When I was younger, “Ice Age” was one of my favorite franchises, and I was thrilled when I found out Disney was making a new one. “The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild” found its way to Disney Plus on Jan. 28 and became another classic for fans of the franchise. Buck Wild (Simon Pegg) was an instant fan favorite from the moment he came onto the screen of the film, “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” When I found out this movie would star him and my other two favorite characters, lovable possums Crash (Vincent Tong) and Eddie (Aaron Harris), I was ecstatic. 

“Ice Age” has been a success since its 2002 release, spurring a series of six movies and earning over $6 billion at the box office. This will be the first “Ice Age” movie made after Disney bought 20th Century Fox, the company that first made the first six films of the franchise. 

Going into this movie with high expectations was risky — I wasn’t sure how I would feel when I walked away, but “The Ice Age Adventures of Buck WIld” did not disappoint. Packed to the brim with comedy and full of action, this animated film lived up to the memories I had of my childhood favorites. 

Not only did the movie bring back characters I missed, but it introduced new ones. One new character was Orson (Utkarsh Ambudkar), the hilarious but annoying antagonist of the film. In a primarily male-dominated film, it was nice to see Zee (Justina Machado), the female zorilla with a past. She was witty, funny and played into every moment. 

It brought back most of the nostalgia I was hoping for, but would still be good for viewers who didn’t see the originals. It introduced the movie in a really good way, too, which caught everyone up on the other movies without having to watch them. The animation was splendid, not quite lifelike, but on par with every other animated Disney movie. 

But what would an “Ice Age” movie be without Scrat the squirrel chasing an acorn? Sadly, we had to find out. Although it is a classic theme in all of the “Ice Age” films, the movie did not include the squirrel. The plot was good, but I could feel the definite lack not having the squirrel brought. 

Speaking of a definite lack, the original cast was hardly in it. Characters such as Manny (Sean Kenin), Diego (Skyler Stone) and Sid (Jake Green) were the original three of the series, but they were only featured around three times. I enjoyed the movie, but I definitely wished the original and main cast of the franchise were in it more. 

Not only was the original cast barely in it, but there was a character who wasn’t mentioned at all. I rewatched “Dawn of the Dinosaurs” to refamiliarize myself with the franchise, and it pointed out a major issue. In “Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” one of the major plot points is Ellie (Dominique Jennings) and Manny’s child, Peaches, being born. Since the new movie takes place after Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Peaches should have been mentioned or at least made one appearance. 

That being said, there wasn’t anything else I could find wrong with the movie. If there’s something you want to watch over the weekend, or just something to pass the time, this movie is worth it. It fades into the background if you’re busy, but it can captivate you if not. Unlike the animals that star in it, the franchise will never go extinct.