Ice Age - The Meltdown
 
In ‘Ice Age: The Meltdown’ all the major characters are back, and Scrat is given a lot more screen time as he ingeniously tries to nail that elusive nut.
 
The plot involves Manny, Sid and Diego learning that the Ice Age is ending. Their peaceful valley, surrounded by towering ice walls, is soon going to be a vast lake. There is rumour of an ark at the far end of the valley that might provide an avenue of escape. We but not the characters learn that the deepening water harbours a couple of thawed-out carnivorous reptiles even more prehistoric than Manny and his pals.
 
As they begin the trek, Sid sets Manny to wondering if he, Manny, is the last mammoth on Earth. However, in their journey, they meet Ellie (Queen Latifah), a lively female mammoth who is convinced that she is a possum, she even hangs by her tail at night, and not a mammoth at all. Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck), mischievous, rambunctious twin possums she regards as her brothers, accompany her.
 
Meltdown is a step up from the original Ice Age. The story is sharper, smarter, and funnier. It helps that there is no time is wasted with cave dwellers in this one, allowing the film to focus entirely on its animal characters. The script is funnier, with more jokes aimed right over the head of their pre-teen audience. I doubt the kids will notice, but adults should get a good chuckle. The addition of side characters like Fast Tony and a wider animal cast gives the movie more life, and the sense of danger as their world slowly crumbles around them is satisfyingly present. It is not exactly intense, this is after all a rather silly film by computer-animated standards, but at least there is some attempt to get the audience involved in its story.
 
Most of the film's enjoyment comes from the sight gags, but there are a few bits of good dialog. My favourite came in the advice from the buzzards who were circling over the long line of escaping animals. "Do not leave your children unattended," the buzzards warned ominously. "Unattended children will be eaten."
 
Overall, Ice Age: The Meltdown is an animated movie that all the family can enjoy, with a few jokes (as stated) that children will not understand thrown in to keep the you (the parent) amused. It is good clean fun, it may even teach the kids a few good lessons about friendship, global warming, etc, and will have everyone laughing. If you liked the first or like animated movies in general, Ice Age 2: Meltdown is one you should not miss!
 
 
Paul Elliott