It’s not often that the fourth segment is as fresh and creative and fun as its predecessors. But this series is a winner for the kids, and kinda fun for the parents and grandparents, as well.
Scrat, the acorn fanatic, unwittingly causes the Pangea’s continental drift by spinning randomly on the earth’s core (hey, it’s a cartoon). This also causes a great upheaval in the earth’s crust, which separates Manny the Mammoth (the voice of Ray Romano) from his wife Ellie (Queen Latifah) and adolescent daughter, but he vows, from a distance, to reunite the family, and thus begins the adventure.
Manny, together with his friends Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the Saber-tooth Tiger (Denis Leary), set adrift on an ice floe, try to make their way back to the land bridge, but are constantly thwarted by the presence of pirates, and pestered by Sid’s grandmother, irascible and toothless and almost blind, but Sid can’t bring himself to abandon her, like the rest of his family has abandoned him. Grouchy ol’ Diego finds love, they all discover their inner courage, and of course there is a happy ending where evil is overcome and every animal lives happily ever after, in harmony with itself, its own species, and all other species, with an even greater appreciation of one another.
Of course there are politically correct overtones of respect for diversity and the inclusion (rather than the banishment) of elders and the importance of friends who are like family. But all that can be readily accepted because it’s so lighthearted and light on its feet. It’s funny and warm and playful, and the voice talents, being veteran comedians, all have a good sense of comic timing. It’s a happy movie, eminently suitable for all.
And, as icing on the cake, the Simpson cartoon at the intro is LOL funny.
Ronald P. Salfen is minister of St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Irving, Texas.
