Movie review: Ice Age - Collision Course

Ice Age Collision Course takes a leap into the cosmic.

Over 14 years the Ice Age films have consistently been feel-good fun and have given us lovable and hilarious characters.

Scrat and Sid the Sloth have kept us coming back for more, though the franchise never quite reached the top shelf of animated family films.

But after five films the winning formula is starting to wane. There are only so many natural disasters this group of prehistoric animals can survive, and in Collision Course things go interstellar, pushing this franchise to far-fetched limits.

A lot of crazy ideas are thrown at this "defining chapter". All our old friends are back -- Manny, Sid, Diego and the rest of the herd, along with Buck, who first appeared in 2009's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

There's also a host of new and colourful hippy-dippy characters, such as a meditating llama called Shangri Llama, and Sid's love interest, Brooke, voiced by the distinctive sounding Jessie J.

The still hilarious Scrat and his single-minded obsession with an acorn, once again sets up the premise. This film begins where the last one ended, with Scrat in a space ship, accidentally reorganising the universe. When he nudges a meteorite towards earth, Buck works out they have two days before impact.

Cue lots of asteroid disaster film references, and the gang making a last ditch attempt to save the world.

Like previous Ice Age films, Collision Course will appeal to young kids, although here there's not quite as much humour for adults to enjoy among the chaotic storytelling.

If "defining chapter" means "final" chapter in this long-lasting series, then that feels timely. It's just a shame that Collision Course doesn't live up to its predecessors.

Cast: John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah
Director: Mike Thurmeier
Running Time: 94 mins
Rating: G