Freeze forward
Viewers don’t seem to get tired of these kooky Ice Age characters – and they’re back!
STORIES about the Ice Age are far from extinct. On Thursday, the gang that lived during this period will return for more fun and adventure with Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
This time around, the gang find themselves in the belly of the earth where a more heated world exists along with huge dinosaurs.
It all starts when the loveable mammoth couple – Manny and Ellie (voiced by Ray Romano and Queen Latifah) are getting ready to welcome a new member into the family. Although sabre-tooth tiger Diego and Sid the Sloth (Denis Leary and John Leguizamo) are happy for their friends, they can’t help but think they have to move on with their lives, too. And this is how Sid ends up as a mummy to three baby dinosaurs and all of them end up having close encounters with gigantic dinosaurs, amazing tropical flora and fauna. They also meet a determined though slightly demented one-eyed weasel named Buck who becomes a sort of a tourguide to the ice age visitors. As a side story, there is that crazy squirrel who meets its match.
Triple threat: The latest additions to Sid
the Sloth’s family in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the
Dinosaurs.
In the production notes of Ice Age 3, producer Lori Forte – who came up with the idea for the movies – explained why the Ice Age creatures find themselves in a whole new world: “We always want to see how far we can push the characters.”
Director Carlos Saldanha added: “Ice Age 3 is the most ambitious of the three pictures, by far. We plunk our heroes – who know only the Ice Age and a melting Ice Age – into a world that they’re not equipped to handle.”
What is most obvious to an audience is not only the added dimension – the movie is in 3D – but the wizardry of the angles chosen by the director to tell the story besides making the background seamlessly realistic.
Nonetheless at the end of the day, what is really important in any film is the story and the characters.
Screenwriters Michael Berg and Peter Ackerman, said: “We wanted to maintain the emotional resonance of the previous films, in terms of Manny, Sid and Diego undergoing major changes and having their relationships continue to evolve.
“We have become so familiar with the characters over the years, that we really care about them and want them to succeed, whatever changes they’re undergoing.”
The head of this misfit crew is of course Manny and over the period of three films, he has gone through a couple of changes. Romano, the voice behind Manny, noted: “He was kind of a misanthrope in the first film, with a real chip on his shoulder. Little by little, Manny’s developed friendships, found love, and become a more well-rounded guy.”
Like in any partnership, Manny is balanced more or less by those around him, especially by Ellie, who is really the opposite of Manny. Latifah said: “Manny and Ellie are opposites in the way they’re handling imminent parenthood. Manny is nervous and neurotic, trying to make sure that everything is perfect and safe for the baby. Ellie is more nurturing and begins to assume the mantle of matriarch of this family of friends.”
Joining this family for this movie is Buck, described as a swashbuckling, slightly crazed one-eyed weasel who accidentally fell into the world below and has an encounter with a T-Rex. Unlike Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, Buck becomes obsessed with the dinosaur.
To get the right man to voice this wiry little fella, the filmmakers knew they wanted someone with a distinct voice. The man for the job turned out to be Simon Pegg, the actor best known for Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and who plays Scotty in the latest Star Trek film. The British actor said: “Buck really sparked my imagination. He’s full of energy and larger than life. I saw him as a cross between Indiana Jones and Apocalypse Now’s Colonel Kurtz.”
Although there is no word just yet if there’s going to be another movie sometime in the future, producer Forte hinted that there are still stories that they can tell with these adorable creatures. Who knew the Ice Age could have been so much fun?
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs opens in Malaysian cinemas on Thursday.