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Our take
Behind the jokes this animated buddy adventure has real heart and more feeling than you might guess. The animal heroes protect a lost human baby while facing hungry predators, icy cliffs and a few properly tense chases. One of them quietly carries the loss of his own family, which leaves a sad undertow. The scares stay short and the film keeps a hopeful feel. Settled younger primary kids can manage it with a grown-up nearby.
Uplifting themes
Loyalty, teamwork and caring for someone smaller than yourself push the whole journey along. A mismatched group learns to trust one another and to do the right thing even when it costs them something The three start out as selfish loners and slowly become a makeshift family who put the baby first. That shift of heart, and their readiness to take risks for others, gives children clear and kind examples to follow The ice-age backdrop and its prehistoric animals might spark a little curiosity about mammoths, sabre-tooth cats and life in a frozen world. Just know the science is loose and mostly there for laughs
Story (may spoil tone)
Manny the mammoth, Sid the loquacious sloth, and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger go on a comical quest to return a human baby back to his father, across a world on the brink of an ice age.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Scuffles, chases and stand-offs run through the trek, and a pack of sab…
Scuffles, chases and stand-offs run through the trek, and a pack of sabre-tooth tigers hunts the group. It all moves as fast cartoon action with no real injuries on show, though the danger of being eaten keeps coming back
Language Swearing is almost absent here, limited to a cheeky insult or two and o…
Swearing is almost absent here, limited to a cheeky insult or two and one use of crap. None of it registers as a proper swear, and it slips by in a moment. Most families will barely notice it
Sex / nudity Romance here is no more than a passing gag, such as a character joking…
Romance here is no more than a passing gag, such as a character joking about wanting a goodnight kiss. There is nothing beyond that for parents to weigh up
Frightening The predators carry real menace, between the snarling tigers, a shadowy…
The predators carry real menace, between the snarling tigers, a shadowy ice cave and a lava crossing that puts the baby in danger. Children who frighten easily may find the chases and the big cats a lot, though everything comes right in the end
Child peril / abuse The human baby spends a lot of the film near danger, held out over drop…
The human baby spends a lot of the film near danger, held out over drops and almost lost on the ice, yet a protector is always close by. The fear is real while it happens but never lingers, and the baby comes through safe
Gore / death / weapons A brief flashback shows that one character lost his family to hunters,…
A brief flashback shows that one character lost his family to hunters, suggested through spears and firelight. There is no blood or bodies on show, only the quiet weight of what happened
Grief / bereavement One of the heroes lost his mate and child long ago, something the film…
One of the heroes lost his mate and child long ago, something the film suggests gently through shadow and memory. It handles the sorrow with a soft touch and never stretches it into a drawn-out mourning scene
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- The sabre-tooth tigers and icy chases can feel scary. Which bits worried your child, and what helped them feel safe again?
- One of the heroes is quietly grieving his family. How could you talk together about loss in a way that fits your child's age?
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Ice Age
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