‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ Review: Disney Plus Spin-Off Suffers From Mammoth Problems

variety.com:

Courtney Howard Strong-willed audiences who didn’t tap out of the “Ice Age” franchise after the first two films were rewarded with the memorable introduction of swashbuckling one-eyed weasel Buck Wild in “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” The heroic and humorous Indiana Jones-esque character was a breath of fresh air for the series and its well-established group dynamic, aiding in the Paleolithic ragtag family’s quest to survive dangerous circumstances.

Yet in director John C. Donkin’s stand-alone feature for Disney Plus, “The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,” the intrepid adventurer is done a disservice.

Instead of delivering a sensational serialized spin-off that would complement the captivating character, the filmmakers have misguidedly fashioned a subpar sequel.

Part of the problem is that the story’s sole focus isn’t on the titular hero. Donkin and screenwriters Jim Hecht, Will Schifrin and Ray DeLaurentis anchor their tale to the series’ legacy characters: married mammoths Manny (voiced by Sean Kenin Elias-Reyes) and Ellie (Dominique Jennings), sloth Sid (Jake Green), saber-tooth tiger Diego (Skyler Stone) and dimwitted daredevils Crash (Vincent Tong) and Eddie (Aaron Harris).