Ice Age: Continental Drift continues the misadventures of the most unlikely herd: Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, and Manny the Mammoth, along with an assortment of other prehistoric animals. Years have passed since the last story, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs, and Manny's daughter, Peaches, is now a teenager. As Peaches seeks her independence, Manny grows ever more protective. While life seems to be carrying on peacefully for the herd, a low grumble in the earth is unsettling for all. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Scrat the rodent has inadvertently set in motion the separation of the continents while chasing the illusive acorn. As the splitting land masses tear the herd apart, Manny vows to his wife and daughter that he will return to them. While adrift at sea on a chunk of ice, Manny, Sid, and Diego encounter multiple weather phenomena, a prehistoric primate pirate and his crew, and even an island of evil, toothy sirens that use mirages to lure those lost at sea.

Ice Age: Continental Drift is a compelling story full of inspiring lessons about bravery, friendship, family, sacrifice, and the consequences of selfishness. As has been a theme throughout the Ice Age films, characters learn lessons about the importance of family and "having each others' backs." The smallest character in the film, a groundhog named Louis, stands up to the evil Captain Gutt in defense of his friend, Peaches. And Captain Gutt gets his comeuppance after living selfishly and plundering instead of sharing. These are just three of many life lessons that can be gleaned from this film.

This film is fun for all ages and appropriate for children of all ages. Unlike its box office competition, Madagascar 3, Ice Age: Continental Drift does not contain any faux curse words or inappropriate gags. By my count, the word "butt" was used twice in the film, and Sid the sloth says the phrase, "Holy crab!", when face to face with a giant crab. While this film is fun and full of comedic moments, there are a handful of scenes that are genuinely creepy. In particular the pirate, Captain Gutt, and the island of sirens.

It seems that with every computer animated film released, the technology gets a little bit better. This can be witnessed simply by watching the trailers for each of the Ice Age movies. While I did not view Ice Age: Continental Drift in 3D, the animation and design were incredibly detailed and, at times, jaw-dropping. One particular scene begins with a shot of the ocean, then pans up to reveal the gang still stranded on an iceberg. When the shot of the water began the scene and the "camera" began to pan up, the water looked so realistic that I expected to see Spencer Tracy in a boat or Tom Hanks floating on a raft. However what made the greatest impression on me, production wise, was the animated hair on the characters. Particularly on Captain Gutt. The detail of the hair, its motion, the difference between wet and dry hair—it was altogether impressive. I found myself complimenting the animation multiple times during the film.

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