DINOSAURS ruled the Earth for more than 100 million years, but the third instalment of the computer-animated Ice Age series will struggle to reign at the UK box office for more than two weeks.

The colourful follow-up to Ice Age 2: The Meltdown plunders from Jules Verne’s A Journey To The Centre Of The Earth as the cuddly critters discover an entire eco-system beneath the ice.

Fearsome predators roam this vast, subterranean kingdom as well as a daredevil weasel, whose gung-ho antics will coax a chuckle from younger viewers.

Ice Age 3 is certainly bright and breezy, but Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeier’s film is the weakest adventure so far, lacking inventive visuals or a clever screenplay to appeal simultaneously to adults and children.

Ice Age 3 screens in 3-D at selected cinemas around the UK, but – unusually – the eye- popping technology doesn’t enhance the viewing experience.

Indeed, visuals look flat for almost the entire 94 minutes, apart from the adrenaline- pumping thrill of a couple of first-person-perspective chase sequences.

Wholesome messages about family are laid on thicker than Manny’s woolly coat.

ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (U, 94 mins)
Stars the voices of: John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg
Directed by Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier