The “herd” returns in this third adventure of mammoth proportions. Starring the voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Sean William Scott, and a host of hundreds, the film finds the original friends getting older, and settling down. Of course, sometimes settling down feels like just settling—and each of the animals have a tough time figuring out how their old relationships work in the midst of this change.
So, yes, this is a cartoon, and yes, it’s rated PG for little kids. But the subject matter, not in a violent or pornographic way but in a developmental way, is certainly aimed at the parents who will watch the film with their families. Done up in “life-like” animation, the movie finds Manny and Ellie expecting their first child, as Manny struggles to make the world “safe” for their unborn child. Meanwhile, Diego finds that his fast-twitch muscles don’t work quite as well as they used to, and leaves the herd’s confines to mask his shame. Sid of course finds himself caught in the middle of the two sets of his friends: he’s too empathetic to be alone and not smart, wise, or attractive enough to have found a mate yet. So, Sid adopts (read: kidnaps) three Tyrannosaurus Rex eggs.
What follows is a rescue mission from the upper, icy world down into the depths of a world where dinosaurs aren’t extinct, and the wooly mammoth isn’t the biggest dog on the block. It’s basically a rescue mission with dashes of Journey to the Center of the Earth thrown in for good measure, and kids will be thrilled by the excitement and adventure of the herd’s journey. And adults may find themselves reflecting on the decisions they make as they fear the passing of time.
Romano has always struck me as a warm-and-fuzzy kind of comedian, and the Ice Age movies seem to reflect that vibe. Of course, there’s a fair share of humor intended to be over the heads of the kiddies, and with a fair number of adult humor comedians thrown in (Leary, Pegg, etc.) it’s not without its wit. But I think Fox’s highest grossing movie of the year (and one of the top ten animated movie grosses of all time) has a charm to it that draws you in and makes you one of the herd.
What will you do when you see yourself in the mirror getting older or watch your kids grow up? What happens when your physical prowess diminishes or your eyesight dims and you can’t do what you used to? The Bible tells us that aging is part of life, and that we’re supposed to be the same “in and out of season,” that there’s a “time for everything.” It’s part of life, but how we embrace those moments and how we live within community can mark our lives and the lives of others for much longer than we’re here.
Sometimes, risking it all to save a member of your “herd” is worth more than playing it safe and hiding in the bushes. Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said that those who held on too tightly to their lives would lose them and those who lost their lives for his sake would find them. Maybe that’s “true herd” mentality.
