Movie Review- "Ice Age 3" (in 3D)

What a fun movie! That's the best way to summarize the whole experience. I saw the movie in 3D, as the title informs you. That really enhanced my film watching.

This is the third film in the Ice Age franchise. And, I am a big fan of it! The film features the familiar characters and voices of the previous two. The plot is certainly scientifically inaccurate. More mature viewers will recognize this, and the kids will have plenty of time to learn the science as they advance in school. But, on the other hand, it is a work of fiction. And a fun one at that.

The comparisons to the Shrek franchise are inevitable I suppose. (I loved the first 2 Shrek movies, and was kind of bored by the third.) But I will say this about the Ice Age films. there are enough regular jokes and sight gags for everyone. That is to say, they don't feel the need to resort to a bombardment of pop culture references for the grown-ups (as the Shrek films tend to do). And this is coming from a guy who loves his pop culture references (couldn't love Family Guy if I didn't)!

The discussion factor is not as high as it might be in other films, but the are opportunities for dialogue. Part of it is technical, as in the animation and 3D aspects. But, it might spur a conversation about friendship, families, and other areas of life. The "That Guy" factor is a pretty tough for two reasons: 1) the characters are all voiced by actors, and 2) most of them are well-known actors. The us the grades at the end of the review will reflect that.

But, overall, the film is a good one. It's a great way to kill a little time. Good animation, good action sequences, good family movie. Not too much else I can say. I wholeheartedly recommend this film. Besides, anything with dinosaurs rules!

Acting: NA
Directing: A-
That Guy: NA
Overall: A