Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary

Manny, Sid, Diego and Ellie are back in this third film in the computer-animated "Ice Age" series. With those creatures in starring roles, fans also get another dose of the vocal talents of Ray Romano...( read more  read more... ), John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Queen Latifah, who all return from the previous two outings.

Flixster Users

72% liked it

127,430 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

143 critics

PG, 1 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier

Release Date: July 1, 2009

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DVD Release Date: October 27, 2009

Stats: 32,953 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (32,953)


  • November 2, 2009
    More of the same but the kiddo liked it :)
  • October 10, 2009
    "We've been living above an entire world, and we didn't even know it!"


    As most movie-goers should be aware of, dinosaurs predated the mammals of the Ice Age series by millions of years. Thus, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (the third instalment of the now

    ...( read more) 7-year-old computer-animated franchise) has a few problems to overcome in order to justify the scaly and the furry sharing the screen. To solve this conundrum, the committee of writers have dug deep into the classic tomes of science fiction (such as the works of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs) to conceive an idea so ludicrous - an entire world existing beneath the icy ground of the Pleistocene Epoch - that it very nearly works. Of course, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a children's cartoon, and expecting it to be paleontologically accurate is rather imprudent. Nevertheless, if this small detail keeps coming to mind during the movie, it may be an indication that Fox has gone to the well one too many times with this franchise. Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a charming film, but it's more of an agreeable television event than a majestic animated feature.


    Following the events of Ice Age: The Meltdown, Manny (Romano) and Ellie (Latifah) - the last two woolly mammoths on the planet - are expecting their first child. However the prospective new arrival has put a strain on the gang; sabre-toothed tiger Diego (Leary) fears domesticity will cause him to lose more of his edge as a hunter, while Sid the sloth (Leguizamo) realises the family dynamic could lead to his eventual exclusion. Depressed, Sid wishes for a family of his own, and stumbles upon a trio of dinosaur eggs that contain Tyrannosaurs Rexes which he decides to adopt. But once they hatch, their perturbed mother soon shows up to seize them...and takes Sid as well. So with Sid taken captive by a dinosaur who takes him to a lost world of dinosaurs under the ice, it's up to his motley group of mammal pals to rescue him - with a crazed weasel named Buck (Pegg) giving them a helping hand along the way.


    Unfortunately, the story just feels like a thinly-veiled excuse to incorporate dinosaurs (presumably because they're popular with little boys). For the most part, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs plays out like a demo for the video game as it careens from one improbable action situation to the next. Mastering these sorts of challenges may be fun in an interactive video game, but they're dull and out-of-place in a movie. To the credit of the filmmakers, though, the picture doesn't strain itself to find a higher purpose, and the absence of responsibility permits the movie to have a bit of fun. The directorial duo of Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier therefore hand Dawn of the Dinosaurs over to the colourful locales, dangerous predators and the adorable infant dinosaur shenanigans. A sense of freshness is encouraged with the introduction of Buck; a comedic hunter with a leaf eye-patch who's been lurking solo in the lost world underneath the ice for several years. Buck is a splendid, off-the-wall sidekick who's integral to the narrative and pitched to entertain (instead of irritate), with Simon Pegg elevating the material with his endearing rendition of the character.


    And of course, crowd favourite Scrat ("voiced" by series head-honcho Chris Wedge) shows up periodically throughout the film to liven things up. The buck-toothed, squirrel-like critter's incessant love for his acorn is continually put to the test; more so when he crosses paths with the femme-fatale of his species, affectionately known as Scrattè (Disher), who's rather a tough nut to crack. Their physical tussles over the acorn (which lead to them falling in love) provide welcome relief from the story proper, and remind us that well-executed slapstick comedy is always enjoyable. The Scrat/Scrattè interactions frankly make the rest of the movie look rather stale.


    The previous Ice Age films maintained a consistent cleverness, and had only minimal reliance on television-grade jokes. But there's an overriding laziness haunting Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Hearing Ray Romano bitch about married life is out-of-place in this picture, as if the audio from Romano's former television program was recycled. On top of this, the plotline resembles that of a generic sitcom episode. The humour is half-baked, and hilarious moments are only occasional. The film often resorts to bathroom humour or relating to gender differences to get a laugh (for instance, what happens when you try to "milk" a male cow?). Most of the jokes couldn't be less relevant to what's happening as well. There's a bit of playful bantering between the characters from time to time as well as a selection of amusing vignettes, but once again these are infrequent. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs feels like it was assembled as quickly as possible before the franchise's target audience could outgrow the infantile protagonists.


    Blue Sky Studios continue to operate strongly in the shadow of Pixar and DreamWorks, but this smaller enterprise needs to improve their techniques in order to compete in the animation realm. The look of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is disappointing, particularly with Pixar's Up being released in the same year. While the characters themselves are well-detailed, the world in which they operate is bland and generic.


    With each new release, Pixar manages to expose deep issues and still create a highly enjoyable romp that appeals to viewers young and old. Meanwhile, Fox continues to milk franchises like Ice Age, and the result is surface-level fluff. Like the previous Ice Age films, Dawn of the Dinosaurs is enjoyable, but too formulaic, and creativity is slowly decreasing (who didn't predict the '80s one-hit wonder Walk the Dinosaur being used for the soundtrack?).

  • August 19, 2009
    Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the third movie of the Ice Age series. In this one we follow how's life treats our three main characters, Manny expecting the birth of his first baby with Ellie, Diego feeling frustrated because he has no adventure in his life anymore and Sid thinking tha...( read more)t no one cares about him. When Sid finds three dinosaur eggs and take them with him is when the adventure begins. The movie is funny from the beginning till the end, an hour and a half of pure entertainment. The animation as always is excellent , the story is good and the plot very well developed. The cast is excellent. Ray Romano (Manny), Dennis Leary (Diego), John Leguizamo (Sid), Queen Latifah (Ellie), Sean William Scott (Crash) and Josh Peck (Eddie) repeating characters and Simon Pegg as the new character Buck are very good and convincing. In conclusion, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a very entertaining and enjoyable family movie everyone will like.
  • August 9, 2009
    Sticking with the formula of the first two films while improving the animation. Unfortunately, the writing has been left in the sun to spoil. There's one hilarious scene where the characters can't stop laughing and Pegg's oddball character has some excellent lines, though he anno...( read more)ys for the most part. The two possums are less annoying, but only because they have less screen time. In fact, every character has less as the herd continues to expand. It will probably please fans of the first two but most scenes have a computer game feel and the addition of Manny's family just can't compare to the male camaraderie of the first installment.
  • August 5, 2009
    "Welcome to the Ice Age!"

    When Sid's attempt to adopt three dinosaur eggs gets him abducted by their real mother to an underground lost world, his friends attempt to rescue him.

    REVIEW

    Thi...( read more)s movie as a whole was satisfying. However, if you are looking for a movie with substance in the story, skip it all together. While the movie was a fun ride for fans of the series, it was a confusing teacup ride for those looking for a continuation on the story. The main story line made no sense, and seemed to be thrown together by the writers. If you choose to see this movie, go in without expectations, because that's the only way you will enjoy it. The sub-stories will be enough to carry you through the wishy-washy main story. This movie gets thumbs up for comedy, for those who enjoy the light-hearted and wacky.
  • November 6, 2009
    come on third part! didnt you get enough with the 2nd shitty part!
  • November 6, 2009
    i always liked these movies..lol..
  • November 6, 2009
    Entaining third installment in the Ice Age series, fun-filled adventure for the entire family
  • November 6, 2009
    Not as good as part 2. I wouldn't see it again. And I LOVE kids movies.
  • November 6, 2009
    It's for kids of all ages

Critic Reviews


July 3, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Even the little boy in the second row, dragged along by a parent for a treat, was frozen in silence, victim of that cyclical ice age that affects audiences powerless to fend off the cryogenic effect o... full review

July 2, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Rather than evolving, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs treads on familiar and infertile ground. full review

July 2, 2009
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

There's a sense of ineptness in a script that constantly reaches, with only modest success, for amusing things that the mammoths and their friends can do. full review

June 30, 2009
Bob Mondello, NPR

A sweet little comedy, both family-friendly and centered on a nontraditional family — and so suitable for pretty much everyone. full review

June 30, 2009
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

What? Dawn of the dinosaurs? In the Ice Age? You've got to be kidding.

June 30, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

There's little evidence of creativity either in the paint-by-numbers time-travelling plot or the sort of ad-libs you associate with gag writers sitting around a boardroom table. full review

June 30, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Let us thank the producers of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs for remembering that adults sit beside the youngest viewers. full review

June 30, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the best of the three films about our friends in the inter-species herd of plucky prehistoric heroes. full review

June 30, 2009
Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine

Going to the well for the third time and adding tons more action and razor-sharp 3D, the Ice Age series proves it is far from extinct as it hits its stride with an irresistible and enormously fun thir... full review

View more Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Ice Age 3) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • gtwinbb
    September 25, 2009
    The character Sid always makes this movie a one of a kind.I LOVE IT.
  • salzryishak
    August 12, 2009
    i really love this movie,,,its really fun,,its make me laughing all the time,,till i really forgot any problem in my mind,,,,especially buck.....gud characther
  • mjpadbill
    July 8, 2009
    More comedy and comedians compare to Ice age 1 and 2. and its worth fun to watch at least you won't get bored.
  • liliecv1
    July 5, 2009
    :D it was good! "the baby was so cute" .. good movie.
  • welice93
    January 30, 2009
    The sub-zero heroes from the worldwide blockbusters “Ice Age” and “Ice Age: The Meldown” are back, on an incredible adventure...for the ages. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while, maybe, finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth, Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs; and Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he’s growing too “soft” hanging with his pals. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna run amuck – and meet a relentless, one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck.

  • RoseThorn121
    September 3, 2008
    cant waitttt! I absolutely adore the Ice Age films, hope this one is as good!

    :D
  • funkyboy0707
    April 2, 2008
    cant wait .
    i wish to be better than 1 and 2.
  • Kakaroto24
    March 9, 2008
    can't wait
  • sportboy
    February 21, 2008
    well I enjoyed Ice Age 2 and that was good saw I hope ice age 3 is going to be as good or better.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Ice Age 3) Trivia

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (I... Trivia


  • What is Ice Age 3 going to be called?  Answer »
  • In Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs what is the code word for it is time for the baby(not exact words)??  Answer »

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