silly and entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (17 March 2002)

This was a fun movie. It's perhaps more "silly" and kid oriented than some other recent computer animated films like Shrek or Monsters Inc. which work on 2 levels. The majority of humor here is physical, reminiscent of early Looney Toons cartoons or even Three Stooges style violence-as-humor horsing around. The kids in the theater with me seemed to enjoy it. The only concession to adult-level humor appeared to be a Pumbaa & Timon inspired possibly-gay rhino couple.
The message is pretty basic, involving standing by your friends, but that still didn't stop it from being fun. And despite the carnivore vs. plant eater premise, and the humorous violence, the actual level of violent threat was minimal, with only one real death and that being off screen.
The animation style was interesting, looking more like claymation than computer. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. The surfaces looked smooth and realistically 3D. Like it was a physical object, but the blockiness made it clear it wasn't "real." But the look worked for the film. It certainly never looked computer created, however it also lacked that level of realism seen in movies like "Dinosaur." These creatures and this world were highly stylized, from the sloth's wide set eyes, to the sabre-tooth's almost disembodied lower jaws.
The voice talents of the leads were quite well done, with each actor essentially playing himself (or his well known persona). Ray Romano, plays the large wooly mammoth Manfred with an arrogance and attitude appropriate for his size, but with an underlying vulnerability and pathos. John Leguizamo has the enviable role of motormouth sloth, Sid, essentially the comic foil to Romano's straight man (mammoth). Dennis Leary is rather sedate as Sabre-tooth tiger Diego, toning down his usual hyperactive vocal mannerisms to a more kid-friendly level. His seems to be the only character who's appearance was modeled directly from actor.
A minor complaint is that aside from a brief opening "migration" sequence featuring a number of humorous prehistoric mammals, strange enough in appearance to rival any dinosaur (my personal favorites are the glyphodons, early ancestor's to modern armadillos), there are no female characters. This is a story for the boys, again reinforcing the Three Stooges style silliness.
A film the kids will love and parents will be able to sit through without squirming. Depending on your tolerance for silliness, you may even enjoy it.