Ice Age (2-Disc Special Edition)
The new short film "Scrat's Missing Adventure: Gone Nutty" showcases the well-timed animation--strongly influenced by Chuck Jones's Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote shorts--that made that frantic little character so effective as a comic foil. It's interesting to compare the Oscar®-winning short "Bunny" withIce Age. The viewer can see the Blue Sky artists developing the more angular and less detailed look that's become the studio's signature. Like Sid the Sloth, the title character in "Bunny" suggests a slightly frayed walk-around figure from a theme park; the texture of her coat anticipates the old-chenille-bathrobe look of Manny the Mammoth's pelt. The clips in different languages, trailers, directors' commentary, and making-of features feel rather standard, but listening to John Leguizamo experiment with different voices before settling on the exaggerated lisp for Sid offers an unusual and funny insight into the development of an animated character.--Charles Solomon