Ice Age: Collision Course-Film Review

Director: Mike Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu
Screenplay: Yoni Brenner, Aubrey Solomon, Michael Berg
Cast: Voices of Adam Devine, Simon Pegg, Jennifer Lopez, Scott, Denis Leary, Keke Palmer, Queen Latifah, Ray Romano
Rating: **
Genre: Animation
Venue: Ster Kinekor Maerua Mall Cine 4

At this point, some may declare it a successful franchise, but I think they are just milking it. Ice Age is back at it again with its fifth installment, Collision Course. When will it end? As always, Scrat and his elusive acorn are the cause of the impending apocalyptic doom when, in Outer Space, his chase for the acorn results in a colossal lump of rock being dislodged from its orbit and the shards of meteor make their way straight to Planet Earth. Therefore, Sid (John Leguizamo) and his friends face the threat of a meteor shower that could yet again wipe out the entire Ice Age race or their world as they know it. Thanks, Scrat!
On top of that, there seems to be another crisis going on in Manny’s household. It may well be the end of life as he knows it when his beloved daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer) is bent on marrying the cheery Julian (Adam Devine). Neither Manny (Ray Romano), nor his wife, Ellie (Queen Latifah) are happy about this union approaching. They have not quite yet warmed up to Julian’s buoyant character as a worthy love match for their daughter and Manny seems to be struggling with the idea that Peaches will no longer be under the care of her loving father.
As you would expect from any ongoing franchise, Ice Age: Collision Course of course has some of their old, tried and tested devices to keep you entertained. In addition to that, a whole bunch of other characters have been added into the mix. There seems to be a lot more daffy characters than usual. Diego and Manny really have it in for themselves as the “level-headed ones” as it seems that the clownish tone is only heightened with the addition of all these slap-stick types. It really depends on where your tolerance threshold for such daffiness lies because this can either increase your enjoyment or simply become annoying.
This movie is of course loaded with high energy adventure, with your typical “we’ve got to save the day” antics that involve running, ducking and sliding. Admittedly, you really do become concerned about what will happen when that final meteor hits. One of their plans – a last resort, really – is to consult an eccentric New Age mountain guru, named the Shangri Llama, who supposedly has the answers that will guide them out of their turmoil. The Sangri Llama is not one that you might instantly follow so the movie does a decent job at piquing your interest in the animals as they take a leap of faith to fight against the seemingly unbeatable impending doom.
Stuffed in between all of that is your two-cent banter as the characters side track from this critical issue to deal with their hearts’ concerns as if they have a chance in the future to live them out. Peaches, of course, wants to get married and Sid will not stop wining that he is the only one without somebody to love. I suppose, by now the Ice Age animals are used to dealing with the end of days and they are ready to tackle whatever lies ahead so that they can move on with their lives. I seriously sense a sixth installment coming up. And while this movie is enjoyable to an extent, I only hope that this time Scrat finally gets to eat his catastrophic acorn so that we too can move on with our lives and are not forced to follow the animals’ scramble for survival for all eternity.