‘Ice Age: Collision Course’ a must see!

Audiences everywhere love the Ice Age films – the second-biggest animated motion picture franchise in the world. Each new story increases the stakes, scale, adventure and humour. Ice Age: Collision Course is the biggest and most ambitious film of the series.

Propelling audiences to new environments, like the cosmos and a crystallised world known as Geotopia, this is the defining chapter in the Ice Age “chillogy,” with many of the characters beginning new journeys. The new film’s story is deeply rooted in the mythology of the original Ice Age.

Producer Lori Forte, who has been with the franchise since its inception and whose ideas have sparked several of the films’ stories, explains: “In the first film, there was a scene where the herd passes through a kind of ice ‘museum’, where we see a prehistoric fish, a dinosaur, the evolution of Sid and then a spacecraft or flying saucer.

“We always recognised that the spaceship was intriguing and knew there was some kind of mythology attached to it that we’d some day explore, but at that time we didn’t know exactly what it was.

“So we decided the time was right to come back around to that piece of Ice Age, and that sowed the seeds for Collision Course.”

There was also a precedent for Scrat’s life being turned upside down by technology. In the Oscar-nominated short, No Time for Nuts, the character finds a time machine, which creates a different kind of techno-havoc for Scrat.

Another connection to the original film – and to its subsequent chapters – is the herd’s relatable family dynamics, which provide heart and emotion, and complement the comedy and adventure.

But like most families, the herd must adapt to a world that’s always in flux. “We take our family of characters further than we’ve seen them before,” says Forte. “We have a great time seeing how far we can push the characters, their world and the obstacles they must overcome.”

WHERE NO SCRAT HAS GONE BEFORE

Scrat. Picture: iceage.wikia.com

Scrat is, of course, one character who never changes. In Ice Age: Collision Course he continues his pursuit of the cursed acorn. But this time, Scrat’s quest is taking him where no Ice Age character has gone before – the cosmos – where the consequences of his antics are nothing short of “Scrat-tastrophic”.

In this film, Scrat drives the story, instead of merely providing comic relief to the main story of the herd.

And it’s about time. Scrat is literally at every major moment in the history of the natural world.

The empty nest: shock waves of a different kind

When Scrat plays pinball with the planets, he creates the ultimate Scrat-aclysm, sending the mother of all asteroids hurtling towards Earth. Again, Scrat’s misadventures have world-changing consequences for our sub-zero heroes on the ground. At the same time, there are earth-shaking events of an entirely different kind playing out. Manny and Ellie’s daughter Peaches is getting married and for Manny, that’s as unwanted a development as an asteroid landing in his backyard.

A MAN OF MANNY TALENTS

‘Ice Age’: Manny. Picture: iceage.wikia.com

Ray Romano, who again voices Manny, is the films’ anchor and emotional core.

“I have a daughter who’s around the same age as Peaches. As a dad, it’s bittersweet. You want your daughter to be happy and to find somebody special and yet you think whoever she does find isn’t going to be good enough for her. And that’s who Manny is. He knows that Julian is not a bad guy, but that doesn’t mean he gets to marry Peaches. Julian has to prove himself to Manny, and Manny has to learn to accept that his daughter is moving on to this next phase of her life.  And it’s not easy – I know that from experience.”

Long before Manny had to contend with a daughter getting hitched, Ray had developed an affinity with the character. “Manny is a lot like me, only better,” he jokes.

“He’s a family-oriented guy who likes the status quo. Manny doesn’t appreciate too much change; unfortunately for him, in his world and family, there’s nothing but change.”

Given that Romano has been voicing Manny for 15 years, it comes as no surprise that he’s perfectly in sync with his cinematic alter ego.

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN

‘Ice Age’: Peaches. Picture: iceage.wikia.com

Queen Latifah reprises the voice role as Ellie. Still, Latifah points out that Ellie’s not quite ready for Peaches to leave the herd. “Ellie understands  why  Peaches wants to leave, but it’s still a lot for her to process,” says the actress and singer.

“After all, Peaches is still her baby and it’s hard to see her pull away. Of course, Manny’s taking it even worse, so it’s just crazy between the two of them.”

But there is no stopping Peaches and her betrothed from creating a seismic shift in the family dynamics. The wedding is going to happen — if the herd can prevent  the cosmic cataclysm.

DAUGHTER DUTIES

Keke Palmer, who returns as Peaches, says the character is the same mammoth we know and love, even if she’s entering a new, exciting phase of her life.

“Peaches has finally met the guy she wants to marry,” says Palmer. “She’s ready to experience romance, which complicates things between her and her dad because he still thinks of her as daddy’s little girl. But Peaches is ready to make her own choices and she thinks Julian is the perfect guy for her. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, he loves his family and he clearly loves Peaches.”

Looking for love in all the wrong places

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Will Sid finally find love in the new instalment of ‘Ice Age’?

The Ice Age films are also love stories: Manny has Ellie, Peaches has Julian, Diego has Shira. Even the crazy brotherly bond between daredevils Crash and Eddie is a kind of love story.

But what about Sid the sloth? Sure, he has his pals in the herd, who are like brothers and sisters to Sid.

John Leguizamo again brings his unique vocal stylings to the character, which the actor has truly grown to love. “Sid is always honest in his reaction to things, no matter how disastrous that thing may be,” says Leguizamo.

“He’s also evolved and become responsible and has earned the trust of the herd.” As for the character’s enduring popularity, the actor says: “We all have a little bit of Sid in us –that cockeyed optimist who is always positive, no matter how much he messes up.”

Info

Ice Age: Collision Course

Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Devine, Keke Palmer, Max Greenfield, Jessie J, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Wanda Sykes and Nick Offerman.

Director: Michael Thurmeier.

Classification: PG.

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