Rated PG for some mild rude humor and peril.
Directed by Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Robots,) and Mike Thurmeier
Starring Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah and Simon Pegg
Dawn of the Dinosaurs is good… but not as good as it’s predecessors.
After the events of Ice Age: The Meltdown, life begins to change for Manny (Ray Romano) and his friends: Scrat is still on the hunt to hold onto his beloved acorn, while finding a possible romance in a female squirrel named Scratte. Manny and Ellie (Queen Latifah) are expecting a baby, which leaves Manny anxious to ensure that everything is perfect for when his baby arrives. Diego (Denis Leary) is fed up with being treated like a house-cat and ponders the notion that he is losing his edge. Sid (John Leguizamo) begins to wish for a family of his own, and in a typical Sid move, he steals some dinosaur eggs. That move leads to Sid ending up in a strange underground world where his herd must rescue him, while dodging dinosaurs and facing danger left and right, and meeting up with a one-eyed weasel known as Buck (Simon Pegg) who hunts dinosaurs intently.
I have no problem saying that as a family, we loved the first two Ice Age films. Packed with tons of laughs and pretty good stories, it seemed that Dawn of the Dinosaurs was all set up for another homerun. Unfortunately, the film makers went to the same well one too many times. There are a few jokes, but not new jokes. It felt rehashed – almost like the lame straight to video films that come out after the big hit. I would almost go as far as to say that if this was the first or second one I would have enjoyed it. But because it’s the same characters doing the same things… it simply got old.
The biggest reason it gets a “Rental” is because it gave me another chance to watch a movie with my family. So if you are looking for a film that is original or Oscar worthy, skip this one. But if you want a fun movie that the whole family can watch… rent Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Yeah. There are a few lines that get laughs from just the adults, but for the most part, it is innocent fun.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
