The latest installment of the Scrat-based franchise. Each movie the little prehistoric squirrel-rat takes on a more prominent role in his slapstick one-offs which have no actual tie in to the alleged story. The fact that Scrat keeps getting more movie play is probably due to the inability of the writers to come up with more material to flesh out the supposed story behind the movie.

I suppose the movie is supposed to be about a father-daughter relationship as the daughter grows up and the father has to let go. But if so, it’s just about as evolved in concept as Scrat himself.

This is no “Father of the Bride”. The movie attempts to become some sort of action-adventure farce with oblique and bizarre Odyssey references as Manny, the father mammoth portrayed by Ray Romano, along with his saber-toothed and tree-sloth friends Diago and Sid, attempt to re-unite with Manny’s wife and daughter who have been left behind after some sort of inexplicable earth-shattering (literally) catastrophe causes the continents to break apart and sail around like flotsam in a whirlpool.

The scatalogical humor flies (again, literally) as farts, regurgitation, body odor and mucus provide most of what passes for humor.

I suppose I should say that the animation is pretty good, but the 3D effects are laughably overdone, with slimy noses shoved into the audience, along with smelly butts and anything with a sharp point. It’s as if a bunch of middle school boys discovered 3D technology and made a movie with it.

There’s really nothing good to say about the movie. The story is lame, and even what story there is makes no sense, and even if it did make sense, it is constantly interrupted by the nonsensical adventures of the apparently invulnerable and immortal Scrat.

Every joke was telegraphed light-years ahead of the exaggerated and predictable delivery. Every emotional moment was trotted out on schedule and with exactly the end result you would expect in a cartoon episode. Every stereotype and trope is played to the hilt.

I can’t even recommend this movie as a DVD rental. I suppose it might show up for free one day and if you have pre-teen kids who still think farting is the most hilarious thing they ever heard of, you might plop them down in front of the TV while you find something better to do.

Cosmic says, don’t waste your time or money.