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(AP Photo/20th Century Fox)
In this film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, mammoths Manny, left, and Ellie, along with possums Crash and Eddie are shown in a scene from, ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.''
With the gang battling reptiles and Buck hurtling about like Douglas Fairbanks, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" has a faster pulse than the earlier movies.
What you can say about the images presented by director Carlos Saldanha pretty much holds true for new installments in other computer-animated franchises. It's more detailed, textured and vibrant than the earlier "Ice Age" epochs because the technology and possibilities of computer-generation animation keep getting better.
The screenplay credited to four writers, including original "Ice Age" co-writers Michael Berg and Peter Ackerman, tosses off the occasional decent wisecrack that adults will appreciate (Manny's observation that he thought dinosaurs were extinct makes for a good chuckle coming from a mammoth whose species died out eons ago).
But the dialogue is mostly simple jawboning that doesn't provide many laughs. Unlike such wise, witty Pixar Animation tales as "Up" and "WALL-E," this one's strictly a slapstick tale for the young ones, who will ooh and aah over all the adorable beasties, new and old.
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG for some mild rude humor and peril. Running time: 93 minutes. Two stars out of four.
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Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions:
G _ General audiences. All ages admitted.
PG _ Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
PG-13 _ Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.
