Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

[KLAXXON]

Diego, Manny and Sid return in this sequel to the huge hit Ice Age. This time around the Ice Age is over and it is starting to melt, which will destroy their valley. So they must unite once again and warn everyone about the situation before it's all too late!

The ice is melting and Sid, Manny and Diego must reach a make-shift boat at the end of the valley to avoid the inevitable flood of water. Along the way they meet up with a pair of possums, Crash and Eddie and their Mammoth "sister," Ellie, who's convinced she's a possum herself. But no-one really cares; we're here to see Scrat's continued adventures with his acorn.

OK, that's a little unfair. Scrat may be the funniest character in Blue Sky Studios' Ice Age, but the adventures of Sid, Manny and Diego won the first film a lot of fans and, since their commitment bankrolled this sequel, they were clearly popular characters in their own right.

Unfortunately, much like the first film, their A-story is so uninspired and dull that it'll have a hard time keeping kids entertained and it'll have an even harder time keeping their parents awake. Like the original, this story hinges on getting its characters moving. There, they had to return a human baby to its tribe, and here they're on the road to avoid an incoming flood, but while the former could, at least, maintain that story to its conclusion, Ice Age 2 dips in and out of it. The gaps are filled with cheesy set-pieces and odd moments that are never suitably concluded.

And its to the detriment of the main story, for the diminished returns of constantly dropping back into the quest leaves its emotional conclusion desperately lacking. By the end of the rather modest 80-something minutes, we're just past caring, if we ever were to begin with. Once again, it's up to a rather sweet Scrat set-piece to lead us into the credits. Would Ice Age 2 have played better as a 20-minute Scrat-only short? Probably...

Nevertheless, it's still a better film than many of its ilk - particularly from studios Dreamworks. Even setting aside the rather overrated Shrek franchise, that Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary are here providing voice talent of itself guarantees a more entertaining ride than the celebrity-powered nonsense of the likes of Shark Tale and Madagascar.

New voice talent, too, is well cast. Queen Latifah's Mammoth-with-an-identity-crisis is great fun and her "brothers," Seann William Scott and Josh Peck are full of energy and undoubtedly capable of keeping the kids amused.

Ice Age 2 works, if not as well as its predecessor, but it wants for that special something that makes Pixar's efforts such instant classics.


Ray Romano ... Manny (voice)
John Leguizamo ... Sid (voice)
Denis Leary ... Diego (voice)
Seann William Scott ... Crash (voice)
Josh Peck ... Eddie (voice)
Queen Latifah ... Ellie (voice)
Will Arnett ... Lone Gunslinger Vulture (voice)
Jay Leno ... Fast Tony (voice)
Chris Wedge ... Scrat (voice)
Peter Ackerman ... Dung Beetle Dad (voice)
Caitlin Rose Anderson ... Glypto Boy Billy / Beaver Girl (voice)
Connor Anderson ... Rhino Boy / Beaver Boy (voice)
Joseph Bologna ... Mr. Start (voice)
Jack Crocicchia ... Elk Boy (voice)
Peter DeSève ... Condor Chick (voice)


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