Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

"So, you think she's the girl for me?"

"Oh, yeah, she's tons of fun, and you're no fun at all. She "completes" you."

Manny (Romano) the mammoth, Sid (Leguizamo) the sloth, and Diego (Leary) the sabertooth tiger are an odd herd. When they learn that the ice is melting and the valley they live in will flood, the join the rest of the animals to find safety. The Lone Gunslinger Vulture (Arnett) tells them of a boat on the other side of the valley that will save them, if they can get there in 3 days.

Most of the animals believe Manny is the last mammoth. He is skeptical, but also fears they are right. Then they stumble onto Ellie (Latifah) a mammoth who thinks and acts like a possum. Sid invites Ellie and her mischievous possum brothers Crash (Scott) and Eddie (Peck) to join their group. Will the herd survive the trip and convince Ellie that she is a mammoth?

This film is the sequel to 2002 Ice Age film. The main characters from that film (Manny, Sid, Diego, and Scrat) return, with the same cast. They also appear in all of the subsequent films in the franchise: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).

The Good:

The voice cast is great. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Leary are great as the unlikely herd. The new characters are welcome additions: Queen Latifah's Ellie is a new foil/contrast for the reluctant Manny and Sean William Scott and Josh Peck add some more humor as Crash and Eddie. 

The vultures add the dark humor. Will Arnett takes the lead, in a charismatic and menacing way. The actual villains of the film are nature and the silent prehistoric creatures. 

The Bad:

Lacks the emotional impact of the previous film.

Other Comments:

-The vultures rendition of "Food, Glorious Food" from the musical "Oliver" is an unexpected joy and makes me laugh every time. 

-Produced by Blue Sky Studios.

-Not my favorite animated franchise, but still enjoyable.

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) 91 minutes

Director: Carlos Saldanha

Starring: Ray Romano as Manny

John Leguizamo as Sid

Denis Leary as Diego

Queen Latifah as Ellie

Seann William Scott as Crash

Josh Peck as Eddie

Will Arnett as Lone Gunslinger Vulture

Jay Leno as Fast Tony

Chris Wedge as Scrat