Animation in ‘Ice Age’ the coolest Latest Fox film appeals to children, parents alike

It’s a great time to be a film-animation fan.

First came Disney’s second coming, with “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” among others, including too many sequels and other lesser works.

Then came Pixar, which, with “Toy Story,” its sequel and “Monsters Inc.,” sought to hook the parents as well as the children with content that appealed to both. Nickelodeon (“Rugrats,” “Jimmy Neutron”) is attempting to transfer as many of its TV shows to the cinemas as possible, whether deservedly so or not. (And let’s not go into all the Japanese TV imports that keep spilling over onto the big screen.)

With Jeffrey Katzenberg, former Disney animation chief, one of the founders of DreamWorks, it’s natural that that studio has plunged into the fray, including one of the best recent animated works, “Shrek.”

Now it’s 20th Century Fox’s turn to play catch-up. “Titan A.E.,” its 2000 release, was dazzling visually but predictable storywise. But with the Blue Sky Studios release of “Ice Age,” Fox definitely has dug up an animated winner.

The photo-realism of the “Ice Age” animation is stunning (and the temperature inside the theater added to the chilly atmosphere). Each shadow or track in the snow is perfectly placed, giving it a lifelike look.

“Ice Age” tells of a quest by a mismatched quartet. While the rest of the animal world is migrating south, Manfred the Mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano) is heading north. He helps out Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo), an action he soon regrets, as an unwelcome Sid joins him.

The pair finds themselves caretakers of a male baby human, their natural enemy. Sid convinces Manfred to return the boy to his tribe. Saber-tooth tiger Diego (Denis Leary) soon hooks up with them, although he has an agenda all his own.

Weaving in and out of the action is a squirrel-like creature, Scrat, who unleashes chaos in his unending effort to bury an acorn he had captured.

The three animal companions thrust together by fate change and bond on their journey, overcoming several moderately dangerous obstacles, en route to a sweet, Disney-style ending.

Fans of Romano on “Everybody Loves Raymond” will enjoy his work as the anti-social Manfred, while Leguizamo is familiarly antic as Sid. Leary makes the most of the less showy role of Diego, the heavy who evolves along the way.

My 6-year-old junior critic was impressed with the film, and especially liked “the little animal.” Mesmerized, she felt no urge to leave the theater, instead sending me out to refill her large popcorn.

For parents, “Ice Age” isn’t the pop-cultural feast that “Shrek” was. Still, the animation is amazing, and the 85-minute film is written well enough to keep adults entertained.

So take your little ones to see “Ice Age.” Don’t get left out in the cold until the video release.

Dale is the NEWS veteran entertainment writer. His 6-year-old daughter Samantha never had much use for dinosaurs, as her Barbies wouldn’t stay on the plastic models.