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The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild

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The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild
Computer-animated Ice Age animals stand on top of dinosaurs mouth, while others are looking down at them
Promotional release poster
Directed byJohn C. Donkin
Screenplay by
  • Jim Hecht
  • William Schifrin
  • Ray DeLaurentis
Story byJim Hecht
Based onCharacters
by Michael J. Wilson
Produced byDenise L. Rottina
Starring
Edited byBraden Oberson
Music byBatu Sener
Production
company
Distributed byDisney+
Release dates
  • January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28) (North America)
  • March 25, 2022 (2022-03-25) (International)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is a 2022 American computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by John C. Donkin, in his feature directorial debut, with a screenplay by Jim Hecht, Ray DeLaurentis, and William Schifrin. It serves as a spin-off and the sixth installment in the Ice Age franchise and is a stand-alone sequel to Ice Age: Collision Course. The film stars the voices of Simon Pegg (reprising his role as Buck Wild), Vincent Tong, Aaron Harris, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Justina Machado also starring in the film.

It follows the two opossum brothers Crash and Eddie and their adventure to becoming independent possums alongside the titular character Buck Wild. Originally planned to be a television series, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild was redeveloped into a feature-length film. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it was released on January 28, 2022, as a Disney+ original film.

It has received generally negative reviews from critics who have criticized its recasting of voice actors, lack of primary focus on the titular character, animation quality, the absence of Scrat, and the decision to make the movie without the involvement of Blue Sky Studios. The possibility of a sequel to the film was discussed by executive producer Lori Forte.

Plot

Crash and Eddie accidentally cause an avalanche and destroy the gang's summer home. The gang gets mad at them, causing Crash and Eddie to secretly leave their temporary camp. When Crash and Eddie stumble upon the entrance to the Lost World, a land full of dinosaurs, Ellie insists the gang search for them. Crash and Eddie run into Buck Wild, who saves them from raptors and tells them that a Protoceratops named Orson, who was bullied when he was young for having a massive brain, has escaped from exile and has come to conquer the Lost World. Buck tries to get Crash and Eddie back to their home, but find that Orson has covered the entrance with a boulder.

Buck and the possums go to Buck's hideout, where Buck explains how he used to be part of an old squad that established the watering hole as a place for animals to peacefully co-exist. He goes on to say that Orson did not accept an offer to join his squad because he believed in a world where the strong dominate the weak with him being the leader of them all. Buck further explains that they defeated Orson and banished him to an island, where he learned that he can control two raptors with fire.

The two raptors find Buck's hideout, but Zee, a zorilla who used to be part of Buck's former squad, saves Buck and the possums by using a gas to knock out the raptors. Orson then gets an army of raptors and attacks the watering hole, with Buck and Zee telling the animals to evacuate. Buck and Zee, their relationship strained after their squad's breakup, go with the possums to get help. They arrive at the Lost Lagoon and summon their old friend Momma, a Tyrannosaurus. When Orson and his raptors arrive and attack them again, Buck and Zee forgive each other for breaking up the old gang and agree to work together. Acting as a diversion, Buck is captured by Orson, allowing the others to escape.

Trying to figure out how Orson controls the raptors, Zee and the possums devise a plan to get Buck back. Ellie and the others figure out that Crash and Eddie entered the Lost World and uncover the entrance. They run into Momma, who tells them Crash and Eddie are in danger. Zee and the possums free Buck and with the help of the others, fight Orson and his army. Buck tries to explain to Orson that everyone needs to live in peace, but Orson arrogantly rebuffs him and continues to fight. After figuring out that Orson controls the raptors with fire, Crash and Eddie create a fire of their own and stop the raptors from fighting and make them chase Orson instead, saving the Lost World.

Ellie and the others apologize to Crash and Eddie and ask them to come home, but Crash and Eddie express that they want to stay in the Lost World with Buck and Zee. Saddened by their decision, Ellie allows them to stay and says goodbye, but Crash and Eddie still come to visit the gang often.

Cast

Main article: List of Ice Age characters
Simon Peg at the premiere red carpet in Japan for Star Trek Beyond
Simon Pegg (pictured) is the only returning voice actor from the previous films, reprising his role as Buck Wild.

Additional voices include Theo Borders, Jason Harris, Kristin McGuire, Shakira Ja'nai Paye, Peter Pamela Rose, and Jason Linere White.[5]

Production

Development

In July 2016, Bustle noted that the chances of a sixth entry to the Ice Age franchise was relatively high but would depend on the box office performance of the fifth film.[6]

In August 2018, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider announced the development of a television series centered around the character of Buck, produced by Blue Sky Studios.[7][8][9] In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as a film titled Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild, centering around Buck going on an adventure in the Dinosaur World with Crash and Eddie.[9] Simon Pegg was reported to be reprising his role as Buck.[10]

Blue Sky was closed on April 10, 2021, and consequently, many of their upcoming projects were canceled.[11] Despite this, production on Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild continued. On January 14, 2022, director John C. Donkin and executive producer Lori Forte said that Blue Sky was never involved in the film.[12] Unlike the previous Ice Age films released by 20th Century Fox and produced by 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky, the film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures.[1]

Animation

The animation was outsourced to Bardel Entertainment in Vancouver.[13] Bardel had previously collaborated with Disney and 20th Century Animation on Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021).[14] Around 80 people were involved in the creation of The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild. Almost all the production was done remotely which led Donkin to never having a meeting with the entire team. Donkin said, "It was a pretty lean crew. But yet, everybody was able to really concentrate and work hard from their homes." He also said that they finished production on the movie in late 2020.[13]

Music

Batu Sener composed the musical score.[15] The soundtrack was released on January 28, 2022, by Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records.[16][17]

Release

The film was released in the United States and Canada on January 28, 2022, as a Disney+ original film.[18] It was later released on Disney+ in other countries on March 25, 2022.[19][20][21]

Marketing

The first look of the film was shown on December 10, 2020 at Disney's Investor Day, depicting Crash and Eddie getting saved by Buck and his pterodactyl Penelope from falling to their deaths.[22]

To promote the international release of the film, Disney hired two artists, Joe and Max, to create 3D street art based on the characters and designs from the movie, first spotted in London. The one-day event, which took place on March 22, 2022, will later be used for charity partners including the United Kingdom operations of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[21]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 17% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.70/10.[23]

Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 30 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[24]

Courtney Howard of Variety gave the film a negative review, saying how the story's focus is on the major characters of the previous Ice Age films, rather than solely on the titular Buck. She also points out the problematic disability representation and how the animation is "akin to a late-stage pre-viz pass", ending the review saying that the film "should've remained on ice."[25] Natalia Winkleman of The New York Times said that she was disappointed to see the film replace almost all of its celebrity voices and stated that of all the "sins" in the movie, the omission of Scrat was unforgivable.[26] Giving the film a D+, The A.V. Club's Jesse Hassenger negatively compared it to Disney's other direct-to-video sequels, saying: "The new direct-to-streaming Ice Age sequel is a generic chunk of content."[27]

Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing: "Visually and storytelling-wise it's not a cut above much of what kids can watch on TV these days. This is a franchise that looks like it's slowly going the way of the dinos, while we drool."[28] Laura Miller from The Michigan Daily wrote that she was somewhat disappointed in the cast change and the "elementary plot", but said that she was most upset that the film was not made for the same audience as the past Ice Age films.[29]

Future

Lori Forte discussed the possibility of a sequel, saying, "I think it's a little premature. We hope that people will respond to this, and that will promote us to be able to do another movie. If the audiences want it, we've got plenty of ideas. There's no end to ideas and adventures and characters, so we're ready if they're ready."[30]

Notes

  1. ^ The film was originally in-production at 20th Century Studios, but was changed to a Walt Disney Pictures release before completion.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 9, 2021). "Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox's Once-Dominant Animation House Behind 'Ice Age' Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Production Document" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Devora, Britta (January 18, 2022). "'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild' Posters Put an 'Ice Age 3' Character Front and Center". Collider. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  4. ^ Peter Sblendorio (January 23, 2022). "Simon Pegg talks 'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild'". New York. Daily News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  5. ^ "Credits" (PDF). Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Brayson, Johnny (July 21, 2016). "Will There Be Another Ice Age Movie? This Franchise Is Staying Strong". Bustle. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Paz, Maggie Dela (August 10, 2018). "Fox Developing Wimpy Kid, Ice Age, and Night at the Museum TV Shows". Coming Soon.net. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Ice Age and Rio spinoffs in early development for Disney+". Discussing Film. October 25, 2019. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Shoaff, Brandon (November 20, 2021). "The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild Release Date, Cast, And Plot – What We Know So Far". Looper. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Peters, Jay (December 10, 2020). "Here are all the new Marvel, Star Wars, and other projects Disney announced at its investor day". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  11. ^ D’Alessandro, Anthony (February 9, 2021). "Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox's Once-Dominant Animation House Behind 'Ice Age' Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Ramin Zahed (January 14, 2022). "Lori Forte & John Donkin Take Us Behind the Scenes of 'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Zahed, Ramin (January 14, 2021). "Lori Forte & John Donkin Take Us Behind the Scenes of 'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  14. ^ "'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,' The sixth 'Ice Age' Film, Gets A Trailer". Cartoon Brew. November 16, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "Batu Sener Scoring Disney+'s 'Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild'". Film Music Reporter. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  17. ^ Batu Sener (@BatuSenerMusic) Tweeted (January 28, 2022). "Now streaming!