It’s not often that I throw around the word “masterpiece” when talking about movies. Sure, there are probably a lot of films that deserve this title. The Godfather? Maybe. 2001: A Space Odyssey? Perhaps.
However, I feel that there is certainly one movie that deserves it without any doubt in my mind. Despite its flaws and questionable sequels, this movie is most certainly a masterpiece:
Ice Age.
Yes, Ice Age, that 3D animated film from 2002 where a traumatized mammoth, a naïve sloth, and a homicidal sabretooth tiger help a baby find his family. This is one of the few films I believe deserves the title of “masterpiece”. Sure, the animation isn’t top notch and even ugly at times, but it was 2002. It gets a pass there.
Visuals are not what make this movie phenomenal. It’s the story. It’s the lovable cast of characters and their group dynamic. It’s the stellar character development that brought a tear to my eye upon watching it again. This film has it all. The on-foot adventure film with growing friendships and character development that Stand by Me only wishes it had.
The wonderful thing about this family movie is that it connects to everyone. Whether you’re a child or an adult, you can connect to any of the characters. You may empathize with Manny’s struggle to accept new friends back into his life after losing everyone he cared about. You may see yourself in Diego as he struggles with the morality he was taught versus the morality of the world around him. You may even see yourself in Sid, naïve yet pained in some way. The way these characters grow together and accept each other into their lives while on this journey is heartwarming and has lessons to teach every audience. At the end when they finally reunite the baby and his father and “the herd” (as they end up calling themselves) goes off on their next adventure, all of the characters have become better with each other around and their decision to stick together continues to warm the hearts of audiences today.
How could I bring up the excellence of Ice Age without even mentioning Scrat? Scrat, essentially the Mr. Bean of squirrels, is a resourceful and goofy creature whose only motivation is to reach his acorn. Some may see Scrat’s presence in the movie as a way to get some cheap laughs from the kids watching. However, Scrat’s time in the film is very memorable and purposeful, as some events would not have occurred without his shenanigans. When the movie leaves the herd to show Scrat’s adventures, it helps break some of the tension of the previous scenes. Some comic relief, some purpose.
Are all of the movies in the Ice Age Cinematic Universe on par with the excellence of the first? No, not really, as the quality decreases exponentially with each one. But that’s what makes the first one so special. The other movies’ bad qualities only enhance the fantastic qualities of the first, leaving the viewer wanting to watch the first one again instead. The fact that no other movie in the franchise was able to accomplish this same storytelling makes me certain that Ice Age is a once in a lifetime movie masterpiece.
