Everybody's favorite oddball herd is back for yet another family-friendly adventure in "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs." The mammoths Manny and Ellie, Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger and twin possums Eddie and Crash must reevaluate their status as a crew in the wake of "Ice Age: The Meltdown."
A separation is triggered amongst the group after Diego realizes he has lost his predatory edge. Hoping to regain his lost luster, Diego parts ways with his comrades.
Preoccupied with his girlfriend's pregnancy, Manny focuses on the immediate future. Feeling jilted, Sid ventures out into the wilderness in search of a new herd. After tumbling through a sheet of thin ice, Sid stumbles upon a trio of eggs that he assumes have been abandoned. Sid promptly pilfers the eggs and cares for them as though they were his own.
Despite warnings from his furry friends Sid is reluctant to give up the eggs. Sid awakes one morning to find that his hatchlings are in fact dinosaurs. The baby dinos imprint on Sid, yet his stint at motherhood is cut short when a gigantic T-rex seeks out her offspring.
Angry and vengeful the mother T-rex kidnaps Sid and whisks him away to an underground world inhabited by dinosaurs. Hoping to save their friend from certain death, the herd reunites and braves the unknown dwelling of the dinosaurs.
Cute, funny and kid friendly, "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a film that will not disappoint franchise fans. A change of scenery and new additions to established cast of characters allows this film a fresh start.
One new character is wily weasel Buck. Voiced by funnyman Simon Pegg, this rascally rodent serves as a tour guide for the group on their rescue mission. A doom and gloom soothsayer, Buck is cunning, confident and completely insane.
Leading the crew through the Jungle of Misery, the Chasm of Death and the Plates of Woe in search of Sid, this witty weasel comes across as a hybrid of "The Crocodile Hunter" and a psych-ward head case. A character who balances survivalist skills with a wacky sense of humor, Buck is sure to entertain viewers of all ages. Buck's unrelenting tall tales and rapid fire innuendo provide knee-slapping comic relief that has appeal for the likes of children as well as the matured tastes of adults. This isn't to say that Buck is an absolute laugh riot, but he definitely has enough quick wit to keep the laughs rolling for all ages.
That nutty squirrel again plays a role in the herd's adventure. This time, the unlucky gatherer discovers a female squirrel that competes for his coveted acorn. Their scenes are just charming enough to be slightly distracting.
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" is a satisfactory sequel that combines a linear plot and quip-based comedy to create an enjoyable animated feature.
