The "Ice Age" movies will be remembered primarily for giving us lovable and hilarious characters that endeared themselves to us even when the stories felt rushed or rehashed. The misadventures of Scrat, our acorn-obsessed squirrel, and the shenanigans of Sid the Sloth never seemed to get old. But with "Ice Age: Collision Course", fifth film in the series and the so-called "defining chapter" in a saga that has lasted 14 years, the evidence is on the screen – this franchise has officially run out of fresh ideas.
In the new film, our old friends Manny the mammoth, Diego the sabre-toothed tiger, and Sid must put aside their respective struggles with family and romance to lead all prehistoric species to safety before a meteor smashes into Earth.
In visual terms, "Collision Course" offers the filmmakers a chance to explore new color palettes and to scale up the quality of the animation. But there’s a weary, exhausted feel to the writing, which is evident in the lazy throw-everything-at-the-screen approach. So a bunch of new characters are introduced, who sadly contribute nothing to the plot. Old favorites are brought back too – like scene-stealing madcap weasel Buck (Simon Pegg), who alerts the gang to the repercussions of the meteor attack and plots a near-impossible mission to divert its course.
Additionally, fans of the series will be happy to know that Scrat is no longer relegated to the sidelines. In fact the film’s plot is spurred into motion by the long-suffering critter and his eternal chase of the acorn. When he’s accidentally shot into space, Scrat's continuing fumbling and bumbling causes a realignment of the planets, which in turn triggers the meteor in the direction of Earth.
Disguised as a frenetic adventure, the plot serves up the same old message about family values. It's strictly serviceable stuff that might engage the kids but will likely leave older fans bored and eager to bid the franchise a final farewell. I’m going with two out of five for “Ice Age: Collision Course". It was nice knowing you folks, but your time is up.
Rating: 2 / 5
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