Please End Already!

Rating: 3/10 (20 February 2016)

Talk about a film series that just has absolutely no reason to continue on whatsoever. This film was no exception. There was no real reason to continue the Ice Age series. The first movie was an original classic, unique in animation, heartwarming story, distinct characters that had not been seen before, and some hilarious comedy. The second movie was okay, taking the same characters onto a clichéd search for love as well as trying to survive the great melt down. The comedy was okay with occasional laughs, but not a strong story as the last one. The third one was not too bad with dinosaurs, a cool guide named Buck, and it actually had an excellent end to the entire series. This movieget ready to cringe!
The story: The continental drift is Scrat's fault, which separates Manny from his family, taking Sid and Diego with him. Sid has an insane grandmother to look after (because one sloth wasn't annoying enough), Diego gets a rushed love acquaintance who is sidekick to a chimpanzee pirate, while Manny's teenage daughter finds out that being "cool" isn't cool, and Scrat is looking for a treasure island.
As you can tell from the story, there's way too much story, too complex in some areas and in others simplified, and all the clichés we've heard to death. I think the writers should learn that the more all over the place the focus of the story is, the more forgettable it becomes, which is what happened to this film. Also the comedy is a groan fest. Nothing is original or that funny, and they all revolve around Sid and his grandmother who has got to be the most obnoxious character ever. She's made to look insane when she's really sane, which sometimes can work, but in a tired series with barely anything original and casting Wanda Sykes (who can be a great comedienne) causes the comedy to go downhill.
Also there is little to no chemistry between Diego and Jennifer Lopez saber tooth. I know she has a name, but it's getting hard to tell the difference between the celebrity voice actress and the character. It only seemed like she was there just to pay off a debt. The relationship between Manny and his daughter is about as similar as Ariel and Triton, only taking Manny out of character and being way too overprotective. If they had mentioned before that he lost his first child to predators like in the very first movie, I would have given it a pass, but nothing is ever brought up from that movie again.
But the biggest problem I have with this film is what does an Ice Age film have anything to do with a Sinbad and Treasure Island film? Really, what does it have anything to do with Ice Age? It makes the animals too humanistic and too silly. Though to be fair, the villain is the only memorable thing and a tad more interesting than anything else. I like how he's smooth talking and murderous for a creature that's suppose to be playful. Why didn't he get his own movie? Why did it have to be combined with Ice Age? I would have been a million more times interested if the film was about a murderous seafaring chimpanzee version of Blackbeard who was the most feared pirate of all the seven seas.
I still don't get why Ice Age had to be milked to the core, but it's getting painful. Even the most devout of Ice Age fans agree that this movie was the least of the entire series (verdict is still out on the upcoming Ice Age film). I don't know what else I can say about this film other than PLEASE STOP MAKING MORE AND END ALREADY!