Appealing characters, good humor, creative story

Rating: 9/10 (20 October 2007)

A well designed yet wildly playful romp which is fun, silly, touching, clever, and creative all while telling a very sincere story. Of the many animated talking animal movies, this is one of the best.
The characters are immediately likable. The film introduces the principals in a series of actions that demonstrate some favorable personality traits while revealing they have weakness too. As the story progresses, we get to know these creatures through their interaction as they slowly learn to trust and even like one another.
The construct of the movie is a quest. A wooly mammoth, a sabre-toothed tiger, and a sloth join forces to return a baby human to its people, after a tragedy the child survives. The mammoth was my favorite, a heroic and gentle giant who made the silent pact with a dying human to save the child. He has nothing to gain personally for doing this; it's just the right thing to do. The sloth makes a great comic relief sidekick, and the tiger Diego is a deceptively complex character that is developed well. The running gag with the little guy trying to capture a nut that is seemingly always just out of his reach works well and seems to fit anywhere they choose to put it.
The characters grow in ways which are surprising during the first viewing, but the logic in how they change ultimately makes sense. The film tells a wonderful story, and some moments, like the petroglyph imagery are quite touching. The expressions on the faces of the characters are magnificently done; no words need be said. The wild ice slide ride (with its ingenious sight gags) are the other side of the picture, just some entertaining silliness for its own sake.
The movie involves you with the characters, as you join them on their journey. It's a sweet story with a lot of heart, and accomplishes this with both good natured humor and a moving outcome. Good for adults and kids alike.