- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz/24-bit), English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 5.1, Sing-Along With an Interpretation by Deaf Actors, French & Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: PG
- Runtime: 88 Mins.
- Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray + 1 x DVD)
- Digital Copies: UltraViolet, iTunes
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- Blu-ray Release Date: December 11, 2012
- List Price: $39.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:3/5]
20th Century Fox return to the multi-billion dollar money producing well that is the Ice Age franchise for a fourth go with Ice Age: Continental Drift. The films have been a whopping success around the globe, the last one raking in nearly $1 billion dollars, so there’s really no doubt about why this incomprehensibly bland and repetitive series keeps being remade with only incremental changes added to the story along the way.
The fourth entry gets started with fan-favorite Scrat starting a global crisis when his acorn obsession sends him falling into the Earth’s core causing worldwide earthquakes that kick-off the continental shift that will separate Pangea into its several parts. Wooly Mammoth Manny (Ray Romano) is set adrift on an iceberg, separated from his wife Ellie (Queen Latifah) and his rebellious teenage daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer). Along with his ever loyal companions Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the sabertoothed tiger (Dennis Leary) he must face an adventure on the high seas, facing off against a band of dangerous pirates led by an ape (Peter Dinklage) and sea creatures while trying to make his way back to his family. Meanwhile Ellie and Peaches help lead the rest of the animals to the land bridge before it’s too late while trying to find Manny. As Ellie and Peaches continue their search for Manny, Peaches has found herself a new crush in a handsome young mammoth, but it causes her to turn her back on her best friend Louis the mole hog (Josh Gad) in order to gain acceptance to his group of friends. On the other end of things, macho Diego might finally have had his heart softened by one of the pirate ape’s minions, a pretty tigress named Shira (Jennifer Lopez).
Generally speaking, Ice Age: Continental Drift has everything a family could want in an animated feature. The eye-popping visuals are all here, numerous action sequences that put our beloved friends in life-threatening (but not too scary) binds take place and life lessons are offered on the importance of family, friendship, kindness, and being true to oneself. The problem is, this is all paint-by-numbers and fill in the blanks with something just different enough to qualify it as a different work. We’ve seen this all before in each film that came before it in this franchise. Even the completely out of place adventures of Scrat are beginning to wear thin this fourth time out. This is a franchise that probably should have ended after the first film, or, to stretch it, the second. Be that as it may, you’ll not find anything to really hate about Continental Drift, it just may cause strong feelings of déjà vu.
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
What else can you really say about this AVC/MPEG-4 encodement from a completely digital source other than it is pretty much flawless? There is no shimmering or aliasing noticeable in the CG animation, the detail is crisp and colors are vivid.
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
An English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1soundtrack is offered that really engulfs you in the frenzied world of Ice Age, from the big, extended low end, to the active use of the surround and back channels and directional panning across the front. Dialogue is crystal clear and upfront in the mix at all times and everything sounds natural and spacious.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4.5/5]
From interactive apps to an enhanced viewing mode, this set is loaded with extras for kids and adults to enjoy.
The supplements:
DVD – DVD contains standard definition version of the film and iTunes digital copy.
UltraViolet – UltraViolet digital copy is included as well.
- Party with a Pirate Mode – View in this mode to have a pirate from the film pop-up on screen for specific scenes and offer exclusive video clips and so forth.
- Enhanced experience with the Ice Age Pirate Picasso Coloring App – Viewers can hold up their IOS or Android device toward the television for an interactive coloring book experience.
- Ice Age: The Story So Far (1.85:1; 1080p/24; 00:09:29)
- Missing Links (2.35:1; 1080p/24; 00:01:46) – Deleted Scenes:
- Dr. Granny
- Shell Game
- Through a Pirate’s Spy Glass (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:25:57) – This making-of offers a lighthearted look at the voice cast and the crew at work.:
- Voices Ahoy!
- Capturing the Crew!
- Granny and the Stink of the Sloths (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:09:12)
- Whale of a Tale: Drifts, Rifts, Beasties and Myths (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:24:05) – The creators of Ice Age: Continental Drift discuss their inspirations for their scientifically based new tale.
- Scrat Got Your Tongue? (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:07:04) – A look at the global appeal of Scrat.
- The Scratist (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:02:11) – This little animated montage inspired by Oscar-winning film The Artist gives us a look at some of Scrat’s greatest moments pursuing his greatest desire, the acorn.
- Shimmy Shake: Music Section:
- Gutt’s Sing-Along Shanty Shimmy Shake
- “We Are” Extended Music Video
- “Chasing the Sun” by The Wanted
- The Sid Shuffle
- Theatrical Trailers
- Live Extras:
- Live Lookup: Access IMDB for actor filmographies and information related to Ice Age: Continental Drift
- Exclusive: “Designing the Ice Age World”
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
And the story continues on with Ice Age: Continental Drift. If you’ve seen the others, then you have a good idea already what you’re in for with this one. The Blu-ray is a wonderful home theatre treat nonetheless.
Additional Screen Captures
[amazon-product]B005LAIISU[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Ice Age: Continental Drift on Blu-ray Combo Pack at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
–
[amazon-product]B005LAIISU[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Ice Age: Continental Drift on Blu-ray Combo Pack at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4.5/5]
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