I saw it yesterday, and honestly, it’s not that bad! I thought it was pretty cute and funny. 
I’m kind of curious to know what Nicki Minaj’s character is like in this movie… 
She dos’nt really have that big of a role.
It’s interesting to read how divided the opinions are on this movie.
While it’s not my favourite in the franchise (that would be Dinosaurs), it’s still worth a trip to the cinema for fans and animation enthusiasts. I always go into a movie with an open mind and heart: I learnt that lesson from Cars 2 last year - I was severly disappointed by Toy Story 3 and was basically bashing Pixar and saying that it’s lost its way when I realise I was being a hypocrite and that I should never judge a book by its cover. Cars 2 ended up being one of my favourite Pixar films, despite the ‘Rotten’ rating.
If you’re set on hating a movie before you’ve even given it the chance to impress you, chances are, you’re not going to like it very much.
Having said that, though, Ice Age 4 had its good and bad moments. Below is my review as posted on Tumblr.
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CAPTIVE AUDIENCE: Our sub-zero heroes ‘bond’ with their new companions in Blue Sky’s Ice Age: Continental Drift.
It seems that Blue Sky’s flagship franchise, much like its central protagonists, just refuses to die.
After surviving the titular Ice Age, a meltdown, and a parallel-world Jurassic period, our trio of misfit heroes are now in for the biggest adventures of their lives (yet) - getting home. After series favourite Scrat the prehistoric squirrel (voiced by Chris Wedge, the director of the first film) sets off a catacalysmic chain of events that results in a tectonic breakup on fast-forward, Manny the wooly mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) find themselves adrift on a piece of iceberg floating away from their herd.
They undertake an Odyssey-like journey to return to their families - encountering a merry band of pirates led by the despicable Captain Gut (Peter Dinklage), a harem of sirens (one of the most surreal yet funniest moments of the movie) and a giant crab (yes, you read that right) along the way. Meanwhile, Manny’s daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer), has some searching of her own to do when she has to choose between a cool gang led by the mammoth of her dreams, Ethan (Drake) or her unfortunately ‘friend-zoned’ secret-admirer molehog buddy, Louis (Josh Gad).
Will the intrepid trio ever see their families again? Will Peaches choose to bow to peer pressure or stand up for a friend? Will Scrat ever get his beloved acorn?
Will it hurt if I drop a brick on my foot?
The more interesting question is if this instalment stand up to its predecessors. In some respects, it sailed smoothly, and in others it, well, sunk.
Blue Sky has kind of been a dark horse in the animation industry. Whereas Pixar is like the high-performer in class with A grades with the occassional over-researched essay (I’m looking at you, Toy Story 3) and Dreamworks Animation the class joker who’s fun to hang out with, Blue Sky is the quirky kid with a hoodie and headphones who sits at the back of the class and turns in passing-grade assignments. Some of its films were brilliant, like Horton Hears A Who, Robots and my personal favourite, Rio. Most of them, though, are, well, Ice Age sequels.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the franchise. I loved the first as a kid (even though I can hardly remember it now), had a great theatre experience with my pre-U friends for the second, and my university friends for the third (not to mention gushing extensively about the last one on the forums back in its heyday). For me, the adventures of this misfit band of misfits has a place in my heart like other franchises such as Madagascar and Cars, because I grew up with it.
So it all comes down to this final hurrah, the “One for the Ages”, as the trailer promises. I will first say that this is probably second-best in the series. Dinosaurs, even with all its flaws (formulaic plot, meandering action sequences, and a horribly cruel conclusion to the Scrat and Scratte romantic sub-plot), is still the best in terms of emotional pathos and characterisation. My heart ached when Sid had to say goodbye to his ‘adopted kids’, or when Buck discovered how empty his life was without his ‘frenemy’ Rudy, the albino dino.
In Drift, the series gets its first proper antagonist in the form of Gut the pirate leader. But I felt that his motivations, reminscent of Lotso’s in Toy Story 3, were a bit forced. Much like the bear who smells of strawberries, he doesn’t have a reason to hate the hero, Manny, beyond imposing his world-view upon others for the heck of it. When Manny reasonably refuses, this sets the duo on a collision course of conflict simply because he refuses to accept the status quo. Great villains, in my opinion, have to hurt or kill the heroes for a reason. Maybe it’s because they have something he wants (Up), or they pose a threat to his existence (Kung Fu Panda 2), or he’s simply carrying out his job (Rio). Here, Gut’s all like, “I’m a pirate, I know you don’t have anything I can loot or plunder, so join my crew or I’ll, you know, gut you.” It felt like a poor set-up to the inevitable revenge plot (Manny and Co. do end up doing something which gives him a reason to want their heads).
Another problem I had with the story was the ‘B plot’ of Peaches. It felt like a typical young-adult-fiction plot shoehorned into a historical fantasy setting. Not that it didn’t have universal themes (loyalty and betrayal are one of my favourite themes, actually), but it was more of its execution that lent it to the tweener vibe. Ethan’s female entourage have Valley Girl accents, they all sport mohawks and hip hairdos, and there’s even a song by The Wanted that plays out of non-existent speakers at one point. This might appeal more to the High School Musical crowd, and it did illustrate a valuable life lesson, but I felt it took up precious screen time and was painfully predictable.
Also woefully underdeveloped was Jeniffer Lopez’ character, a female sabre-toothed tiger named Shira who is Gut’s second mate and Diego’s love interest. We get a few interesting jibes from the cats (The “I don’t fight ladies” exchange was clever) and a hint of a backstory of Shira with Gut, but unfortunately, it is steamrolled over in favour of warrior hamsters and giant crabs. There was just so much story potential for Shira that could’ve gone the way of, say, another feline character from a recent animated flick, Madagscar 3. Especially since she’s one of the characters who goes through the biggest internal developments in the movie.
One strength the film has going for it, though, is its abundant humour. There was never a dull moment, and even with the annoying Peaches sub-plot, I found myself chuckling at some lines. Blue Sky’s strong suit is that its films have this effortless charm to them, that you find it hard to hate them. While some of its competitors’ films range from obnoxious (Bee Movie, Shark Tale) to maudlin (Up, Toy Story 3), the 25-year-old company manages to get the Goldilocks sweet-spot of sentimentality without the offensiveness. Some of the side characters prove the most endearing, like Sid’s Granny, played by the irrepressible Wanda Sykes, and Aziz Ansari’s Squint, a highly-strung bunny who looked like he had too many cups of latte.
The animation, especially of Scrat, is the most hyperactive this side of Madagascar and the Incredibles, while the special effects impress with scenes of tumbling land masses and monstrous tsunamis. Like Rio, there’s a cute villain song (although it isn’t as catchy or distinctive), while John Powell dials in a pleasant, if slightly forgetable soundtrack.
I suppose I can only recommend this film to fans who are familiar with the franchise or the extremely bored. I’m not saying it’s a bad film - far from it - but with bigger rivals like the guy-who-dresses-like-a-bat blockbuster, or that remake of an old 1980s Schwazenegger cult classic, or the tale of a BRAVE Scottish princess that lands on Singapore’s shores next week, Drift is going to have to do a lot more than just stay afloat to be compelling.
Oh, and keep an eye out for a few cameos of characters from the previous film. If they ever make a fifth one, I do hope the kid from the first makes a return as a grown-up. That would be so… uh, cool.
Well said, TDIT; well said! 
Thanks, OWP! Have you seen Drift yet?
There’s a reason why I never say anything bad about an upcoming sequel. I might say I can’t imagine what else they could do but I’d never they they’re going to ruin it 
Yep, it will hurt and probably flatten your foot.
Wow, I never realized that Gut’s the first real villain in the frnachise and that he has something in common with Lotso
I agree 100%
Shira really was an interesting character but she really needed some development and more screentime.
Oh yes, if there’s one thing I can positively say about Ice Age 4 is that it got lots of laughter. I think Sid’s Granny was the funniest character in the movie 
I need to drink more latte…
Good thing then that I’m familiar with the frnachise as well as a fan and that Brave has only been released here just yesterday (hope I get a chance to see it) and that I’m not really interested in the other movies (they’re not really my cup of tea)
But overall, a well-written review, TDIT. Couldn’t have said it all better myself
That’s a great review, TDIT! I enjoyed reading it.
I’ve been having a tough time between seeing this one or Brave in the cinema. Okay, I know it’s probably an easy choice for you guys, but not for me. I mean, I have to choose between Pixar or pirates.
I freakin’ love pirates. Especially when they’re aminals.
Skurvy what the heck are you doing here get out you are not in Ice Age you doof. Go back to Kongo Bongo.
Anyhow, for this movie, I like how they’re sorta back to the original gang, mainly consisting of Manny, Sid, and Diego. Not that I have anything against Ellie, her ‘brothers’, and Peaches, but it’s sorta, er, nostalgic! Yeah! And of course, Scrat. Scrat is the best.
Also pirates.
Did you know I have an obsession with pirates? Now you do!
Also also, do you think they’d ever put another Rusted Root song in an Ice Age film…? Gosh darn it, I discovered that band thanks to the first Ice Age! And now it’s my favourite band! …I’m so weird.
So I just saw this one yesterday with my dad. It was certainly worth it, a really fun movie! One thing I love about the Ice Age films is that they don’t necessarily go for realism at times, but just silly over-the-top wackiness which can be compared to old cartoons. It works perfectly!
I enjoyed every single minute and it was also quite hilarious. The references to the previous films were awesome too!
Also, pirates.
Blue Sky, you’re awesome.
^I still haven’t seen it yet, but the fact you enjoyed it, Badger, has made me even more excited to see it! And yeah, I love how the Ice Age films go beyond what’s “normal” and just have fun with it!
I had a feeling you would enjoy it, Badger, seeing how you seem to draw a lot of pirate OCs and Ka Rool on dA!
You mentioned you had a tough pick between Brave and Ice Age. I saw Brave recently and I’ll be writing a review on it, but if I were to pick which one I would watch again, I’d have to say Continental Drift. Not because it’s the better movie, but because I enjoyed it more.
To illustrate the difference, I have a choice between rib-eye steak and ramen noodles. I know rib-eye steak is a more ‘filling’ and healthy meal, but I prefer ramen noodles over it any day of the week. Same here.
Well, by some miracle… I actually saw it today! All this time later! In theaters! And I don’t care what the critics say - IA4 is beyond epic! Again, I am blown away by how incredible Blue Sky is! I found no flaws - just awesome hilarity, adventure, and heart! And that’s how Blue Sky rolls with their films! 
The best anime movie so far is ice age…continental drift isn’t that bad but as i am a fan of it so will go for it
I’m enjoying these positive comments. I thought all of the first three Ice Age films were fun movies and I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one just as much!
OWP: Kinda late to the party, but I’m surprised cinemas were still showing it, OWP! Glad you loved it!
aaron2: Haha, did you mean animation? Anime is a term for Japanese animation. Let us know what you think of it when you see it.
LQstudiesPixar: Seen it yet? It should be out on Blu-Ray and DVD. What are your thoughts?