DIRECTOR: Mike Thurmeier; STARRING: Ray Romano,
John Leguizamo, Denis Leary,
Simon Pegg, Jennifer Lopez, Queen
Latifah; GENRE: Animation; DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox RUNNING TIME: 95
minutes
Technical assessment : 3
Moral assessment: 3.5
CINEMA rating: PG 13
Scra (Wedge), with his perrenial obsession to bury his acorn, accidentally activates a spaceship and is launched into outer space. His panic causes the collision on
several planets and sends asteroids en route to earth. Some of the asteroids
strike the earth during Manny (Romano) and Ellie’s (Latifah) wedding
anniversary celebration and almost kills the pack. Afterwards, they learn from
Buck (Peggs) that a similar incident happened in the past and caused the first extinction
of species and bigger collision is imminent. Together, the herd travel to the
site of the first impact—Geotopia—in the effort to launch the remaining
magnetic crystals into space and divert the course of the giant asteroid. The
plan is challenged by the Geotopians who are kept young by the crystals and the
Dromaeosaurs who want the extinction to happen so they have dominion over the animals that
will survive. Meanwhile, the characters face their own dilemma. Sid (Leguizamo)
is dumped by his girlfriend just before he is about to propose, Diego (Leary)
and Shira (Lopez) are dismayed because their fierce looks scare the kids and
Manny and Ellie are worried by their daughter Peaches’ (Palmer) upcoming
wedding.
While sequels can rely on the success of its predecessor, they have the greater challenge of making sure the story is uniquely strong but connected to the previous, the characters have grown
but not changed, the plot development is more exciting and takes off from where
the previous film ended. Now that is on top of the prerequisites of a good
film. Does Ice Age: Collision Course
deliver? Not really. One, Sid, Diego and
Manny’s frenemy status has lost its appeal after the third installment, the
lady loves Ellie and Shira add nothing except their drawing powers as stars. Besides, the “end of the world” premise has
been the resounding theme two sequels ago. Technically and visually, Ice Age
remains as exciting and entertaining but so do other animations and they
cannot be otherwise, being a Hollywood franchise. Perhaps, the film should have
been released as a home DVD instead of a full length feature.
Personal
gains versus common good. This is a strong message of the film. Can one give up
comfort, pleasure, power for the sake of everyone’s safety and survival? The
Geotopians and Dromaeosaurs almost failed the test until they realized the
extent of damage and what is really at stake. In real life, we have so many
people like them. Those who refuse to give up something because it gives them
what they want. Those who will sacrifice others to maintain their status quo.
Those who are willing to let others suffer so that they may gain power and
riches. But in the end, selfishness will still lead to destruction. Self
centeredness will make one lose more. Manny and team knew this from the start,
the Geotopians figured that more important than their youth is their survival,
the Dromaeosaurs learned that everyone will end up extinct if they insist on
dominion. One wonders when humans will
do they same?
