When I first saw the commercials on television for the new animated film Ice Age, I knew I wanted to see it. So, I gathered up my 4 year old daughter, my 10 year old son and my reluctant husband and off we went to the theater.

After getting our supply of popcorn, candy and soda we all sat down and prepared for an hour and a half of entertainment. We were not disappointed!

The movie starts off with a saber-toothed squirrel trying to find a place to bury his prize acorn. Unfortunately for him, the movie takes place during the Ice Age and of course the ground is frozen. After many feeble, hilarious attempts he forces the acorn into the ground causing a major avalanche. This starts out our journey of meeting the four main characters of the movie.

The first character we meet is Manny, a huge Mammoth who insists he is not going to migrate with everyone else. At first Manny comes across as a grumpy old guy, but as the movie progresses his true colors shine through.

The next character we are introduced to is Sid a goofy Sloth. Sid wakes up to find that once again his family has left him behind and left to migrate. Sid is always getting into trouble unitentionally and this is how he meets Manny. When Sid wakes up he is hungry, but the only thing he can find to eat is one single green Dandelion. Unfortunately after he eats it he discovers that it was intended to be a meal for two Rhinosceros' who are now extremely angry with him. While running away he runs right into Manny, who refuses to let the rhinosceros' hurt Sid just for fun. This starts off a pack of two unlikely friends.

Next we are brought to a pack of saber-toothed tigers as they watch an Eskimo man with his wife and baby. The leader of the pack of tigers insists on getting revenge with the man, for killing members of the pack and wearing their pelts to keep warm. The pack will attack at dawn and the baby shall be his! The plan is while the Eskimos are distracted by the pack attacking, one saber-toothed tiger, Diego, will sneak in the tent and get the baby. Fortunate for the baby, his mother reaches him in time and jumps into the river with him to save him from the tigers. When Diego returns to the pack without the baby, he is told to either find the baby or not to return.

Now we are brought back to Manny and Sid, who are walking along the river bank when they spot the Eskimo woman with the baby in the river. The woman pushes the baby to shore and then disappears into the water, leaving the baby in Manny and Sid's care. Manny wants nothing to do with the *pink* thing, but Sid insists that it is their duty to return the child to it's pack. Afterall they can see the smoke from the fires the child's pack has created at the top of the falls. How hard could it be?

When they finally reach the camping grounds all they find is a deserted camp. The Eskimos have also migrated. Fortunately Diego the saber-toothed tiger arrives and insists he knows how to find the Eskimos and return the child. Manny reluctlantly agrees, but insists that him and Sid go along just to be sure Diego is telling the truth.
Now we have the unlikely pack of four different critters, and what a pack they are!. A mammoth, a sloth, a saber-toothed tiger and an adorable baby! Will the baby ever get back to his father, or will Diego bring him, Manny and Sid back to the pack for dinner?

I won't tell you how the movie ends, but I will tell you it is entertaining, touching and a complete success in my opinion. My husband even laughed a couple times (even though he won't admit it).

So if you're looking for a good family movie this weekend, why not head out and see Ice Age? It's a trip you won't regret!





Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8