*** Official "ICE AGE" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

Have any of our resident critics (Pfeiffer, Weinberg, etc.) had a chance to see this yet? The animation looks interesting, the characters look sorta "twitchy" in a funny way, but it's hard to gauge (I mean even more than usual ).
Side topic: Is anyone else getting the vibe that computer animation is going to sweep aside "traditional" cell animation? It seems like with all of the recent computer animated films that the studios might think that the public sees cell animation as old fashioned and that the new technology is better. Sort of like the way they feel people won't pay to see a movie in black and white. Food for thought. That would be a real shame, IMO.

The word is that the Episode 2 trailer will be playing before it.
Just kidding. I just saw that advert last night on Fox. It shocked me that they had a commercial that advertised when a trailer was going to be playing in front of a movie. Like a commercial for a commercial.
I think prelim word of mouth is good on Ice Age. The trailer looks funny, and I will be seeing it regardless of any trailers playing before it.

The trailer (on TV) for "Ice Age" is awful, IMO. The animation looks bleak (well, it's ice, after all) and crude, the jokes don't work and I can't stand Ray Romano's voice. So count me out, unless the critics are all raving about it.

/Mike

In an internet review of the film, sorry can't remember where at the moment, the movie was described as quite funny - great voice characterizations. The CGI animation was said to be less polished than what Pixar and others are doing. But does everything have to be hyper realistic? I don't think so.

Scott is indeed correct. Then again, how often is he wrong?

I saw Ice Age on Saturday morning and was thoroughly entertained by it. It certainly doesn't have the infinite detail of the Pixar productions, but the animation is more than solid and the voicework is quite terrific. (I didn't even know the Sloth was John Leguizamo.) The movie is essentially a blend of Shrek, Dinosaur and Monsters Inc., storywise and the humor doesn't quite aspire to that anachronistic cleverness, but it has more than its share of laughs, particularly in a scene involving a group of dodo birds. Scrat (the squirrel/rat combo with the nut) is also always good for a laugh, despite having absolutely nothing to do with the main story.

In a year where I've only liked 5 films (including this one and the yet unreleased The Rookie), this is certainly one to appreciate.

Erik

I thought this looked just hilarious. The first teaser with the lil guy and the nut cracked me up for days! Oh and the fact that the AOTC trailer is in front of it will help.

I hear ya Donny. The first trailer I saw of it was the end of last summer and I was laughing so hard. I personnally can't wait to see this one!

To anyone that's seen it. Do you happen to know the running time?

Thanks,

I would have a chance to see it Tuesday night (not sure why they had no Saturday screening since there are THREE screenings Tuesday evening), but I have a more important work responsibility that night. I'll check in when I see it, which may not be until later next weekend if the basketball team qualifies for the Div. III final four next weekend.

I'm definitely planning on seeing this one. I'm not expecting Pixar level, but it's looks funny.

Well, I think its time for another family film this weekend. This would be a good candidate.
~Edwin

I saw Ice Age over the weekend. What a blast! A very funny movie. The voices were top-notch. Everyone fit his character well and seemed to be having a great time. The animation was fun to watch.

There's little here not to like. Very highly recommended.

As for the running time, it's a rather short movie. Less than 90 minutes.

It's a great movie, I saw it tonight. I was really disappointed in the sound though. I saw it in a big dolby digital theater so I expected the audio to be a good part of the movie, but almost everything I heard was coming from the center of the screen. I'm hoping they just forgot to turn the sound system volume up, because overall this is a great movie and worthy of a dvd purchase if it comes out with a good DTS track.

Saw Ice Age yesterday (cool that it opened here in Sweden on the same day as in the US) and came out more than happy.

I was expecting a funny-as-hell, but cliched, road movie - and that's exactly what I got. Not that good, but extremely funny.

Go see it, your kids will love it and you'll enjoy it.

The last I read, the running time was only 81 minutes.

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Ice Age". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.
All HTF member film reviews of "Ice Age" should be posted to this thread.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy

I liked this alot, although there were brief times when it seemed almost exactly derivative of Shrek, and at other times, Monsters, Inc.

I thought it was interesting how "real" they managed to make all the animal characters. The only characters who screamed out "CGI, not real" were the humans - who looked Cro-Magnon plastic, and of course, couldn't speak.

Very funny opening, very cute ending - almost a tribute to the Looney Tunes/Roadrunner type pieces, I thought.

I was also surprised at how uncrowded the theater was, for a weekend early opening night showing on a kids' movie - may not bode well for Fox animation yet again, unless word of mouth builds.

Definitely worth seeing, if you're undecided.