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Ice Age - 2-Disc Collector's Edition

Computer animation once again proves its worth as entertainment in "Ice Age," the latest in a growing line of such films that include "Monsters, Inc." and "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius." Here, the majority of the characters are animals provided with a fully stocked arsenal of comic relief, while the animation itself, certainly first rate, is a wonder to the eyes, and in some places, to the mind as well. *** As the Earth's temperatures in northern regions steadily decrease, herds are migrating south to avoid being trapped without food or shelter. Left behind by his family, Sid the Sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo), a slinky, cumbersome lad with beady eyes and a charming lisp, finds himself in more trouble after ruining a rhino's lunch. He finds rescue in Manfred the Mammoth ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Ray Romano), a loner who, instead of heading south, is on his way north for solitude. ***

Meanwhile, a vengeful pack of sabertooths are planning their revenge on the human tribe responsible for the deaths of their kin. After storming the village in an attempt to make off with the chief's newborn child, it's mother races to the river, where she escapes with the baby with fatal results, leaving Manfred and tag-along Sid to fend for the child in their quest to return it to its father. Accompanying them is Diego the Sabertooth (Denis Leary), who offers to lead them to the passage into northern regions while secretly making other plans. ***

And there you have, the child-like formula for another refreshing family film that rides to success on some well-crafted moments and continuous humor. Movie-going audiences will surely recognize the film's opening sequence from the trailers, as a squirrel desperately searches the frozen landscape for a nesting place for his acorn, causing a chain reaction resulting in a terrific setup of flying ice, hearty laughs, and some well-intentioned action. This, along with the group's wild ride through an ice cave that becomes their personal slip 'n' slide, showcases some terrific animation as well as some good slapstick humor. ***

There are other, more impressive feats accomplished as well, such as some very realistic-looking effects, and moments of sorrow that may even make some adults misty-eyed. There is an scene early in the film, one that involves upward movement along a waterfall, that seems almost too real to be animation, while some scenes such as a rainstorm and those involving shots of snow-covered landscapes are painstaking in their detail. The story behind Manfred's loneliness may just be the saddest moment in an animated film since the death of Bambi's mother, and don't be too surprised if you find yourself shedding a small tear when the film reaches its final moments. ***

Equally astounding is the voice work done for the film. Romano, Leguizamo, and Leary fit in to their characters so well that it makes the ride much more inviting. The overall effect of the film is one of complete satisfaction, despite a few slow moments in the beginning. The concept and the execution are really nothing new, but "Ice Age" proves its insatiable worth as a terrific combination of humor and storytelling that provides fun for children and adults alike.

Computer animation and DVD were practically made for one another, and "Ice Age" is yet another testament to this statement. The 1.85:1 image is anamorphically enhanced and features a stunning array of colors that range from warm to cold, all of which are nicely saturated without bleeding, and are complimented by rich textures and deep, pure blacks. Contrast is excellent, especially in the animation of Manny, whose underside is darker than the rest of his form. Edges are razor sharp, and small details are terrific, most notably in the characters, whose physical features are beautifully rendered. For a pristine image in animation, you can't go wrong with this DVD. ***

The sound is mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, and aside from a few noticeable flaws, it's every bit as bold as the theatrical mix. The entire soundstage is engaged throughout the movie, whether it be for the excellent recording of David Newman's terrific score, or the sound effects, which make themselves known in both the rear and front channels. Imaging is good, with the exception of the scene at the waterfall, during which water can be heard in the surrounds as we're looking at the river itself, with hardly no sound other than music from the front channels. Dialogue is nicely recorded and also adheres to imaging, though in the beginning it tends to become overpowered by the rest of the mix. The .1 LFE is used generously throughout the track and makes for some very energetic action scenes, especially in the beginning and a sequence in which our herd goes sliding through an icy cave. A few blemishes here and there, but overall, the track is superb.

On the movie disc are three interactive set-top games playable on your DVD player; honestly, they're more for the younger set, although the one in which you match the character with his exact likeness can be challenging if you don't pay attention. Then there are some DVD-ROM features that include more games, as well as other activities, also mostly for the kids. ***

Disc Two kicks off with an all-new animated short, "Scrat's Missing Adventure," in which the Scrat desperately tries to hold on to his wealth of acorns before the continents split into the forms they take on today. For me, it's every bit as charming as the movie itself. As an added plus, the short is in 1.85:1 widescreen and mastered in 5.1 surround... sweet! This is followed by six deleted scenes which include three language tracks as well as some commentary from the directors. The scenes are good for a chuckle or two, but it's easy to understand why the filmmakers cut them from the final version. ***

Next, we have a rather awkward little feature entitled "Sid on Sid," which features the character of Sid watching the movie and making little comments about selected scenes, all in the context that the characters are real animal actors. It can be somewhat humorous, but ultimately it doesn't make much sense to include it. Also a bit out there is the section "Scrat Reveals," which features more mishaps involving the Scrat, his acorn, and a conveniently-placed Fox logo. Perhaps these were some concepts for advertising, or maybe the animators just didn't get it all out of their system the first time around. ***

Now we get to the really good stuff, people, beginning with the interactive animation progression vignettes. A total of three scenes (the opening, the tiger attack, and the lava pool) are broken down into five different viewable angles accessible by remote during playback. You can watch the storyboards, the 3D layout, the un-rendered animation, the final render, or all four as one, and like many other DVDs to use this feature as a means of showing the audience the various stages of producing scenes like these, this one hits the spot. ***

Then we move on to "Under the Ice," which is filled with featurettes and documentaries on the making of "Ice Age." The first is "The Making of Ice Age," which is further sub-divided into sections that cover everything from the concept and the voice casting, to the animation and the characters. Ultimately, those covering the process by which the world of the film was brought to life are the most interesting, as many concepts of animation and development are covered, but still, it's interesting to hear cast members Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, and Denis Leary discussing what attracted them to the project, and what methods of inspiration they used to voice their characters. ***

Then we have the HBO featurette that is co-hosted by Ray Romano and some annoying cameraman who can't seem to grasp Romano's jokes; that's all part of the gag, but it gets old pretty fast. This one basically covers everything on a basic level through interviews, film clips, and behind-the-scenes footage, leaving it up to the following six featurettes to cover everything else indepth. Each is relatively short and is accompanied by narration of various filmmakers. "The Voicing of Sid" features Leguizamo, as well as some voice clips of his different concepts for the voice. "Using 2D in a 3D World" covers the use of two different animation techniques in the cave sequence where Manny remembers his past through the wall paintings, with compositing lead Andrew Beddini narrating. "Making a Character" goes over the process of creating the characters, beginning with clay figures and then progressing to wire-frame computer models and final compositions. "Art of Rigging" furthers the previous featurette, showing us the internal framing of the characters for use in movement. "Animators Acting" stresses the issue of getting the emotion right in the character animation; "Lighting and Materials" discusses textures and the use of light in the final stages of animation; and "The Art of Effects" talks about the the use of special effects in the cartoon world. ***

Last but not least we have a gallery of trailers, design galleries that offer information on the various creatures in the movie as well as a chance to make your own gallery, and the Oscar-winning animated short "Bunny," which brought Chris Wedge to the attention of Fox.