THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD – Review

Whoa, talk about deja vu! it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago when I was reviewing a new addition to a much-beloved animation franchise…and it was. And here we go again. I’m guessing that the streaming services believe that the winter weather will keep the “wee ones” indoors during January, along with the various Covid “surging waves”. So yes, like that previous flick, this animated outing will bypass theatres and “drop” on a popular platform. Oh, and there are several other big comparisons that we’ll discuss later. And did I mention that this one somewhat celebrates the 20th anniversary of the franchise? Indeed, as it’s the sixth series entry, though it spotlights a few of the later supporting players, hence its complex moniker, THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD.

After a brief series summary from Ellie the Wooly Mammoth, we’re cavorting through the snowy slopes with twin possums Eddie (voice of Aaron Harris) and Crash (Vincent Tong), which results in an avalanche that wrecks the “family oasis” they share with adopted big “sis” Ellie, her mate Manny, Sabre-tooth tiger Diego, and Sid the Ground Sloth. After they relocate, the twins are given a stern lecture, which, of course, doesn’t “take”. Just past bedtime, the dup decides to go out on their own. Soon, they cause a big crack in the frozen surface which sends them plunging to the entrance to the “Lost World”, the warm underground home of the last dinosaurs, a place Ellie has told them to avoid. And you guessed it, the twins march in and are quickly set upon by the ravenous raptor henchmen of the “big-brained” genius dino known as Orson (Utkarsh Ambudkar). Luckily the brothers are rescued by an old pal, the swashbuckling weasel hero Buck Wild (Simon Pegg). However, their safety is temporary as Buck tells them of Orson’s master plan to rule the “dino paradise”. Even with the help of resourceful zorilla Zee, can Buck and the boys thwart the devious dino and his reptilian army? And is there a chance that Eddie and Crash will re-unite with Ellie, Manny, Diego, and Sid?

Perhaps the bigger question is: Will anybody really care? It’s all a rather uninspired extension of what was once an engaging entertaining franchise. As I hinted earlier, this is only a couple of weeks after the latest HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA skipped theatres and headed right to Amazon Prime streaming, so the somewhat shaky groundwork has been laid. While two of the many series voice actors of HOTEL passed on reprising their roles, none of the ICE AGE originals lent their voices here, save for the always energetic Pegg, whose character was introduced a couple of flicks ago. And yes, Buck is a nice satirical spin on the jaunty action hero, though he’s not really the focus of the flimsy plot. That’s the job for twins Crash and Eddie who are bland and nearly interchangeable, much like a less mischievous, but furrier version of the Katzenjammer Kids (how’s that for an ancient reference). Plus the villains are pretty “blah” too, with vague motivations and a messy masterplan. Zee’s a fun fluffy spin on Lara Croft, but she’s used as an easy “out” for quick escapes while deferring to Buck too often. Perhaps the biggest crime is the booting of the original quartet (Ellie, Manny, Diego, and Sid) to the sidelines, absent for great chunks of the tale. The look of the film is lush with vibrant jungles and shimmering streams, plus the character designs have a toy-like vibe with the raptors being multi-colored gangly goofballs rather than the JURASSIC PARK demons. But everything’s ground to a halt by the stalled story and the lackluster pacing (mammoths move faster). Our old prehistoric pals deserve a better farewell than the tepid, not-so-nice THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD.

1 Out of 4

THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD streams exclusively on Disney+