Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
★★★½ — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
"Can we watch it again?" My son said that within five minutes of the credits rolling. Five minutes. He hadn't even fully processed that it was over. And honestly, I get it. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the kind of film that earns that reaction, especially from a dinosaur-obsessed kid who has been waiting his whole short life for a film that delivers exactly this.
This was the first Ice Age film we watched together, and I couldn't have picked a better one to start with. Having covered the earlier entries on this blog (you can read my thoughts on Ice Age (2002) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)), I'd say this third chapter is where the series really finds its sense of scale and adventure. It goes bigger, bolder, and, crucially, it goes underground.
The premise drops the gang into a hidden world beneath the ice, a lush, dangerous Lost World teeming with dinosaurs. It's the sort of setup that would've had me bouncing in my seat as a kid, and sitting next to my son, I could see exactly that happening in real time. There's genuine wonder in the world-building here. It feels like a proper adventure rather than just another sequel hitting its marks.
But the real revelation is Buck. The one-eyed weasel with an enthusiasm for danger and the kind of Napoleon complex that fills a room. He's voiced with absolute commitment and he steals every single scene he's in. Buck is the injection of wild, unpredictable energy this series needed. Where the main cast can sometimes feel a bit comfortable and familiar, Buck rips the doors off and drags everyone into chaos, and you love him for it. He's funny in a way that works for kids without making adults feel patronised, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
Scrat, bless him, also gets a new chapter in his eternal, tragic, acorn-related saga. I won't spoil it, but let's just say he gets some company this time around, and the results are exactly as gloriously disastrous as you'd hope. The Scrat sequences have always functioned as their own little short films running alongside the main story, and this one might be his finest hour.
Is it a perfect film? No. The emotional beats are fairly predictable, and there are moments where the plot coasts rather than pushes. It's not going to trouble any awards ceremonies. But it's got genuine heart, a cracking sense of humour, and enough new energy to make it feel fresh rather than like a franchise going through the motions. Compared to where the series heads later (and I've sat through Ice Age: Collision Course (2016), so I say this from experience), this one holds up remarkably well.
What I keep coming back to is the way it worked as a shared experience. Watching my son's face during the dinosaur sequences, seeing him grip the arm of the sofa, hearing him laugh at Buck doing something completely unhinged. That's what animation like this is supposed to do. It's supposed to pull you in together. And this one did exactly that.
Three and a half stars. One of the stronger entries in the series, and a brilliant first film to share with a kid who thinks dinosaurs are the greatest thing on earth. He's not wrong, either.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2009 | Watched: 2025-07-21
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Disney Plus · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Hulu · Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Carlos Saldanha: Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
More with Ray Romano: Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) · Ice Age (2002) · 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)
