If you are a fan of the Ice Age franchise, you might be wondering why the third installment, Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs, is not available on Disney Plus in the United States.
After all, Disney owns 20th Century Fox, the studio that produced the film and has most of the other Ice Age movies on its streaming service.
So what is the reason behind this omission, and where can you watch Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs instead?
In this article, I will answer these questions and more, as well as give you some background information on the film itself.
Why is Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs Not on Disney Plus?
The simple answer is that Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs is not on Disney Plus due to pre-existing contracts with other streaming services.
Before Disney launched its own streaming platform in 2019, it had licensed out some of its movies to platforms like Netflix, HBO, and Starz.
These agreements are still in effect until they expire or are bought out by Disney.
This means that some movies, like Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs, are temporarily unavailable on Disney Plus until they return from their contractual run with another service.
This is not a permanent situation, though. Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs is expected to come back to Disney Plus once its current deal with Starz ends.
However, Disney has not announced when this will happen exactly.
It could be as early as late 2023 or as late as 2024. Until then, you will have to look for other ways to watch the film.
Where to Watch Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs?
If you are in the United States and want to watch Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs, you have a few options.
You can either subscribe to Starz, which currently has the film in its library, or rent or buy it from digital platforms like:
- Amazon Prime Video
- iTunes
- Google Play
- YouTube
You can also check your local library or DVD store for a physical copy.
If you are outside the United States, you might have an easier time finding the film on Disney Plus.
The film is available on Disney Plus in most other countries, except for Canada and Japan.
You can also check other streaming services or digital platforms in your region for availability.
Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Now that you know where to watch Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs, let me tell you a bit more about the film itself.
It is the third movie in the Ice Age series, following Ice Age (2002) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006).
It was released in 2009 and was directed by Carlos Saldanha and co-directed by Mike Thurmeier.
It was also the first Ice Age film and the first 20th Century Fox film to be released in 3D.
The film follows the adventures of Manny, Ellie, Diego, Sid, Scrat, and their new friends as they explore a hidden world of dinosaurs beneath the ice.
Manny and Ellie are expecting their first child, while Diego feels like he is losing his edge as a hunter.
Sid adopts three dinosaur eggs that hatch into baby T-rexes, which angers their mother who kidnaps him.
The rest of the herd follows them into a mysterious underground jungle populated by prehistoric creatures and a one-eyed weasel named Buck who helps them rescue Sid.
Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs Cast
| Voice Actor | Character |
| Ray Romano | Manny |
| John Leguizamo | Sid |
| Denis Leary | Diego |
| Simon Pegg | Buck |
| Queen Latifah | Ellie |
| Seann William Scott | Crash |
| Josh Peck | Eddie |
| Tara Strong | Peaches |
| Chris Wedge | Scrat |
| Karen Disher | Scratte |
| Frank Welker | Momma, Rudy, and Additional Dinosaurs |
| Bill Hader | Gazelle |
| Jane Lynch | Diatryma Mom. |
| Kristen Wiig | Pudgy Beaver Mom. |
| Carlos Saldanha | Dinosaur Babies / Flightless Bird. |
| Eunice Cho | Madison (Diatryma Girl). |
| Maile Flanagan | Aardvark Mom. |
| Christian Pikes | Little Johnny – An aardvark. |
| Clea Lewis | Start Mom. |
| Randy Thom | Additional Dinosaurs. |
| Devika Parikh | Additional voices. |
Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs Plot
The film begins with Scrat trying to get his acorn from a frozen lake, but he is interrupted by a female saber-toothed squirrel named Scratte who also wants the acorn.
They fight over it and end up breaking the ice, which reveals a hidden world of dinosaurs beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Manny and Ellie are preparing for their baby, while Diego feels like he is losing his edge as a hunter and considers leaving the herd.
Sid feels lonely and wishes for a family of his own.
He finds three dinosaur eggs in an underground cave and decides to adopt them.
He names them Egbert, Shelly, and Yoko.
The next morning, the eggs hatch into baby T-rexes, which cause trouble for Sid and the other animals.
Manny tells Sid to return the babies to their mother, but Sid refuses.
The mother T-rex, who has been looking for her eggs, finds them and takes them along with Sid to her nest.
Manny, Ellie, Diego, Crash, and Eddie follow them into the dinosaur world, where they encounter various dangers and wonders.
They are saved by a one-eyed weasel named Buck, who claims to be a dinosaur hunter.
He agrees to help them rescue Sid from the T-rex.
Along the way, they face many obstacles, such as carnivorous plants, flying pterosaurs, a giant albino Baryonyx named Rudy who is Buck’s archenemy, and a lava-filled chasm.
They also meet a friendly Brachiosaurus named Momma who helps them cross the chasm. They eventually reach the T-rex nest, where they find Sid and the baby dinosaurs.
However, they are attacked by Rudy, who has followed them.
Buck lures Rudy away from the nest, while the herd fights off the T-rex. Buck manages to defeat Rudy by stabbing his eye with a stone knife, but he falls into the chasm with him.
The herd thinks he is dead, but he later emerges alive and unharmed. He decides to stay in the dinosaur world, while the herd returns to the ice age with Sid and the baby dinosaurs.
Back in the ice age, Manny and Ellie welcomed their baby daughter, whom they named Peaches.
Diego decides to stay with the herd, realizing that he still has his hunting skills.
Sid is happy to have his own family, but he also misses Buck and the dinosaurs.
Scrat and Scratte continue their rivalry over the acorn, which ends up in Scrat’s hands again.
However, he accidentally causes a volcanic eruption that propels him and Scratte into space, where they create a Scrat-shaped asteroid that heads toward Earth.
Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs Release Date
Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs was released on July 1, 2009, in the United States and on June 26, 2009 in some other countries.
It was a huge commercial success, grossing over $886 million worldwide and becoming the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2009, behind Up.
It also received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences, who praised its humor, animation, action, and voice acting.
Disney Plus
Disney Plus is a subscription-based streaming service that offers access to a vast library of movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more.
It also features original content exclusive to the platform, such as The Mandalorian, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Soul, Raya and the Last Dragon, Hamilton, and more.
It launched in November 2019 in the United States and gradually expanded to other regions in the following months.
It currently has over 100 million subscribers worldwide and is one of the most popular streaming services in the market.
Conclusion
Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a fun and entertaining film that takes the Ice Age characters on a new adventure in a hidden world of dinosaurs.
It is not available on Disney Plus in the United States due to licensing issues with Starz, but it will likely return to the service in the future.
You can still watch it on other platforms or get a physical copy if you want to enjoy it.
It is also available on Disney Plus in most other countries.
If you are a fan of the Ice Age franchise or just looking for a good family movie, you should definitely check it out.
