Ice Age 4: Continental Drift - Film Review

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Thanks to Scrat (Chris Wedge) and his eternal acorn quest, the continents are separating and great land masses are being torn apart. It is no surprise, therefore, when our beloved trio get ripped away from one another and they have to embark on an epic journey to reunite with their loved ones. In this respect, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift is in very much the same vein as the first two films; but while the plot may be wholly unoriginal, it is a format that works well and makes for a very enjoyable story.

While Diego (Dennis Leary) partakes in a session of egotistical self-love, he is knocked down by a family of sledging sloths. It turns out that these sloths happen to be Sid's (John Leguizamo) relatives, who stick around just long enough to dump Granny (Wanda Sykes) on him before abandoning her and Sid for a second time.

Meanwhile, Peaches (Keke Palmer) goes to the falls to meet cute boys – or in the case of Ethan (Aubrey Graham), 'hot'. When Manny (Ray Romano), her over protective father finds out, he crashes the party and embarrasses Peaches in front of all her friends. It is here, during a big argument, that an earthquake cracks the ground beneath them, and Manny and his friends are separated from his wife, Ellie (Queen Latifah) and Peaches. As they drift out to sea, Manny promises to find them again at the land bridge.

The film introduces a host of new characters, including Shira (Jennifer Lopez), a sabre-tooth pirate. When I first saw the trailer, I was dubious; I thought she was just going to be a token female love interest for Diego. This is true to an extent, but to be fair, there are other female characters in the film, and the romantic element is kept to a minimum. My only concern now is, if they bring out a fifth film, it might be too overcrowded with characters.

Continental Drift is a marked improvement on the previous sequels, and apart from a few technical inaccuracies (Manny walking across a think plank of wood without it breaking), it is almost on par with the first film. Full of funny dialogue and stunning visual effects, this animated movie will be enjoyed by young and old alike.

While the plot devices may be clichéd and overused (getting separated by breaking ice becomes a bit repetitive), the story is still well told and hugely entertaining.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift comes out on DVD & Blu-ray on the 10th December 2012, and will make a great Christmas present.

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