The latest CGI hit has arrived on DVD and it looks amazing...
Ice Age DVD
Release Date: November 26th, 2002
The line of computer-animated films is a prestigious one. Films like the Toy Story franchise, Shrek, Bug’s Life, and most recently, Monsters Inc. have basically made this genre one that started on a high level, and continues to evolve to even higher levels.
With that said, Blue Sky Animation set out to make their first full length feature film in Ice Age. Blue Sky mainly had done small CGI and special effect sequences in other films such as Fight Club, Joe’s Apartment, and others.
The Film
Thus far, movies like this that have worked (Toy Story, Shrek, etc.) have relied on a healthy mix of smart, witty comedy with lovable characters in a movie that ended up entertaining kids and parents. Ice Age stars a wacky cast of characters including a sloth named Sid, voiced by John Leguizamo; a mammoth named Manny, voiced by Ray Romano; and a saber-tooth tiger named Diego, voiced by Denis Leary.
Much like the relationship between Shrek and Donkey in Shrek, the relationship between Sid and Manny make for the heart of this film. The pair contrasts each other greatly with Manny being a loner and Sid being a talker. The plot focuses around Manny and Sid saving a human baby from a group of tigers and deciding to return it to its family. One of the tigers, Diego, decides to act like he will help them to the humans, but really has the goal of getting the baby back to the tiger camp. Unable to get along initially, the three very different characters come together slowly as they each fall in love with the human baby.
This is a very warm little film. It starts a bit slowly but is worth the wait. The characters all develop a nice relationship with one another and the humor, while not as sharp as Shrek, is funny for the most part. The plot and character development is not anything you haven’t seen before, and this movie probably isn’t one of the top 5 animated films, or even computer-animated films, but it is still a solid, fun little tale. It does not really feature many surprises, plot turns, etc. and is a run-of-the-mill story, but is done in a nice way.
The real thing of beauty in this film, however, is the visuals. This is one of the best CGI films made thus far. The settings come off absolutely gorgeous, as does everything else, from the ice caves to the volcanoes. The look of this movie will leave the viewer in awe simply because it is that striking.
Video Quality
This is the type of movie that really shines on DVD. The white snow is pure white, unlike in the theater where the white snow was full of screen specks and fading that come from projection. This is a beautiful transfer that looks much better than the theater version.
The film is presented in anamorphic 1.74:1 ratio widescreen, but also has the full screen version in the same package (why isn’t every DVD like that?). The entire picture comes off extremely crisp and the color is beautiful. This movie is a perfect one to show off the quality of DVD picture.
Audio Quality
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is excellent here. The film has a very wide range of use for surround sound, from the snow and glaciers to the ice chutes and rainstorms. The dialogue is very clear and the bass is not overpowering which is a problem many DVD sound tracks tend to have.
The movie score is done by David Newman (Anastasia, Scooby-Doo) compliments the film nicely. Top notch sound here.
Special Features
The DVD has plenty of special features, including two new short cartoons called Scrat’s Missing Adventure and Bunny. The first one really shows off some impressive 3D visuals, and the second is the 1998 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short.
Also included in the package are deleted scenes, director commentary (from director Chris Wedge and co-director Carlos Saldanha), three interactive games (Hide and Seek, Matching Pairs, and Playing Darwin), commentary from John Leguizamo on his character (Sloth), various Ice Age promos, a short feature titled International Ice Age, and various features included under the Making of Ice Age label. Also included are trailers, a build-it yourself picture gallery, and more. Bottomline, it’s a packed two-disc set.
While some of the extras may be pretty worthless, most DVDs are that way, and there is more than enough good stuff to make up for it. Both of the shorts are excellent, the commentaries are good, the Making Of documentaries are interesting, and there are games and such for the kids.
The 411: This is an excellent two-disc package. The film itself is a nice, fun little adventure and while it may not be on par with the top computer animated gems such as Shrek, it holds its own and is a satisfying view. The video quality is absolutely amazing as the film delivers some of the best visuals you will see. The surround sound track is top notch and effective, and the disc is packed with plenty of solid extras that will keep you busy for hours.
