Everyone’s favourite prehistoric trio is back this summer with Ice Age: Continental Shift or Ice Age 4, as it is popularly referred to. Having been a fan of the series since the first part released in 2002, I was quite eager to watch this movie as soon as possible. And as I settled down in my seat with my 3D glasses and popcorn, I knew right away that I was not going to be disappointed!
As always, the movie begins with Scrat on his never ending quest to get hold of an acorn. Only this time, it leads to the breaking up of the super continent Pangaea. Thanks to this catastrophic event, Manny the mammoth gets separated from Ellie and Peaches, who’s all grown up now and is facing ‘problems’ many human teenagers can relate to. What follows is whirlwind ride with Manny, along with Diego, Sid and his senile grandmother, trying to get back to his family when they’re cast away on an iceberg.
As the pack drifts farther away their home, a new character, the monstrous monkey pirate Captain Gutt is introduced. He and his funny crew (including prehistoric kangaroos and a female sabre-toothed cat) capture them, but they manage to escape and destroy the pirate ship. Furious, Captain Gutt promises to seek revenge.
Their journey leads them to an island with Hyraxes, who are small, herbivorous animals that take a particular liking to Sid. More encounters with the pirate crew and some sirens later, they finally reach their herd, only to find that Captain Gutt beat them to it and is holding Manny’s family captive. That brings us to the finale of the movie, with a showdown between the pack and the pirate leader and a surprise which suggests that Sid’s granny may not be that senile after all.
Scrat, with his acorn-obsessed antics steals the show once again. The trio is able to keep the magic and their chemistry going throughout the movie. Sid, as usual messes up the plans and Diego finally has a love interest in this movie. The animation is beautiful and 3D technology in the scenes showing the breaking off of the landmass and the huge waves of the ocean is especially breath taking.
Apart from the familiar voices of Ray Romano, Josh Leguizamo and Denis Leary who voice Manny, Sid and Diego respectively, many new actors join the cast along with some stars like Nicki Minaj as teenage mammoth, Jennifer Lopez as Peaches and Kunal Nayyar of the Big Bang Theory fame who plays the Indian pirate badger, Gupta.
Though the script may not be as strong as those of the previous movies, the movie still lives up to expectations. The sub plots are engaging and even the soundtrack is fun. In all, Ice Age 4 makes for a very enjoyable watch.
