For film five, which follows the chucklesome Ice Age: Continental Drift, the series decides to channel Michael Bay’s Armageddon a little bit, at one stage bringing in Trevor Rabin’s thumping score for a key sequence. That narrative thread is as yawnsome and predictable as it sounds, which is why it sometimes feels as though the film forgets about it, and instead opts to noodle around with the ensemble of characters. They throw in a return appearance for Simon Pegg’s one-eyed weasel Buck (who missed the last film), and spend as much time as they can get away with in the midst of action sequences and generally pissing around. Fewer jokes hit this time around, though, and even at 94 minutes, Ice Age: Collision Course does begin to outstay its welcome. And yet: it’s fun. Often really good fun. I found myself laughing quite a few times, enjoying its knowing nods to other movies without it having to make a big thing of its references (see: The Secret Life Of Pets). Plus, I think these characters, as obvious as they are, are still good value. Mind you, I do think this Ice Age is a step down from the last one. I’d probably place it third out of the five, but it’s still reliably entertaining, if only showing real glimpses of brilliance in those brief, squirrel-infested sequences. I’m all up for Ice Age 6 in a few years’ time, though. Ice Age: Collision Course is in UK cinemas from July 15th.
