On CLIPS In July, 2009
ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Wooly mammoth Manny and his friends discover an underground world of dinosaurs in this animated adventure.

TRIVIA: Which "Ice Age" character starred in the 2002 cartoon short "Gone Nutty"?
ROG'S VIEWPOINT
     (3 CAMS)        RATED PG

Life during the Ice Age goes on. Wooly mammoth Manny (the voice of Ray Romano) and his mate Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah) are about to become parents. Feeling left out, Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) finds some dinosaur eggs to raise as his own. An angry mother dinosaur retrieves her hatched youngsters and Sid. Now Manny, Ellie and the saber-toothed Diego (Denis Leary) travel beneath the Earth to rescue their friend. "Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs" is fun for the whole family. For their third outing, digital 3-D adds depth to the characters and the world around them. Warning: objects appear closer than they actually are and some may frighten smaller children. But the 3-D is more for adult amusement while the kids follow the antics of their animated friends. Directors Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier mix in the ingredients that made the first two CG adventures work. The biggest problem here is too much of that prehistoric squirrel Scrat and his beloved acorn. A love interest/rival named Scratte has been added. This comical romance takes the focus off the search for Sid enough to confuse the young ones in the audience. This is too bad because a hilarious new character is introduced: a one-eyed, dinosaur hunting weasel called Buck (Simon Pegg). He's nuttier than Scrat. In spite of the shortcomings, and with help from a new dimension, "Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs" is a cool entry in the series.