ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN (2006)

On Wednesday, Danny took Mom, Chloe, and me to see Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. I had liked the first Ice Age, so I was looking forward to what this movie had to offer.

I’m pleased to announce that we all found it quite enjoyable. True, the animation (while vastly superior to the original) falls far below Pixar’s achievements. True, there was only a bare bones plot holding the story together. True, there were a few instances of profanity (a few uses of “ass” in reference to a donkey and one out-of-nowhere “damn”—all for comical effect) and disrespectful behavior. Even so, the film thrives on slapstick humor and funny one-liners. I love slapstick humor. Nothing gets me laughing harder than seeing someone take a spill. Needless to say, we were all laughing throughout the duration of the movie.

One snippet of funny dialogue from the movie:

Sid: Manny, who do you like better, me or Diego?
Manfred: Diego. No contest.
Ellie: Manny, you can’t pick favorites with your kids!
Manfred: He’s not my kid. He’s not even my dog. If my dog had a kid, and that kid had a pet, that would be Sid.

Chloe especially liked the scenes with Scrat, the nut-obsessed squirrel from the original. (Watching her laugh hysterically was half the fun.) The filmmakers created some truly inspired moments with Scrat—even, I might dare to say, as inspired as the physical comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. If you liked what happened to Scrat the first time around, you’ll love to see him in action here.

Artistically, the film left a lot to be desired. Morally, it could have been a little cleaner for family viewing. Overall, I still think The Meltdown was far from a letdown.

Artistic Merit: 6
Personal Marks: 8