The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild has some important lessons to teach kids, but is wrapped in a subpar animation style and eye-rolling jokes that makes it almost difficult to watch.
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is the latest in the Ice Age franchise. It went directly to Disney+ for release was a smart choice for something like this. Right from the start it is very clear that this film was made for a direct to TV release and not for a theatrical release. While there are some important messages for kids layered in this movie, the package they are wrapped in is less than appealing.
The animation style is extremely basic — from the characters to the backgrounds — and the star studded voice cast has been mostly replaced. One of the most annoying parts of the film, that gets worse the longer it goes on, is the feeling that the actors voicing the replaced characters are just doing impressions of the actors who originally voiced them. Unfortunately, this will likely take most viewers out of the film as it just doesn’t sound natural.
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild animation feels like it takes ten giant steps backwards to when computer animation first became a thing. I totally understand that this was made for TV, but I hate that it feels that way. The Ice Age animation has never really been groundbreaking, but it has been nice to look at. I will say that the dinosaurs look pretty cool — I think it is the mammals and the backgrounds that take away from it all.
All of that said, there are some things to praise about this film too. While it is certainly going to be predictable and slow for most adults, young kids are likely to have a lot of fun with it because of the fun adventures and silly jokes. My 9 year old spent a lot of time literally laughing out loud and was glued to the screen for the full one hour and twenty minutes.
She immediately connected with and fell in love with new character Zee. She is voiced by the incredibly talented Justina Machado and is easily the best part of the film. She give Buck a run for his money. She is strong, but not too intimidating, and a complete bad ass. Having a character like her in the movie, that little girls can look up to, makes this a great watch for this age range.
My daughter wants to be just like her, going on adventures, when she gets older, and there are worse characters to aspire to be like, so I will allow it.
Related: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (2021 Animated Movie) Review
Overall The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild will teach children great lessons about working together, as well as the fact that different species surviving together, despite their differences. We are stronger together, and I love seeing that message come across the screen clearly.
If you can get through the subpar animation, there is some fun to be had here. The movie focuses on possum brothers Crash and Eddie as they explore the Lost Kingdom — encountering dinosaurs and other dangers around every corner. Luckily they have Buck Wild, who has been in the last two Ice Age films, by their side to keep them alive.
These adventures will be hits with the younger kids, but long time fans of the franchise might find themselves disappointed. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is available to stream Disney+ at no additional cost, so you might as well try it out and see if it is your cup of tea.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
About The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild continues the hilarious escapades of everyone’s favorite prehistoric mammals. Desperate for some distance from their older sister Ellie, the thrill-seeking possum brothers Crash and Eddie set out to find a place of their own, but quickly find themselves trapped in a massive cave underground. They are rescued by the one-eyes, adventure-loving, dinosaur-hunting weasel, Buck Wild, and together they must face the unruly dinosaurs who inhabit the Lost World.
Ice Age: The Adventures of Buck Wild is streaming on Disney+now.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.