Critics Consensus: Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D Is Lukewarm

Plus, Salute and The Imposter are sharp documentaries.

by Tim Ryan | July 12, 2012

This week at the movies, we’ve got only one new wide release: Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D, featuring voice work from Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo What do the critics have to say?

With the exception of its first installment, the Ice Age franchise has never been a critical darling. That trend that continues with Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D, which critics say has moments of charm and witty slapstick but often seems content to recycle ideas from the previous films. This time out, Scrat the saber-toothed squirrel triggers a continental rift thanks to his irrepressible search for acorns. Meanwhile, Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth, and Diego the sabre-toothed cat find themselves on the run from pirate apes. The pundits say Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D looks terrific and features a handful of decent gags, but for the most part it’s a mediocre affair that’s only occasionally inspired.

Also opening this week in limited release:

The Imposter, a doc about the mysterious return of a missing Texas teenager, is at 96 percent.
Ballplayer: Pelotero, doc about the struggles of a pair of Dominican baseball prospects, is at 92 percent.
The Greek import Alps, an absurdist dramedy about an organization that helps console grieving people by masquerading as their loved ones, is at 88 percent.
Farewell, My Queen, starring Diane Kruger in a historical drama about the last days of Marie Antoinette, is at 85 percent.
Easy Money, the pulpy tale of three interconnected men who venture into the Swedish criminal underworld, is at 84 percent.
Trishna, starring Freida Pinto in a reimagining of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Ubervilles set in India, is at 74 percent (check out our interview with director Michael Winterbottom here).
Union Square, starring Mira Sorvino in a drama about two sisters who have an uneasy reunion, is at 62 percent.
Red Lights, starring Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver in a psychological thriller about paranormal researchers who encounter a sinister psychic, is at 38 percent.
Blind Revenge, starring Daryl Hannah in a thriller about a novelist whose caretaker harbors a dark secret, is at 15 percent.