the Diego, the saber-tooth tiger that you find mean
and sneaky. He is out for himself, forming a loose friendship with
these two out of pure opportunity. But much like you might suspect
the real Dennis Leary to be, there’s a heart of gold underneath it
all.
And the Saber-Tooth Squirrel? You’ll have to watch the movie to see
how he makes out.
The Usual:
What It’s Worth: Right now, this is available on DVD and PPV. It’s
well-worth the rental.
Main Reason To See This Film: The Saber-Tooth Squirrel!
Main Reason Not To See This Film: If you start to think too much
about the odds of 3 creatures without opposable thumbs taking care
of a human baby, you’ll drive yourself nuts.
MPAA Rating: PG
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