Ice Age: Collision Course Blu-ray Review

"Ice Age: Collision Course" presents an exceptional video experience on Blu-ray, provided by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, featuring an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The animation quality has markedly improved throughout the franchise, with enhancements in rendering textures and details, notably evident in Manny's hair and other character designs. The Blu-ray delivers razor-sharp clarity and expert detail across every frame, making even the most mundane background elements as precisely defined as the primary subjects. From the extraterrestrial sequences bathed in a distinctive purple hue to the vibrant Earth-bound scenes, the diversity and richness of the color palette are striking, encompassing an array of solid primaries to nuanced interstitial shades.

The presentation is further accentuated by the incredibly lifelike textures and meticulous detailing. Every blade of grass and each leaf glistening in sunlight is rendered with extraordinary precision. Animal fur, especially that of the mammoths and Shangri Llama, displays convincing movement and tactile realism. Additionally, minor imperfections, such as Buck's scars or the dromaeosaurs' markings, are finely captured, adding to the overall immersion. Key characteristics include crisp contrast delivering exceptional visibility for distant elements and deep, luxurious blacks with excellent gradational differentiation, fostering a pronounced three-dimensional quality. Overall, "Ice Age: Collision Course" on Blu-ray is a visual feast, characterized by its detailed texture work, vibrant color spectrum, and impeccable clarity from beginning to end.

Ice Age: Collision Course presents a joyous DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that immediately engages the senses with its exciting opening sequence featuring Scrat's uncontrolled escapades in the flying saucer. The audio design exudes abundant surround activity, particularly evident in the powerful LFE during the spaceship's launch into space. Throughout the movie, similar effects-heavy sequences maintain a consistent sense of immersion, with strategically placed discrete channelization enhancing the experience. The track features delightful snippets of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra," adding an entertaining touch. Dialogue delivery is crisp, clear, and well-prioritized, ensuring every spoken word is heard distinctly.

This animated adventure amplifies home theater systems with a gratifying DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack that remains broad and inviting. Vocals are meticulously clear in the center channel, capturing even the subtlest variations in intonation. Musical and song selections adeptly spread into the surrounds, creating an enriching audio environment. The imaging is expansive, featuring convincing off-screen effects and excellent separation between the loudest action scenes and quieter moments. Though not overwhelmingly earth-shaking, the low-end delivers substantial depth and power, lending a tangible weight to action-packed sequences and producing an impressive rumble during asteroid-related scenes.

Surround channels remain active throughout, especially noticeable in the sides and rears where various atmospheric elements contribute to a captivating soundfield. The immersive experience is enriched by effects such as wind rustling through trees and dynamic sequences around Geotopia, with sound effects bouncing fluidly between speakers. Despite a lack of consistent rear activity for portions of the film set in the wilderness, the explosive finale more than compensates by enveloping the room with debris and chaos, offering a climactic, highly immersive auditory conclusion.

The extras on the "Ice Age: Collision Course" Blu-ray offer an engaging assortment of bonus content, showcasing the film's creativity and humor. The compilation includes character-centric adventures, humorous spoofs, and academic insights. The standout feature is Neil deGrasse Tyson's entertaining take on the film's scientific inaccuracies, which is both informative and amusing. Fans will appreciate the extensive attention given to Scrat, with several shorts dedicated to the beloved character's antics. Each feature is well-produced, maintaining a high level of visual and audio quality.

Extras included in this disc:

• Ice Age: The Story So Far: A recap of scenes from previous films.
• Scrat: Spaced Out: Extended adventures of Scrat in space.
• Scratasia: Scrat's Solo Adventures: Highlights of Scrat’s funniest moments.
• Mystery of the Scratazons: A spoof on the origins of an ancient civilization.
• Star Signs of the Animal Kingdom: Humorous takes on astrological signs with animal characters.
• The Science of It All: DeGrasse Tyson Debunks: Neil deGrasse Tyson debunks the film's scientific elements.
• Figaro Sing Along: Buck’s musical interpretation of the prophecy.
• Gallery: Includes Auto and Manual Advance options.
• Theatrical Trailer: Original movie trailer.

"Ice Age: Collision Course" largely adheres to the familiar paradigms established in its predecessors, with recurring themes and comedic beats centering around Scrat's antics and a looming environmental threat. This fifth installment of the franchise opens with an amusing introduction narrated by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, cleverly setting up the cosmic premise through a tongue-in-cheek take on his "Cosmos" program. The plot revolves around Scrat inadvertently initiating a series of cosmic events when his acorn tampering launches a flying saucer, sending asteroids hurtling towards Earth. Amidst this astronomical chaos, Manny and his herd embark on yet another journey to avert extinction, with rays of humor sporadically interspersed.

The film's visual artistry remains impressive, particularly highlighted in Scrat's space misadventures that creatively depict the universe’s formation. Some of the most inventive comedic moments unfold here, featuring outlandish scenarios like planets forming through Scrat’s antics and humorous spacetime adventures. However, these sequences tend to overshadow the main narrative concerning Manny, Sid, and Diego. While Buck (Simon Pegg) adds some comic relief with his escapades involving a family of vengeful dromaeosaurs, much of the comedy elsewhere suffers from tasteless visuals and recycled slapstick, leading to a narrative that feels recycled.

Despite introducing new characters like a potential romance for Sid and a yoga-loving llama leader in a hidden asteroid civilization, the plot largely retreads familiar territory. The dynamic of impending doom as a backdrop for personal growth continues but offers little innovation. Themes of family and friendship are rehashed without significant depth or fresh humor. Although occasional clever humor and cultural references manage to amuse, "Collision Course" primarily skates on thin ice with expected plot points and tired gags, risking franchise fatigue. If not rejuvenated with originality, the series heads towards its own cinematic extinction.

In its fifth installment, "Ice Age: Collision Course" struggles to maintain the charm and humor that characterized earlier entries in the franchise. The narrative is increasingly labored, with the once fresh and inventive storyline now feeling like an exhaustive retread. The film's environmental disaster theme reaches new extremes but fails to deliver engaging or innovative content. While younger audiences may still find delight in the antics of Scrat and the gang, the film offers fewer laughs and a diminished emotional connection for older viewers.

Despite its narrative shortcomings, the Blu-ray release of "Collision Course" impresses with its technical prowess. The picture quality is stellar, boasting vivid colors and sharp details that showcase the film's animation work with striking clarity. Audio is equally impressive, with a robust DTS-HD MA track that delivers immersive soundscapes and clear dialogue. The Blu-ray package includes a modest selection of supplementary materials which, though not extensive, provide some bonus content for fans of the series.

Undemanding tots and even adults without any undue expectations will get a giggle or two out of "Ice Age: Collision Course," but this latest entry in the franchise seems more than ever like a tired retread of what's gone before. With this series' emphasis on environmental calamities, I guess it's easy to understand why the writers are so into recycling (yes, that's a joke), but maybe it's time to put "Ice Age" on ice for a little while. Technical merits are very strong for those considering a purchase.