Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that the third installment in the Ice Age franchise is likely to appeal to kids (even the preschool set) as much as the first two. That said, it's the first one in 3-D, so some scenes -- especially the ones featuring dinosaurs -- may be a bit more intense. There's lots of cartoonish violence, mostly involving Scrat and his new female friend (they also flirt and kiss, which is the extent of the movie's romance). Language is mild, but there's some scatological humor ("barf" and "poop"), as well as suspense concerning the main characters' ability to get out of harm's way.

Sexual Content

The male and female Scrat flirt with each other and eventually pair off. Manny and Ellie, now mates, are expecting a baby and are quite sweet to each other, hugging and locking trunks. A couple of jokes involving Sid mistaking an animal's gender -- in one case he tries to "milk" an animal that turns out to be male; in another, he thinks a baby mammoth is a boy until Diego points out that "that's a tail."

Violence

Lots of cartoonish violence -- some humorous (all of the acorn antics with Scrat, the baby T-Rexes swallowing their friends, etc.) and some potentially frightening (various dinosaurs chase the protagonists, threatening to injure them). For the most part, the dinosaurs don't do any damage except to Buck, who lost an eye to Rudy, the meanest, biggest dinosaur in the movie. The audience doesn't actually see Buck lose his eye, but Rudy is a scary-looking dinosaur, and the raptors are intense as well. The characters deal with several close calls.

Language

Mild insults (usually directed at Sid) and some scatological jokes about the dinosaurs ("poop," "barf," etc.).

Social Behavior

The movie offers a positive message about what it takes to be a "herd" or family -- no one gets left behind, new members are welcome, and everyone has a place.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Not applicable