“Ice Age” is the computer-animated tale of a group of unlikely friends thrown together to work for a greater good.
Anyone else reminded of the one about a green ogre and a donkey or the other one about monsters at a scare factory?
Carefully retracing the steps made by its two kid-friendly predecessors, “Ice Age” delivers another heartwarming, yet predictable account of the power of friendship and the impenetrable destruction of evil.
Instead of an ogre and donkey, “Ice Age” employs the team of Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), a large mammoth with a cold disposition, and Sid (John Leguizamo), the lovable, comedic giant sloth. The third member of this dysfunctional family is the wild card of the bunch, the always-shady Diego (Denis Leary), a saber-toothed tiger.
Where “Monsters, Inc.” had their heroes attempting to return a young girl back to her room, this trio’s mission is to return a lost human boy to his father before he is eaten by Soto (Goran Visnjic), the leader of Diego’s tiger clan.
After the tigers attack a human settlement, the boy’s mother is forced to make a fugitive leap off a waterfall, into the pool below. Miraculously both survive the fall, and the woman passes the boy into the waiting trunk of Manny, much to Diego’s chagrin.
Diego lied to Manny, Sid and the boy so his clan could ambush them by offering to help Manny track the child’s father across the icy glacier.
The film rarely deviates from the path set-up by the previous pair of computer films, but what better footsteps to follow in, than these two G-rated powerhouses?
Taking over for comedic icons Eddie Murphy (“Shrek”) and Billy Crystal (“Monsters, Inc.”), Leguizamo bursts through their shoes in a scene-stealing performance. After suffering through “Spawn,” “Summer of Sam” and the truly painful “Super Mario Bros.” movie, Leguizamo is finally getting better roles, such as the charismatic Toulouse in “Moulin Rouge.” As Sid, he blends the perfect mix of annoying, funny and tender moments together, resulting in the neo-Ed Norton (from “The Honeymooners,” not the “Fight Club” actor).
Despite his failure to secure the best part in the film, Romano’s voice may be the only one instantly recognizable. Beating out seasoned actors such as Robert de Niro and Kevin Spacey for the part, it’s hard to shed the image of goofy TV Ray as the bitter and often ill-tempered Manny.
The rest of the celebrity cast shrinks into the scenery, with few voices instantly identifiable. In spite of Leary’s large on-screen time, he hasn’t appeared in a high profile gig since “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Wag the Dog” (discounting his flailing TV show, “The Job”). Other “Ice Age” celebs include Visnjic (“ER” doc Luka Kovac), Jack Black (“High Fidelity”), Diedrich Bader (Oswald on “The Drew Carey Show”) and Cedric the Entertainer (“The Original Kings of Comedy”).
Rather than suffering because of the lack of high-profile voices, “Ice Age” flourishes without them. Instead of trying to get past Mike Myers’ cringe-worthy ogre voice, the story takes center stage and despite being just another hackneyed kid flick, the story is emotional enough to warm even the chilliest of hearts.
Todd LaPlace is a sophomore in journalism. This column is dedicated to Sean. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Todd can be reached for comment at [email protected].
