4/5

Director: Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier

Stars: The voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Keke Palmer

Our favourite prehistoric pals, Manny the woolly mammoth, Diego the sabretooth tiger and Sid the sloth are back for another epic, ice-fuelled adventure.

A decade on from the first 'Ice Age' film, this fourth installment of the hit animated series sees Scrat the squirrel's relentless pursuit of his prized acorn result in a seismic shift that literally tears apart Earth’s prehistoric supercontinent, Pangea.

As the land breaks up, Manny is separated from his mate Ellie and their now teenage daughter Peaches, and with nothing more than a chunk of ice as transport, he, Diego and Sid - along with Sid’s troublesome stowaway Granny - must somehow find their way back home.

But it's not smooth sailing for the fearless foursome, who are forced to weather the wrath of Mother Nature's fury before stumbling across a pirate ship headed by a villainous orangutan with bad teeth by the name of Captain Gutt, and his menagerie of 'lost soul' sidekicks whom he’s plucked from the high seas.

Manny and co must outwit the cunning primate who is keen to recruit more members, in a bid to catch the current back to the mainland and be reunited with his family.

Meanwhile, a love-struck Diego must decide whether feisty white tiger Shira (voiced by Jennifer Lopez), is a friend or foe, and when it comes to the crunch, 80-year-old Granny (voiced by Wanda Sykes) proves she’s rather handy to have on side.

Like its predecessors, 'Ice Age 4' is action-packed, spattered with the Sid-like humour we've come to expect, and had no problem enthralling the audience made up of kids of all ages, (as always, there were just as many laugh-out-loud moments from adults as there were from the littlies) for the full 94 minutes.

Keep an ear out for the voices of hip-hop star Drake, rapper Nicki Minaj and 'Glee' cheerleader Heather Morris, who all play the cool-kid mammoths, while 'Game of Thrones' star Peter Dinklage makes a convincing contribution as the voice of the menacing Captain Gutt.

In an age where film animation is becoming increasingly advanced, 'Continental Drift' delivers state-of-the-art digital technology at its finest, and offers audiences the chance to view in 3D, too.

With its release just in time for the school holidays, 'Ice Age 4' offers a guaranteed dose of family fun.

'Ice Age: Continental Drift' is in NZ cinemas from June 28

Watch the trailer here