Review

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Common Sense Media says

Prehistoric pals hit the seas for an exciting adventure.
Age
6
Quality
 
  • Educational value1
    Kids might be inspired to learn about prehistoric animals, but Ice Age: Continental Drift is obviously intended for entertainment purposes and shouldn't be considered an accurate depiction of the way ancient mammals interacted.
  • Positive messages4
    The central idea of every Ice Age film is that your herd (family) isn't necessarily the one you're born with but the tribe that protects you and loves you unconditionally. Even though Sid's sloth family abandons him, Manny and Diego never will. The subplot with Peaches reminds viewers that true friends accept you as you are, not under the condition that you dump another friend first.
  • Positive role models3
    The main characters are all committed to their herd, even in the direst of circumstances. Sid and Diego never question Manny's determination to get back to Ellie and Peaches. Ellie is a patient and understanding mother. Peaches is a somewhat stereotypical teenager who's embarrassed by her over-protective parents, but she learns how lucky she is by the end of the movie. Ellie's best friend Louis might look like a weakling, but when things get scary, he summons his courage to save Peaches. Even usually senile Grandma knows a lot more than she lets on.
  • Violence & scariness3
    Lots of cartoonish violence, as per usual with the Ice Age movies. Scrat unintentionally causes widespread destruction and personal harm in his attempt to secure his precious acorn. Young kids might be scared when Manny, Diego, and Sid are separated from the rest of the herd. The pirate Captain Gutt is menacing and tells a frightening story about how he got his nickname. He's bent on revenge and is willing to sacrifice any of his pirates to achieve it. None of the other characters is really hurt, however, so there isn't a body count or anything too gruesome. Also, the sirens in their original form are quite creepy looking.
  • Sexy stuff2
    Peaches has a crush on Ethan, while her molehog best friend, Louis, is smitten with her. Peaches calls Ethan "hot." Diego and Shira flirt and eventually declare their interest in each other. Sid and Manny poke fun at Diego for not realizing he's falling in love. In one funny sequence, monstrous "sirens" appear as the opposite sex to lure Scrat, Manny, Sid, Sid's Granny, Diego, etc. to them. The male sloth (who looks like Fabio in sloth form) makes a suggestive statement to Sid's grandma about the "wrinklier the fruit, the juicier the fruit."
  • Language1
    Mild insults include "idiot," "freaks," and "stupid." There's also some scatological humor about puking, farting, burping, etc.
  • Consumerism2
    No product placements in the movie, but the Ice Age franchise has many merchandise tie-ins off camera, including Happy Meal collectible toys, plush dolls, figurines, games, and more.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Ice Age: Continental Drift is the fourth installment in Fox's popular prehistoric animal franchise. Even the youngest moviegoers will want to follow Manny, Sid, and Diego's latest adventures. Like Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, this one's in 3-D and features some cartoonish violence, mild romance, a smattering of insults, and some scatological humor. On the plus side, there are a lot of overtly positive messages about family and friendship.

This review of Ice Age: Continental Drift was written by
Age
6
Based on 20 parent & educator reviews:
  • 65% say violence is an issue
  • 55% say there are positive messages
  • 50% say there are positive role models
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

Adult
July 13, 2012
8
OK for kids & up
 
Ice Age 4 is perfect!
I like this movie!
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Parent
July 13, 2012
7
OK for kids & up
 
Positive message but SCARY!
I took my 5 1/2 yr old girl to it and we both enjoyed it. However I wish I'd waited another year or so (I think 7 yrs up would be best). I know she wouldn't have got the positive messages in the movie at her age and think this was the most scary Ice Age out of the lot. She's become scared of monsters since seeing it (the sirens bit was very scary for littlies as they wouldn't grasp what was happening and why their loved ones changed in to monstrous sharp toothed fish trying to eat them). My child is a sensitive soul though, some more sophisticated kids would be OK at 6 yrs. Be ready for younger kids picking up the "name calling" words/ phrases and repeating them with delight. Lots of funny bits for the adults.
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Teen, 16 years old
July 16, 2012
6
OK for kids & up
 
The best of the best out of all the Ice Age movies! :)
Ice Age: Continental Drift is the perfect family movie for ALL ages. When I went to it in theaters with my family my sister (12) and I were easily the oldest children/teens there, but we laughed twice as hard as anyone else, as did my parents. The humor was easy for young children to understand while still being funny for older kids and adults as well. As in every other Ice Age movie, Manny, Diego, and Sid get separated from the herd yet again in their latest escapade, only this time Sid's Grandma (Wanda Sykes) has managed to tag along. :) Grandma is easily the funniest character in the whole film! Every word out of her mouth will have audiences rolling with laughter. The only thing that would scare kids would most likely be Captain Gutt, as he tells a story of how he got his name and also the characteristics he carries (he is a very ruthless and uncaring captain). This is a kids movie so there is no horrible sexual content other than a little sweet flirting between Diego and Shira, as well as when the group encounters Sirens (they transform into the person/thing you love most in order to lure you to them, and who appears for who is quite hilarious). Peaches (Keke Palmer) and her friend Louis (Josh Gad) are great friends, and then Peaches develops a crush on cool mammoth Ethan (Drake, yeah the rapper) which threatens to crush her friendship with Louis. But fear not, everything turns out all right in the end! With an All-Star cast featuring (aside from the regulars): Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj, Heather Morris, Kunal Nayyar, Josh Peck, Sean William Scott, and many others... This movie is a surefire hit!
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Kid, 9 years old
July 16, 2012
5
OK for kids & up
 
BEST ICE AGE YET!!!
I GOT SOME COOL RARE 3D GLASSES AT THE MOVIES! ALL THE BATTLE MADE ME COME UP WITH A COOL PLATFORMER! HERE ARE THE BOSSES: 1.GIANT CRAB 2. GUTT, SHIRA, FLIP AND SQUINT 3. THE SAME BOSSES FROM LEVEL 2 4. SHIRA (YOU HAVE TO DEFEAT HER WITH DIEGO)5. SAME BOSSES FROM LEVEL 2 AND 3. 6. SHAPE SHIFTING FISH. 7. SAME BOSSES FROM LEVEL 2, 3 AND 5. FINAL BOSS: CAPTAIN GUTT (YOU HAVE TO DEFEAT HIM WITH MANNY)
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Teen, 13 years old
July 13, 2012
7
OK for kids & up
 
Some Scary Stuff, Simpson short in 3-D Might make kids sad.
The Simpsons short at the beginning of The 3-D Ice Age 4 might upset kids because a baby smashes butterflies, then kills the one Maggie likes (Spoiler Alert: It is just Maggie's bow) Ice Age 4 Great movie!! But some scenes might scare 6 and under
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Teen, 17 years old
July 14, 2012
6
OK for kids & up
 
Good, but could be better.
This movie isn't as good as the other "Ice Age" movies. I thought it was kind of childish as far as the humor goes. It's more for kids than teens and adults. It's not really anything new (typical "Ice Age' movie). Lots of new characters, though. Overall, I guess it's worth going to, but don't expect anything great. I'd give it three and a half stars out of five.
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Parent
July 18, 2012
2
OK for kids & up
 
Fit for all ages
I liked this movie a lot and i recommend this for all ages, but it was a bit predictable and the little ones might not understand the whole having a "crush" thing.
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Teen, 13 years old
July 16, 2012
6
OK for kids & up
 
ICE AGE 4EVER
This movie is one of the best
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Parent
July 18, 2012
5
OK for kids & up
 
okay for some 4 year olds
I took my 4 year old daughter, and she enjoyed the movie. Some of the dialouge is a bit above a 4 year old's understanding, and some children might find the images of the sirens a bit disturbing, but no scarier than most Disney villians, which are often seen in G rated movies. The movie was not great for adults, but the children in the theater seemed to enjoy it.
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Parent
July 14, 2012
6
OK for kids & up
 
Awesome Movie!
I saw this movie before it went into theaters! It was great!
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