Heartwarming. Brilliant animation & characters.

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2004)

While most 3D films ("Toy Story", "Shrek" for example) have left me cold due to the emphasis on visuals or tasteless humour, Ice Age matches the warmth of "The Land Before Time" the best 2D ever made. The hyperactive, unfortunate, Scrat sets the tone right at the start. Then we meet the melancholy Manny, the irresponsible Sid, the scheming Diego & the charming Roshan (or Pinkey as they call him.) They're all uniquely lovable & you root for them to succeed. The animation itself is awe inspiring. I especially liked the cave painting sequence, Scrat's intro & the lava bridge. There are some real tear jerker moments & others of pure comedy. The supporting characters, especially the rhinos & dodos, flesh out the story nicely. There's no offensive humour & is clearly aimed to entertain, whatever your age. The soundtrack was unfortunately not released but that's great too. The casting couldn't be better. I look forward to the sequel. 10/10