Ice Age

Ice Age has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. With 14,404 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Ray Romano's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Ice Age is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate Ice Age from the crowd. Manny the mammoth, Sid the loquacious sloth, and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger go on a comical quest to return a human baby back to his father, across a world on the brink of an ice age. Ray Romano and John Leguizamo lead a cast that never overplays a joke. It hit screens in 2002. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Ice Age holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Ice Age. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Ray Romano's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.