A Frigid Arrival to A Warm Welcome: Ice Age (2002)
“Ice Age introduced us to accident-prone sloth Sid, standoffish mammoth Manny, and sabre-toothed tiger Diego, not to mention scrappy squirrel Scrat and his eternal quest to bury his acorn at any cost,” says a true fan, reminiscing about the magic of the first movie.
The film set the stage for a franchise that would be much more than just a chilly escapade. We follow Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo), abandoned by his family, who ends up on the wrong side of rhino-like Brontotheres. Then, Manny (Ray Romano), the solitary mammoth, swoops in as the reluctant hero, forming a begrudging friendship with Sid. The twist in the tale arrives with Diego (Denis Leary), a sabre-toothed tiger with ulterior motives.
The narrative not only wove an engaging plot but also delved deep into the psychology of its characters, showing us how even a sabre-toothed tiger can be capable of change and compassion.
Bite-Sized Delight: Gone Nutty (2002, Short Film)
This Academy Award-nominated short provided an encore of the squirrel’s mischief. Scrat seemingly finds the perfect stash for his acorn, only for it to plunge into an uproarious freefall. A true testament to the character’s staying power, this short film keeps the audience craving for more of Scrat’s escapades.
Melting Hearts: Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
The second movie in the franchise introduced some interesting characters, like Ellie (Queen Latifah), Manny’s love interest who believes she’s a possum. The tension between Manny and Ellie adds an emotional layer to the adventure as they race against time to escape an impending flood.
Sid also has his moment of divine fame when he becomes a god among mini-sloths, giving him his fifteen minutes of glory. Will he ditch his original herd for his newfound fame? That’s the question.
Time-Travelling Nut: No Time For Nuts (2006, Short Film)
In another amusing short, Scrat accidentally unearths a time machine. What follows is a whirlwind tour through various eras, proving that some obsessions are timeless.
The Land Time Forgot: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
“Dawn of the Dinosaurs” took the franchise into an unexpected realm — underground, where dinosaurs still existed. Sid’s misadventures in motherhood and Manny’s anxieties about impending fatherhood are the highlights here.
Buck (Simon Pegg), a swashbuckling dinosaur hunter, steals the show. His vendetta against Rudy, a fearsome dinosaur, provides plenty of action and thrills, making it a roaring hit.
Survivor’s Manual with Sid: Surviving Sid (2008, Short Film)
Sid dons the hat of a camp counsellor in this short film. As you can expect, it’s chaos, proving that when Sid’s in charge, unpredictability is the only guarantee.
Continental Drift: Pirates, Romance, and Family (2012)
The franchise took to the high seas with a pirate adventure that featured Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) as the menacing antagonist. But it’s Diego who has a dilemma this time, being romantically involved with Shira (Jennifer Lopez), Gutt’s first mate.
Between a Crack and a Hard Place: Scrat’s Continental Crack Up (2012, Short Film)
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
In these two installments, Scrat causes the drift that serves as the backdrop for the fourth Ice Age movie. His sheer ineptitude makes for great comedy, pulling us back into the world we can’t seem to get enough of.
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) – Love in the Time of Asteroids
Pre-wedding jitters meet cosmic misadventures as Manny disapproves of his future son-in-law Julian. As if family drama wasn’t enough, Scrat’s space antics almost bring an apocalypse upon them. To save the day, our favorite herd heads to Geotopia, a hidden utopian community where they encounter eccentric new characters like Shangri Llama.
A Galactic Mess: Scrat: Spaced Out (2016, Short Film)
While in space, Scrat gets entangled with the Scratazons, the extraterrestrial versions of his species. And yes, they’re after his acorn. Chaos, as always, ensues.
A New Chapter with Familiar Faces: The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022)
The latest movie explores the misadventures of possum brothers Crash and Eddie. They find themselves in the Lost World, filled with prehistoric behemoths. Buck returns to guide them in their quest against a new villain, Protoceratops Orson.
The film brings back Simon Pegg as Buck but introduces a new voice cast for the other characters, giving this latest installment a fresh but nostalgic vibe.
Stream-Only Saga: Spin-Offs and Series
It’s not just about movies; the characters have also been featured in a spin-off series focusing on Scrat’s misadventures, providing additional layers of entertainment. The sixth movie, “The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,” was exclusively released on Disney Plus, showcasing the franchise’s adaptability to different platforms.
The Franchise That Keeps On Giving
With an impressive $6 billion box office tally and a wide range of characters, short films, and even a spin-off TV series, the Ice Age franchise is a cultural phenomenon. Whether you’re revisiting these chilly escapades or discovering them for the first time, the world of Ice Age offers a cozy, family-friendly universe that has melted the hearts of audiences worldwide.
