In the original "Ice Age," the earth was being overrun by glaciers, and the animals had to find a way to survive the cold. In the sequel, "Ice Age: The Meltdown," our protagonists must overcome the reverse geological transformation — global warming.
The eclectic trio of sloth, saber tooth tiger and mammoth must make it to the end of the valley before the glacier melts.
In the sequel, Diego (Denis Leary), Manny (Ray Romano) and Sid (John Leguizamo) maintain the same personalities developed in the first "Ice Age." The same group dynamics between the characters are pulled off a second time, and audiences won't be disappointed in the individual performances of the actors. The tone of voice and delivery of each line makes otherwise childish jokes hilarious to all ages.
The plot is what will let viewers down. The sequel takes a good idea, and instead of improving on the genius of the original "Ice Age," it falls short. The story isn't developed as much as it should be. There is a lot that could have been involved in "Ice Age: The Meltdown," but the film fails to include much detail.
The story brings up the issue of extinction — it's entirely possible Manny and Ellie (Queen Latifah) are the last mammoths. Global warming in and of itself is a major topic the film could have explored. If "Ice Age: The Meltdown" is going to be the last film in the series, it could have brought the other characters' stories full circle too.
Instead the film only touches the surface of each topic, leaving audiences with an overly simple and disconnected movie. The film brings up a lot of topics but never really finishes telling viewers about them. The result is a movie full of interesting moments but lacking any real story line.
The film is already only 90 minutes long, and it seems as if the filmmakers had some difficulty with filling the time. Scrat, the acorn-chasing, saber-toothed squirrel creature makes a nauseating amount of appearances in "Ice Age: The Meltdown." The character was funny in the original in small doses but becomes a repetitive filler in the sequel. Scrat's constant interjections only add to the disjointed feeling of the plot.
The animation looks good, but no improvement on the original has been made. The four-year time lapse between the two should allow the sequel to employ some modern animation technologies — not the case.
While "Ice Age: The Meltdown" did not upgrade from the original, it does offer audiences more villains and more singing. The film builds suspense — not a whole lot but this is a children's movie, after all — with two prehistoric water creatures lurking under the ice. These giant-fanged fish are just waiting to attack the unknowing animals trying to escape extinction.
The sequel also introduces the audience to singing vultures. These characters prove to be rather sinister and lend the film some clever lines. As the animals scramble to get to the end of the valley, the vultures wait eagerly for their next meal. At one point, Sid wonders aloud what the ever-present vultures are thinking — cue the song. The vultures break into a choreographed flying formation and sing, "Food, glorious food."
"Ice Age: The Meltdown" falls short of the original. Adult "Ice Age" fans will be let down by the sequel, which doesn't provide as many clever plot points as the first film. Younger audiences will probably still enjoy seeing their favorite characters again and like the film just as much as the original.
Overall, the film just doesn't offer audiences anything new. Save your money and rent it later — unless you're dying to take a kindergartner to the movies.
