Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

This was a fun outing with my my son, my parents, my fiancé, her sister, and her kids. We just about filled up an entire row, and had a great time. This movie is pretty awesome to look at, and the 3D was fairly well done, although I'm not convinced it added too much. The story is simple and predictable, but humorous throughout. The main characters, voiced by Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo, and newcomer Simon Pegg were all more than adequate. Obviously, the success of animated films relies heavily on the graphic artists, and doesn't really require A-list talent, usually doing just as well with B-list actors and TV stars. Sometimes I think the A-list talent seems to overwhelm a film, or provides an imaginary crutch that is swiftly yanked away upon a viewing by a critical audience (case in point: Shark Tale).

I benefited from catching Ice Age 2 on TV a few nights before with my son, so I think the continuity added to my enjoyment. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a nice addition to the series, full of adventure and humor, although the little bit of adult humor sprinkled in missed the mark by a country mile. Other animated films, such as Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, deliver the same type of story and childish humor, but offer a lot more for the adult audience. Not so much with Ice Age. Despite this fact, this is pretty much a must see if you have children under 10. There isn't much else out there right now, unless you want to go see Up again (which actually is a much better choice).