HIGH DEF UNIVERSE

The common theme throughout all the Ice Age Films is Scrat chasing his acorn.  In Ice Age: Collision Course, Scrat sticks his acorn in the ice inadvertently starting (and piloting) a space ship.  You might think that a squirrel in space couldn’t cause that much trouble, or stay alive very long for that matter.  But Scrat causes quite a bit of damage.  He sends planets bouncing into each other and starts world ending chain reactions.  For those who wondered how our universe came to be, Scrat’s actions are one possible origin story. Thanks to Scrat, there is now a meteor hurdling toward Earth, threatening all life.

Back on Earth, Manny (Ray Romano) leads the herd consisting of unlikely friends Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) and Saber Tooth Tiger Diego (Denis Leary).  Family drama is in full effect as Manny deals with his daughter and her fiancée, who want to explore on their own.  Diego and his mate Shira want to start a family.  Sid’s girlfriend dumps him.  Manny is celebrating an anniversary with his wife Ellie (Queen Latifah), which he has forgotten about.  One eyed weasel, Buck (Simon Pegg), joins the group and warns of the impending extinction.  He may hold the clue to deflecting the asteroid and saving Earth.

As an adult, if you’ve seen one Ice Age movie, you probably feel like you’ve seen them all.  Scrat’s antics with the acorn can get old fast.  For the elementary school crowd, it’s hilarious.  The film is rated PG for mild rude humor and some action/peril.  Mild rude humor is right up my son’s alley.  He laughs out loud every time someone is mean to Sid.  He giggles when Scrat can’t get a hold of that darn acorn.  That giggle is what makes it worth it for me, as a parent to sit through another Ice Age movie.  There are some Disney and Pixar films that I would watch without my son around.  In the case of Ice Age, I would only watch it because he enjoys it. 

Ice Age: Collision Course looks very good on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition, but is a step better in ultra-high definition. The biggest difference comes with sharpness and fine detail.  In both formats, you’ll notice a bright and bold color palette. Items like fur and hair have improved as the franchise continued and these items now show much more movement and realism than you’d see in the first film. In space and on Earth, the action pops off the screen.

Again, everything is good on Blu-ray, but great in 4K. The Dolby Atmos mix on the UHD disc is powerful and bold. Dialogue is well placed and is consistently intelligible. You’ll hear the space ship zoom, the planets collide and will feel the directionality of the impending meteors. This is a well-balanced soundtrack that Fox Home Entertainment can be proud of. 

The Blu-ray disc contains the following list of bonus features.  Scrat: Spaced Out can also be found on the UHD disc.

Regardless of his screen time, the Ice Age franchise is all about Scrat. How much you enjoy these movies is probably related to how much you care for the creature. He features heavily in the extras and is the cause of a possible extinction event. While Scrat and the gang are not my favorite, my 8 year old had a great time with the film. He stays in the moment while he watches and makes no comparisons to previous films. The humor is silly and at times crude, which is what every 8 year old boy hopes for. This film will make a great stocking stuffer for the elementary school crowd but won’t be one their parents are excited to see over and over. It looks stunning and sounds great in the ultra-high definition format. Technically, the franchise has come a long way.