THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD (2022) 

The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is the sixth installment in the Ice Age franchise. Ice Age has brought so many loveable characters to the screen including Manny, Diego, Sid, and Scrat. The merry band of misfits who found a family in each other are memorable and they have the ability to tell worthwhile stories chock full of important lessons. Unfortunately, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild falls well short of these expectations. 

 

The older characters Manny, Sid, Diego, and Ellie appear at the beginning of the movie to help set up the story. But they take a back seat to Crash and Eddie, two of the more annoying characters in the Ice Age franchise. The possums cater more to a younger audience with very little substance and ignorant antics that get tiresome quickly. The possums are longing for independence and strike out on their own. They fall into the lost world under the ice where the dinosaurs roam. The pair get into some trouble almost immediately and are saved by one of the best characters in the franchise, Buck Wild. Buck is a one-eyed swashbuckling weasel who first made an appearance in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Although his name is in the title of the movie, there is a heavy focus on Crash and Eddie which is unfortunate. 

 

The trio is eventually joined by Zee, a zorilla who was part of Buck’s old crew of adventurers. Zee and Buck have a unique back story that gets glossed over in exposition but could have made a much more interesting movie than this one. Buck and Zee have to save the lost world from an evil dinosaur who wants to take over the habitat because he was teased as a youngster. Crash and Eddie have to grow up and learn how to take care of themselves. The overall plot is lackluster and the villain is neither scary nor compelling. Crash and Eddie are more annoying than enjoyable. The older characters don’t really have a story arc at all and only appear haphazardly throughout the movie. Buck and Zee are the most entertaining part and they aren’t in the movie nearly enough to combat the others. 

 

The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is easily the worst movie in the franchise. The story isn’t compelling and they under utilize one of the best characters in the series, Buck. Some of the regular characters aren’t even in the movie with no explanation as to where they are. I was most disappointed to not see Scrat who usually adds some humor. Funny moments in this movie were few and far between and would mostly appeal to a younger demographic. On top of these disappointments, the animation itself is noticeably poor. The substandard quality takes away from the story itself. Overall the newest Ice Age movie leaves much to be desired. Let’s hope if a seventh film is in development, it will bring something worthwhile to the franchise.