Ice Age [3]: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (2009) [Blu-ray]
Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Romance

In the coolest Ice Age adventure yet, Manny and the herd discover a lost world of ferociously funny dinosaurs, including a cranky T.rex who's got a score to settle with Sid! Meanwhile, Scrat goes nuts over the beautiful Scratte, but is she trying to win his heart - or steal his acorn?

User Comment: tommy_tumnus, 22 June 2009 • *** This review may contain spoilers *** I saw this film in an advanced screening on Father's Day.

I was really impressed by the film. A problem that many sequels run into is that they rely too heavily on the name of the franchise and hope it will blind the audience into liking a mediocre film. This film didn't have that. It truly stayed true to the characters and themes we have grown to love in the Ice Age franchise.

In this instalment, Manny and Ellie's child is on the way. Manny has a tough time and is nervous about becoming a father. Ellie, on the other hand, is very excited and feels ready.

Diego worries he is going 'soft', and struggles with his desire to be a strong, intimidating tiger once again.

Upon being around so much 'baby excitement', Sid feels like he wants some kids. His wish is granted when he stumbles upon three eggs, which hatch and are revealed to be dinosaur eggs. Thus, our adventure begins.

Needless to say, most of the key characters have inner struggles that they are dealing with. The film also introduces a new character, a crazy cool weasel named Buck. After the film, my boyfriend told me Buck reminded him of Jack Sparrow from the acclaimed 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise. I see the resemblance, as Buck is a little on the wild side and has a hunger for adventure.

The animation was beautiful. With each film in the series, the animation gets better. The scenery and colors were great, and the characters were well done as well.

A lot of people seem to have an issue with the dinosaurs. They claim it isn't realistic. My only argument against that is, "Do you think the first two were all that realistic?" if you see this film, you just need to let your imagination stretch a bit. Accept that there are dinosaurs in it, and you'll love it. Don't get hung up on the fact that dinosaurs were long gone before the Ice Age.

The film moves at a fast pace and has many laughs along the way. It's a great adventure and I really think it will be popular when it hits theaters. The script was pretty good, the soundtrack was excellent, and I really can't pin point anything that is extremely wrong with this movie. It stands well on its own, so newcomers will be able to enjoy it easily, all while keeping the same spirit of the first two, which is sure to please fans from day one.

Summary: Stays true to the franchise.

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