Completely endearing.

Rating: 8/10 (1 July 2012)

The Looney Tunes spirit is kept alive and well in this likable computer animated feature, that also continues the tradition started by "Toy Story" in having humour for younger and older viewers. It's also got real heart and soul, and characters that are never less than entertaining. It can often bring a lump to ones' throat, just as much as it elicits chuckles with its one liners and visual gags. Set during the title time in Earths' history, it brings together three very unlikely comrades - a solitary mammoth named Manfred (voice of Ray Romano), a goof ball sloth named Sid (voice of John Leguizamo), and a sabre toothed tiger named Diego (voice of Denis Leary). Their mission is to return a human baby to its tribe, although Diegos' motive has nothing to do with wanting to do the "right" thing. Punctuated by the misadventures of a prehistoric squirrel named Scrat (voice of director Chris Wedge), just as terminally unlucky as Wile E. Coyote himself, "Ice Age" is hard to resist, right from start to finish. The characters are wittily and inventively realized visually, especially Sid, the kind of character who can be seen as annoying but who is also very likable in his way. Leguizamo is a standout in this role, getting most of the big laughs. Other talents providing voices are Goran Visnjic as Soto, and Jack Black as Zeke, as well as Cedric the Entertainer, Stephen Root, Diedrich Bader, Alan Tudyk, and Jane Krakowski. Some scenes of peril may indeed be too much for the very young to take, but for others there is a deliciously dark edge to some of the humour, especially in regards to the dodo birds. There's also a very nice message in here about looking out for others, as well as one about redemption. All in all, a fine family feature, one that charms and amuses for a well paced 81 minutes. Eight out of 10.