You’d think that a movie franchise that’s on it’s fourth film would lose some of it’s steam, maybe get a little creaky in the joints.  I weep for Jason Voorhees; after all those Friday the 13th’s I’m sure even he’s sick of hacking up buxom co-eds.  But Ice Age: Continental Drift shows that not every series has to grind to a sad, achingly slow end.  With a cool premise that has more than a little bit of science behind it, new voice actors that bring a sense of eager excitement to their roles, and animation that keeps getting better and better, Ice Age: Continental Drift has restored my faith in series films.  Sorry, Jason.

It’s been awhile since Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and baby mammoth Peaches has blossomed into a beautiful teen mammoth (what?  She’s got nice hair.)  Parents Manny (voiced by Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) have their hands full, as Peaches (Keke Palmer, Akeelah and the Bee) tries to assert her independence and catch the eye of the teen hearthrob mammoth of her dreams (voiced by Aubrey Graham, otherwise known as singer/actor Drake) while trying not to hurt her molehog BFF Louis (Josh Gad, Love and Other Drugs).  Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Sid (John Leguizamo) has been reunited with his family, but only long enough for them to drop off pain-in-the-hindquarters Granny who’s always searching for her “Precious” (Wanda Sykes, whose voice acting helps the character steal each scene she’s in.)  Oh, and as the title of this movie says, the earth is starting to shift, big-time.  Blame prehistoric squirrel Scrat’s usual quest for his elusive acorn for that, as the usual Scrat Ice Age wrap-around story, has him traveling to the earth’s core and beyond to grab his prize.  Just a squirrel tryin’ to get a nut y’all.

I love you, Scrat. (photo: 20th Century Fox/Blue Sky Studios)

As the continent starts to push mountains closer and closer to our group, they decide to cross a land bridge to safety.  Y’know, like the land bridge that used to link Russia to North America?  Yeah, like that.  Before they can pack their trunks (see what…yeah), a split separates Manny, Sid and sabertooth Diego (Denis Leary) from everyone else, and the rest of the film is an attempt to reunite.  However, not everything is hunky-dory on the high seas; there’s a pirate iceberg full of scurvy mates, including Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage, in fine voice), elephant seal Flynn (Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead)  and sabertooth cat Shira (Jennifer Lopez), and they’re bound and determined to stop our heroes from getting back.  Before the credits roll there are chases, feats of derring-do, lessons learned and a glorious reunion (what?  This is a kids  movie after all, they’re not gonna leave ‘em hanging.)  Oh yeah, and there are hamster wookies!  Or at least that’s what they seemed like to me.  Since I like wookies, I’m rolling with it.

Part of the reason why the Ice Age films are so successful is the fine balance of adult humor and kiddie giggles, and this film is no different.  With a “Pirates of the Prehistoric” main storyline that keeps things lively, screenwriters Michael Berg and Jason Fuchs manage to connect the two by — gasp! — not dumbing down dialogue for the kiddies, nor throwing in raunch for the adults.  Ice Age: Continental Drift is funny simply because it gives good humor.  This is the one instance where playing to everyone really does pay off.  Funny is funny y’all.  And good is good, and here the CGI is really good.  Watching the first Ice Age after this new film, I could really see the strides made in creating this world.  Taking the time to craft animals that were actually around in those bygone days is a real treat; what little amateur paleontologist isn’t gonna love seeing Smilodon, Gigantopithecus, Palaeolagus, Procoptodon?  And the 3D is just as good; nothing like seeing Scrat’s schnozz “thisclose” while he’s sniffing out an acorn.

So yeah.  You’ve got kids?  Go take them to see Ice Age: Continental Drift.  You got a jones for more animation this Summer?  Go see Ice Age: Continental Drift, kids optional.  You’ll have more than enough fun watching this latest installment of the franchise for your own pleasure.  Here’s to more films in this series — “Ice Age: The Americas, Here We Come”, anyone?

P.S.: Pixar’s short La Luna may have a run for it’s Oscar money this year, as the Simpson’s The Longest Daycare hits screens as the pre-show for Ice Age: Continental Drift.  How many years have The Simpsons been having their misadventures?  And yet Matt Groening still manages to deliver a well-crafted, bittersweet story.