---
title: "Ice Age"
year: 2002
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/ice-age"
fi1m_id: "ice-age"
imdb_id: "tt0268380"
tmdb_id: 425
wikidata_id: "Q305250"
fi1m_score: 73
critics_score: 61
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-10-05T02:37:04.319460+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T02:37:04.700617+00:00"
region: "AU"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ice Age (2002)

Directed by Chris Wedge · 1h 21m · ACB G · Animation, Comedy, Family, Adventure

## Identity

Ice Age

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/ice-age
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** ice-age
- **IMDb ID:** tt0268380
- **TMDB ID:** 425
- **Wikidata ID:** Q305250
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268380/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/425, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q305250

**Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 61 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Three actors get most of the dialogue; a creature chasing an acorn gets most of the laughs

> *Ice Age* is a likeable, briskly told comedy whose familiar story benefits from Ray Romano’s weary warmth. The banter sometimes tries too hard, but Scrat’s acorn pursuit supplies the simplest, funniest business.

## Synopsis

Scrat wants an acorn, and physical mishaps keep interrupting his pursuit. Elsewhere, Manfred ‘Manny’ (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo) and Diego (Denis Leary) have one another to contend with as their adventure gets under way. Manny’s world-weary manner colours their exchanges, with arguments accompanying the physical dangers facing the group. Their different temperaments make the company difficult, and conversation frequently becomes another opportunity to disagree. Away from the trio, Scrat remains occupied by his separate task. His repeated efforts to secure the acorn run alongside the companions’ encounters and disputes.

## Review

*Ice Age* is good company for a modest evening: funny, brief and carried by characters who are more appealing than their story. Chris Wedge directs with enough confidence in physical comedy to keep a familiar animated adventure moving, though the dialogue is less sure of when to stop. The jokes work best when nobody is trying to be clever. There is enough warmth here to forgive the routine plotting, provided a family comedy is what we are after.

Ray Romano gives Manfred ‘Manny’ the weary sound of somebody who had hoped for better company. His impatience is funny because Romano allows the kindness underneath to remain audible, without softening every complaint into an invitation to like him. John Leguizamo’s Sid and Denis Leary’s Diego are distinct enough voices to keep the exchanges lively even when the writing settles for another round of bickering. We need to enjoy these characters together for the adventure to matter, and the voice performances largely do that work.

Scrat has the clearer ambition: he wants his acorn. We laughed hardest at his repeated efforts to secure it, because the persistence makes each physical setback funnier without needing a spoken explanation. The scale of his determination is absurd beside the size of the object, and the film gives that simple joke enough attention to make it hold. These interruptions also expose how hard the central trio sometimes have to talk for a smaller laugh.

Brian McEntee and Marcin Jakubowski’s production design favours firm, angular shapes that make the physical action easy to follow. That clarity helps, although the surroundings can feel uninviting. The computer animation is expressive enough to sell a joke, but the images seldom make us want to pause and look around. Scrat’s stripped-down business suits this approach better than the main adventure, where a little more visual surprise would have helped.

John Carnochan’s editing helps the set pieces by keeping their movement readable and getting on with the next problem. At 81 minutes, the film has little opportunity to exhaust its welcome, though brevity does not make every stretch equally lively. David Newman’s music is less interesting to us than the timing of the physical jokes. Its encouragement can feel unnecessary when the characters and the animation have already made the intended feeling clear.

The screenplay by Michael J. Wilson, Michael Berg and Peter Ackerman is less assured when it asks for tenderness. The sentiment is not objectionable, and Manny is a sturdy enough character to carry it, but the film sometimes presses for affection that the voice performances have already earned. The glib exchanges cause a similar problem: an amusing relationship gets treated as an obligation to keep delivering lines. Neither habit ruins the comedy, but both make parts of it feel more manufactured than they need to.

Family animation can become exhausting when every exchange has to entertain two audiences at once. *Ice Age* occasionally falls into that habit, but its clearest physical jokes need no such calculation. Children do not have to wait for an adult to explain why an acorn has caused so much difficulty. Choose it for an undemanding family evening, rather than an evening when the adults expect to be surprised.

*Fi1m score 73, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Ice Age an entertaining animated comedy, with praise clustering around its humour, character relationships and physical set pieces. The warmer reviews appreciate the balance of sentiment and sardonic banter, alongside convincing voice performances and clearly defined personalities, particularly Manny. Scrat’s persistent pursuit of his acorn draws approval even from some detractors, making those sequences the clearest point of agreement across an otherwise divided set of reviews.

The spread is wide: six reviews are positive, two mixed and three negative. Reservations centre on a familiar story, limited inventiveness and dialogue that some find witty but others find wearing. The animation also divides opinion, attracting praise for vivid detail and criticism for its cold, angular look. The Los Angeles Times finds the formula and glibness tiring despite the visual invention, while Eye for Film considers the recurring acorn gag funnier than anything in the main plot.

## Straight answers

**Is Ice Age worth watching?**

*Ice Age* is worth watching for an undemanding family evening, and we score it 73 out of 100. We find Ray Romano’s weary warmth and Scrat’s persistent acorn pursuit enough to carry its brisk 81 minutes, though the familiar plotting and overworked banter give adults less to enjoy between the physical jokes.

**How long is Ice Age, and what is it rated?**

*Ice Age* runs 1h 21m and is rated G by the ACB in Australia. It is an animation and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Ice Age in Australia?**

*Ice Age* is streaming on Disney+ in Australia, and it is also available to buy from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from A$14.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Ice Age compare to The Jungle Book?**

*Ice Age* offers brisk physical comedy, while [*The Jungle Book*](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book) is the stronger choice for relaxed comic voices and songs. Both use animal companions to make danger easier to bear, but we prefer the older film’s ease with its slight story to the trio’s sometimes laboured banter in *Ice Age*. Scrat’s acorn pursuit remains a good reason to choose the latter.

**What should I watch after Ice Age?**

After *Ice Age*, try [*The Jungle Book*](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book) (1967, Fi1m 80): Animal companions and relaxed comic voices make the dangers easier to bear. Then [*The Emperor's New Groove*](https://film.one/film/the-emperors-new-groove) (2000, Fi1m 80): An irritable animal reluctantly accepts company, with sharper jokes along the way; and [*Ernest & Celestine*](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine) (2012, Fi1m 84): Another unlikely animal friendship, drawn with more warmth and room to breathe.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The review is strongly positive, calling the film a pacy, wild adventure that works beautifully. It singles out Scrat as a scene-stealer, while noting that occasional sentimentality does not spoil the film. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/ice-age-review/)
- **Variety**, Joe Leydon (78/100, inferred): Leydon expects the film to appeal to audiences of all ages and praises its entertaining, funny story. He especially singles out the vivid computer animation and the convincing voice performances. [Read](https://variety.com/2002/film/awards/ice-age-1200550827/)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (75/100, inferred): Freer finds the film likable and entertaining, despite its lesser inventiveness compared with Toy Story and Shrek. He singles out the sharply defined character relationships and especially the big-hearted, world-weary Manny for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ice-age-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): Ebert regards the film as an entertaining animated comedy. He singles out its humor and engaging characters as strengths. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ice-age-2002)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (75/100, inferred): Mackie finds the film an engaging, warmly entertaining alternative in the cartoon wars. He praises its blend of sentiment and sardonic humor, especially the confidently staged set pieces and visual details. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/oct/18/artsfeatures.dvdreviews2)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (3.5/5): Gonzalez finds the film less evocative than a Pixar wonderland but ultimately hard to resist. He especially praises Scrat’s visually minimalist, persistent acorn chase as a scene-stealer. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/ice-age-dvd/)
- **Screen Daily**, John Hazelton (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as Screen’s review, but its verdict is hidden behind the paywall. No specific element praised or criticized is available in the visible text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/ice-age/408590.article)
- **Radio Times**, Sloan Freer (3/5): Freer finds the film witty but held back by a basic story with too little action and excitement. The banter between the lead characters is a strength, while the animation’s cold, angular style is hard to warm to. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-a4x0m0/ice-age/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (30/100, inferred): Turan finds the film’s formulaic story and relentlessly glib dialogue tiring, despite its visual inventiveness. He especially praises Scrat’s slapstick antics and the film’s physical-adventure sequences. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-15-et-kenny15-story.html)
- **Time Out**, WH (30/100, inferred): The review finds the film less inventive than Pixar’s work. It criticizes the animation’s lack of visual surprise and the characters’ uninflected anthropomorphism. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/ice-age)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (25/100, inferred): The review finds the film’s script and adventure underwhelming. It praises the recurring acorn gag as funnier than anything in the main plot. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/ice-age-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Chris Wedge
- **Director:** Chris Wedge
- **Screenplay:** Michael Berg, Michael J. Wilson, Peter Ackerman
- **Story:** Michael J. Wilson
- **Editor:** John Carnochan
- **Music:** David Newman
- **Production design:** Brian McEntee, Marcin Jakubowski
- **Producer:** Lori Forte
- **Cast:** Ray Romano as Manfred 'Manny' (voice); John Leguizamo as Sid (voice); Denis Leary as Diego (voice); Goran Višnjić as Soto (voice); Jack Black as Zeke (voice); Cedric the Entertainer as Rhino (voice); Stephen Root as Rhino / Start (voice); Diedrich Bader as Saber-Toothed Tiger (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 21m
- **Certificate (ACB):** G
- **Release (Australia):** 21 March 2002
- **Genres:** Animation, Comedy, Family, Adventure
- **Part of:** [Ice Age](https://film.one/collections/ice-age.md) · 1 of 2
- **Budget:** $59 million
- **Box office:** $383 million

## Where to watch in Australia

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy A$14.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy A$14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2003: Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 2003: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (nominated)
- Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2002: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2002: Best Animated Feature (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Jungle Book* (1967), Fi1m 80: Animal companions and relaxed comic voices make the dangers easier to bear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book.md)
- *The Emperor's New Groove* (2000), Fi1m 80: An irritable animal reluctantly accepts company, with sharper jokes along the way. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-emperors-new-groove.md)
- *Ernest & Celestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: Another unlikely animal friendship, drawn with more warmth and room to breathe. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.md)
- *A Town Called Panic* (2009): Small figures cause disproportionate chaos, with physical comedy allowed to run gloriously unchecked.
- *Shaun the Sheep Movie* (2015), Fi1m 80: Resourceful animals and precise silent comedy reward anyone who preferred Scrat’s interruptions. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/shaun-the-sheep-movie.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/ice-age