Last year, Disney officially announced that it was shutting down Blue Sky Studios, and as a result, the animation studio released its last production last month, a short film where Ice Age's Scrat finally captures the acorn. The studio's closure is bittersweet, as few other animation companies made completely wholesome and sweet movies, but the studio was beginning to lose its touch and its flagship series had been showing its age for years.
Blue Sky is responsible for some of the 21st century's most unique animated movies, and a $3 billion franchise is a legacy few other studios have. And between some Pixer-inspired emotional rollercoasters and the best spy 2010s spy movie that isn't Mission: Impossible, it's responsible for some of the most underrated animated films too.
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - 6.5
With Ice Age being Blue Sky Studio's flagship franchise, there are five movies in the series and has grossed a total of more than $3 billion. Continental Drift is the fourth movie in the series and, not coincidentally, the fourth-best, as the franchise tended to get worse with each consecutive release.
While the previous movie did something new with the property, Continental Drift, unfortunately, saw Blue Sky return to the tried-and-true formula of the first two movies. The 2012 film is scattered, noisy, and all over the place, and that chaotic approach hides the fact that there isn't really anything going on. But despite its tepid response from general audiences and negative reception from critics, Continental Drift still managed to become the highest-grossing animated film of 2012.
Epic (2013) - 6.6
Epic's title doesn't give much away, and it dangerously creates the possibility of audiences accidentally watching the terrible parody movie Epic Movie instead. The film is a fantasy based on the novel The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, but the movie may not have done so well with such a wordy title.
However, while the concept sounds fascinating and full of wonder, the film is about as simple as its title. Epic is vibrant, colorful, and a treat to look at, but the story is stale, as it retreads the same ground as FernGully and Avatar, only more preachy and less engaging.
Ferdinand (2017) - 6.7
Though John Cena had two major roles in 2021, as he played Jakob in F9 and Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, he has yet to be the leading man in a Blockbuster movie. However, Ferdinand is the closest the actor has come to that, as he plays the titular bull in the heartwarming but silly 2017 movie.
The film follows Ferdinand, an empathetic Bull who doesn't want to fight and attempts to escape a Spanish training ground. While it still doesn't reach Pixar's level of storytelling or emotion, Ferdinand comes the closest of Blue Sky's movies to tugging on the heartstrings of its viewers. It even has an Up-like opening, as Ferdinand's father never returns from a fight with a matador.
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) - 6.8
Ice Age: The Meltdown is the second movie in the Ice Age franchise, and, impressively, it made almost double the box office gross of the original. Coming four years after the first movie, the difference in animation quality is night and day. The Meltdown's animation looks incredible compared to its predecessor, but that's the only thing the sequel improves on.
The movie's narrative is extremely similar to the first movie, almost beat for beat, as the movie sees Manny and the gang trying to escape a flood, just as they did in the original film. However, it does feature more hilarious Scrat sequences, and it deserves credit for addressing climate change as such a serious issue despite being a kids' movie.
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who (2008) - 6.8
So many Dr. Seuss novels have been adapted into wacky movies, whether it's the live-action movies like The Cat in the Hat or the 1966 hand-drawn animation How the Grinch Stole Christmas. However, it was Blue Sky Studios that brought the author into the digital age, as Horton Hears a Who is the very first digitally animated adaptation, and it's one of the best.
The movie is aided by Carrey's delivery, and as he's such a bankable star that even simply his voice can guarantee an audience, it's one of the highest-grossing Carrey-starring movies. And while Blue Sky might not be the most detailed when it comes to animated movies, between Ferdinand and Horton Hears a Who, which is about a sweet and thoughtful elephant, there's no denying that the studio's heart is in the right place.
Spies In Disguise (2019) - 6.8
Spies in Disguise is unique in Blue Sky's filmography, as it's the studio's only human-based animated movie that isn't an adaptation. The result led to a demand for more, and it's a wonder why Blue Sky didn't work on more human-led movies because, as far as the studio's movies go, the 2019 release is one of the best.
Along with being a funny and brilliantly inventive spy movie, it features great voice work from Tom Holland too. And outside of Spider-Man, it seems like Holland's other calling in life is voice acting, as he also starred in Onward just a few months later, which is one of the best movies on Disney+ for guys' night.
Rio (2011) - 6.9
The animated 2011 movie Rio is about a blue macaw appropriately named Blu, who is sent to Rio de Janeiro to mate with a female Macaw. The two fall in love and work together to escape before they're smuggled. In many ways, Ferdinand's narrative is derivative of Rio's, as the premises are almost identical, only they feature different animals and are set in different locations.
But while Ferdinand is entertaining, Rio is a much more engaging movie with more interesting characters. The movie was so successful that it even spawned a sequel, but Rio 2 is one of the lowest-rated Blue Sky movies on IMDb.
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (2009) - 6.9
While some think Ice Age is overrated, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is arguably underrated. As Dawn of the Dinosaurs followed two movies in the series that had a color pallet of mostly white and light blue, it was so refreshing seeing a colorful Ice Age movie.
And as all the main characters in the Ice Age series are glum downers, whether it's Diego, Manny, or even Sid, the introduction of Buck, an eccentric one-eyed weasel dinosaur hunter, was exactly what the series needed. On top of that, the film is filled to the brim with dinosaurs, and everyone knows that dinosaurs make any movie franchise better.
The Peanuts Movie (2015) - 7.0
Considering that The Peanuts Movie was the first feature-length film in the series in 35 years, it was a worthy comeback. The hand-drawn animation might be missed, but fans finally got a high definition and high-quality Charlie Brown movie they had been waiting for.
Though there are loads of classic Charlie Brown seasonal specials, the 2015 release holds its own and is as good as almost any of them. Not only is the film full of classic characters and a trip down memory lane, but it's fantastical in the way that the iconic beagle daydreams of being a World War I flying ace. It also has a shockingly high score on Rotten Tomatoes too, with a massive 87%.
Ice Age (2002) - 7.5
Though the characters might have outstayed their welcome with the sequels that had diminishing returns, Manny, Diego, and Sid are all loveable characters. And the way the ragtag group of mammals reluctantly worked together and eventually became a family in the 2002 movie set the foundation for every following Blue Sky movie.
The animation might not be great by today's standards, but it just goes to show how great, funny, and heartfelt the movie is that it's still popular even despite the digital effects not holding up. Ironically, Ice Age is the movie that put Blue Sky Studios on the map.