Ice Age (2002)
★★★ — Ice Age (2002)
Ice Age was the debut feature from Blue Sky Studios, a New York-based animation house that had been producing visual effects work for years before finally getting a shot at their own theatrical release under the 20th Century Fox banner. Director Chris Wedge had won an Oscar for the short film Bunny (1998), but this was his first feature, and something of a gamble for Fox, who were competing against the considerably better-resourced Pixar and DreamWorks Animation outfits of the era. The film arrived in March 2002, a few months before the release of Ice Age rival Spirit from DreamWorks, and its $383 million worldwide gross on a $59 million budget made it a genuine commercial breakthrough, effectively launching Blue Sky as a franchise studio and spawning multiple sequels across the following two decades.
Not a classic in the traditional sense, but a solid, family-friendly adventure that’s definitely above average for the genre. It’s charming, funny in places, and visually impressive for its time, especially for an early 2000s animated film. The real winner is that my kid absolutely loves this series, so I’ve seen it more times than I can count. And you know what? It’s grown on me. It’s not going to blow your mind or redefine animation, but it’s got heart, some decent gags, and Ray Romano’s mammoth is way more likable than he has any right to be. It’s not high art, but it’s a fun ride with some memorable characters (Sid, come on), and honestly, that’s enough for a good kids' movie.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2002 | Watched: 2025-07-21
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Disney Plus · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Ray Romano: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) · Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) · Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) · Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
