Ice Age Movies In Order: In Release Order (2024 Updated)

Written By Charles Eames
Last updated: November 24, 2022

Ice Age is an American media franchise centering on a group of mammals surviving the Paleolithic ice age. It consists of computer-animated films and television specials, and a related sequel series.

While on the journey toward the north, Manny recuses Sid, and they return to Manny’s home. Diego, a saber-toothed tiger, is soon expecting a baby with his wife and leaves to find food. Manny becomes close with Ellie, who reveals that she is also expecting.

During the journey, the trio discovers that Manny, Ellie, and Diego are all members of different mammal species. Manny is a mammoth, Ellie is a sloth, and Diego is a saber-toothed tiger.

Ice Age Movie series is one of the most popular and highest-grossing animated movie franchises of all time. In this post, we will take a look at every single Ice Age movie in release order.

List of Ice Age Movies in Release Order

Ice Age Movies In Order
  1. Ice Age (2002)
  2. Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
  3. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
  4. Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
  5. Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)

Ice Age (2002)

Ice Age Movies In Order

Director: Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha | Writers: Michael J. Wilson, Peter Ackerman, Michael Berg | Stars: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Goran Visnjic, Denis Leary | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 21 minutes. | Release Date: March 15, 2002, | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, and family. | Filming Locations: US | Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox, Blue Sky Studios, Twentieth Century Fox Animation | Budget: The budget for the movie was $59 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $383 million.

The first movie was released in 2002 and was titled Ice Age. The movie follows the story of Manny, a mammoth who is trying to return a human child to its father. He is joined on his journey by a sloth named Sid and a saber-toothed tiger named Diego.

The movie was directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha and was written by Michael J. Wilson, Peter Ackerman, and Michael Berg. It features the voice talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Goran Visnjic, and Denis Leary.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing $383 million worldwide on a budget of $59 million. It generally received positive reviews from critics, with some praising the animation and humor, while others criticized the story for being too similar to other animated movies released at the time.

Sid, a ground sloth, is left behind while all his family member travels to the south for the winter. Manny, a mammoth, finds Sid and takes him with him on his journey. Diego, a saber-tooth tiger, joins them as humans chase him. Along their way, they meet Ellie, a mammoth who Manny falls in love with. The three animals work together to return Ellie to her family and avoid the humans who are hunting them. 

After the attack, all the humans in the Tribe community get banished. Years later, a girl named Rayne is born from one of the banished humans and the new chief’s daughter. Rayne is different from any other human because she has blue eyes.

The new chief’s daughter tells everyone that Rayne is a demon and must be sacrificed to save the village. Rayne runs away and finds her way to the forest. There she meets the animals from the first movie and becomes good friends with them. 

Diego, Manny, and Sid start to experience some strange things happening in the ice age world around them. A huge meteor is headed for Earth, destroying everything in its path. The three friends must warn the other animals and stop the meteor from hitting Earth.

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Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

Ice Age Movies In Order

Director: Carlos Saldanha | Writers: Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow, Jim Hecht | Stars: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott | Country of origin: United States

Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 31 minutes. | Release Date: March 31, 2006, | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, and family | Filming Locations: US | Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios | Budget: The budget for the movie was $80 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $667 million.

The second movie in the series was released in 2006 and was titled Ice Age: The Meltdown. Manny, Sid, and Diego discover that the ice age is coming to an end and join everybody on a journey to higher ground. On the way, Manny and Ellie have a baby, and Diego starts to have doubts about his place in the group.

The movie was directed by Carlos Saldanha and was written by Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow, and Jim Hecht. It features the voice talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Seann William Scott.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing $667 million worldwide on a budget of $80 million. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the animation and humor, while others criticized the story for being too similar to the first movie.

After the event in the previous films, Manny, Sid, and Diego become good friends, and life in the ice age world is peaceful. But one day, Manny starts to hear a strange noise that’s coming from underground. He soon discovers that the ice age is ending, and the melting glaciers will flood their home. 

Manny, Sid, and Diego must warn the other animals and find a new home before it’s too late. They journey to the other side of the valley and meet Ellie, who Manny falls in love with. Along the way, they must avoid predators and find the perfect place for their new home.

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)

Ice Age Movies In Order

Director: Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier | Writers: Michael Berg, Peter Ackerman, Mike Reiss, Yoni Brenner | Stars:  Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Eunice Cho | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 34 minutes. | Release Date: July 1, 2009, | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy and family. | Filming Locations: US | Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios | Budget: The budget for the movie was $90 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $886 million.

The third movie in the series was released in 2009 and was titled Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Manny, Diego, and Ellie are expecting their first child, and Manny is having doubts about his ability to be a good father. Sid runs off into the jungle and ends up getting kidnapped by a group of dinosaurs.

The movie was directed by Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier and was written by Michael Berg, Peter Ackerman, Mike Reiss, and Yoni Brenner. It features the voice talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Eunice Cho.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing $886 million worldwide on a budget of $90 million. It generally received positive reviews from critics, with some praising the animation and humor, while others criticized the story for being too similar to the first two movies.

Ellie is about to give birth to Manny’s child, while Diego thinks he is losing his place in the pack. Manny becomes overprotective of Ellie and starts to push Diego away. Meanwhile, a T-Rex named Rudy wants to eat Manny’s family. Sid finds some dinosaur eggs and decides to take care of them. The eggs hatch, and the baby dinosaurs think that Sid is their mother. 

Diego decides to leave the pack but gets captured by Rudy. Manny and Ellie rescue Diego and they all work together to stop Rudy from eating them. They defeat Rudy, and Manny finally accepts Ellie’s baby as his own.

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Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)

Ice Age Movies In Order

Director: Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier | Writers: Michael Berg, Jason Fuchs, Lori Forte | Stars: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Aziz Ansari | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 28 minutes. | Release Date: July 13, 2012, | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy and family. | Filming Locations:  US | Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios, FortyFour Studio | Budget: The budget for the movie was $95 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $877 million.

The fourth movie in the series was released in 2012 and was titled Ice Age: Continental Drift. Manny, Diego, and Ellie are now settled into their new home, and life is good. But when Manny’s daughter gets kidnapped by a group of pirates, he sets out to rescue her.

The movie was directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier and was written by Michael Berg, Jason Fuchs, and Lori Forte. It features the voice talents of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, and Aziz Ansari.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing $877 million worldwide on a budget of $95 million. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the animation and humor, while others criticized the story for being too similar to the first three movies.

After sixteen years of the previous film, Manny and Elise’s daughter, peaches, have grown up, and Manny is overprotective of her. Diego has a mate named Shira, and they have cubs together. Sid is now dating a ground sloth named Brooke. 

One day, Manny and his family are on an iceberg that starts to drift away. They end up on an island where they meet a herd of elephants. Manny becomes friends with one of the elephants named Ellie. The animals must find a way to get back to their home before the ice age ends.

While trying to find their herd, Manny and their friends get captured by a band of pirates, but they manage to escape. They find a way back to their home, and Manny finally accepts that his daughter is grown up. 

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Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)

Ice Age Movies In Order

Director: Mike Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu | Writers: Michael J. Wilson, Michael Berg, Yoni Brenner | Stars: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Chris Wedge, Jennifer Lopez | Country of origin: the United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 34 minutes. | Release Date: July 22, 2016 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are animation, adventure, comedy, family and sci-fi. | Filming Locations: US | Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios, FortyFour Studio | Budget: The budget for the movie was $105 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $408 million.

The fifth movie in the series was released in 2016 and was titled Ice Age: Collision Course. Manny, Diego, Ellie, and the rest of the gang are back, and this time they’re dealing with a meteor that’s on course to destroy the Earth.

The movie was directed by Mike Thurmeier and Galen T. Chu and was written by Michael J. Wilson, Michael Berg, and Yoni Brenner. It features the voice talents of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Chris Wedge, and Jennifer Lopez.

The movie was a critical and commercial failure, grossing $408 million on a budget of $105 million. It received negative reviews from critics, with many panning the story, animation, and humor.

After five years of reuniting with their family, Manny prepares for her daughter Peaches’ wedding. But things start to go wrong when Manny discovers his wife, Ellie, is pregnant again. Sid accidentally destroys Peaches’ wedding ring, and he must go on a quest to find a new one. 

While on his quest, Sid meets a weasel named Buck, who tells him about a meteor that will destroy the Earth. They must warn Manny and the others before it’s too late. They all work together to stop the meteor, but things get worse when Scrat, a saber-toothed squirrel, accidentally launches it into space.

The meteor hits an asteroid’s belt and starts to break apart. Manny, Diego, and the others must find a way to stop it before it destroys the Earth. They succeed in stopping the meteor, but Scrat is lost in space.

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Movies in order by IMDB Rating

MoviesRating on IMDB
Ice Age 7.5/10
Ice Age: The Meltdown 6.8/10
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs6.9/10
Ice Age: Continental Drift 6.5/10
Ice Age: Collision Course 5.6/10

Ice Age Universe: List Of All Ice Age Movies, Short Films, and Television Series In Order

In Addition to Five Ice Age Movies, there are seven short films, two television films, and a television series in the Ice Age series. If you want to watch all of the Ice Age content in chronological order, here is a list of everything that has been released so far: 

  • Ice Age (2002)
  • Gone Nutty – short film
  • No Time for Nuts – short film
  • Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
  • Surviving Sid – short film
  • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
  • Scrat’s Continental Crack-Up – short film
  • Scrat’s Continental Crack-Up: Part 2 – short film
  • Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
  • Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe – short film
  • Scrat: Spaced Out – short film
  • Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
  • Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas – television special
  • Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade – television special
  • Television series – television series

Other Animation movie Series To Binge Watch

If you enjoyed the Ice Age series, then you may enjoy other computer-animated movie franchises such as:

  • The Madagascar franchise
  • The Shrek movies
  • The How to Train Your Dragon trilogy
  • Kung Fu Panda movies
  • The Toy Story movies
  • The Cars movie series
  • The Monsters, Inc. movies
  • Finding Nemo and its sequel, Finding Dory
  • The Despicable Me movie and its sequel, Minions
  • The Croods movies
  • The Secret Life of Pets movies
  • The Lego Movie franchise
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movie series

FAQs

Are All of The Ice Age Movies Part of The Same Series?

Yes, all of the Ice Age movies are part of the same series. They follow the adventures of Manny, a woolly mammoth, Sid, a sloth, and Diego, a saber-toothed tiger. The first movie in the series is Ice Age (2002), which Ice Age followed By the Meltdown (2006), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).

What is the Ice Age?

The Ice Age is a period of time when the Earth was covered in glaciers and ice sheets. It began approximately 2.6 million years ago and ended around 11,700 years ago.

Do You Need To Watch Ice Age Movies In Order?

No, you don’t need to watch the Ice Age movies in order. However, if you want to watch them in chronological order, the first movie you should watch is Ice Age (2002).

What are the Ice Age movies about?

The Ice Age movies follow the adventures of Manny, a woolly mammoth, Sid, a sloth, and Diego, a saber-toothed tiger. In the first movie, they must return a human baby to its father before the ice age ends.
In the second movie, they must stop the ice age from happening. In the third movie, they must rescue the dinosaurs of Manny’s wife and daughter. In the fourth movie, they must stop the continental drift. And in the fifth movie, they must stop a meteor from hitting Earth.

Do All Of The Ice Age Movies Take Place During An Ice Age?

No, not all of the Ice Age movies take place during an ice age. The first movie in the series, Ice Age (2002), takes place during the ice age. However, the majority of the other movies take place after the ice age has ended.

What Is The Best Ice Age Movie?

There is no definitive answer to this question, as everyone has different opinions. However, some of the most popular Ice Age movies include Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009).

Where can I watch Ice Age Movies?

All Ice Age movies are available on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital platforms such as iTunes, Disney+ Hotstar, and Google Play.

Conclusion

The Ice Age movies are a great series to watch if you enjoy computer-animated films. The series offers something for everyone with its mix of action, adventure, comedy, and drama.

If you want to watch the movies chronologically, the first movie you should watch is Ice Age (2002). However, you don’t need to watch the movies in order as they can all be enjoyed independently.

In this article, we have provided you with a list of every single Ice Age movie in release order. We have also answered some frequently asked questions about the series and provided you with some recommendations of other animated movie series to binge-watch.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab some popcorn and settle in for a marathon of Ice Age movies!

Charles Eames

Hey, My name is Charles Eames, I am a designer, filmmaker, and lover of photographic arts. And I usually write about movies, Famous/Influential People. I am running this blog with my girlfriend Bernice.

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