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Ice Age: The Meltdown

Ray Romano is back providing the voice of Manny - the world's loneliest wooly mammoth (I can relate, big guy. It's hard out here for a plump.). He and his buddies, Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the Saber-toothed Tiger (Denis Leary), have made it south to avoid the Ice Age that started in the last movie, and formed a very friendly and warm little community. Now, a flim flam man and fast talking animal, Fast Tony (Jay Leno), has warned the herd that the ice is starting to melt, and they have three days to get to a boat they can ride to safety when the valley starts to fill with water. Not sure if Fast Tony can be believed, but starting to realize the ice is melting, everyone heads for the boat, and Manny meets something on the trek he didn't think existed - another wooly mammoth, Ellie (Queen Latifah), who thinks she's a possum after being raised with two other troublesome and rambunctious possums, Eddie (Josh Peck) and Crash (Seann William Scott).

Will Manny and Ellie find true love to save the species? Can this rag tag, motley crew safely survive the next three days? Is there a boat to save them all?

The original Ice Age was a more complex, emotional and rewarding film, but Ice Age: The Meltdown is far from a failure. The movie is full of slapstick, silly comedy for the kids as Crash and Eddie are as annoying as younger brothers should be, and Sid does everything possible to drive Manny and Diego crazy, but the comedy never tries to appeal to adults. Sure, there are some double entendres thrown in about "saving the species", some sad moments where Manny contemplates his mortality and lack of someone special in his life as the only wooly mammoth, and the possible ritualistic sacrifice of one of our heroes (OK, that was funny), but Ice Age: The Meltdown is a movie dedicated to simple, easy, physical comedy.

Some of it is fantastic, such as Scrat's (a combination squirrel and rat) Wile E. Coyote-like pursuit of a nut, which provides the movie's funniest sequences, so funny one fellow critic (Jim Judy) suggested to me that Scrat should have his own movie, and I couldn't agree more. Ray Romano might think he is the star of Ice Age: The Meltdown, but a voiceless little rat steals the show with his death defying chase for a nut, which feels very symbolic of our own pursuits of success, love and family harmony. Sisyphus has nothing on Scrat, and his antics, done as little vignettes throughout the movie, make Ice Age: The Meltdown worth the price of admission.

Ice Age: The Meltdown is a challenging movie for parents looking to take their kids out for a good time. One the one hand, writers Jim Hecht, Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow, along with director Carlos Saldahna, fill the movie with great themes about friends pulling together to help each other, the need to have someone special in our lives, and having courage to face your fears. On the other hand, will kids see the humor in a song and dance number by vultures who are celebrating how much they love food, when the food in question is our heroes Sid, Diego, and Manny? Lots of animals are in peril as predators and scavengers hope to prey on others, especially a very intimidating Lone Gunslinger Vulture (Will "Gob" Arnett), and we do have all of that talk about Ellie and Manny getting it on. You might have to do some explaining to the 8 years and under set, but the older kids will probably enjoy the more twisted humor without getting too scared at the peril our heroes face.

Ice Age: The Meltdown is not the most imaginative sequel, but it is a welcome one for fans and kids.

2 ½ Waffles (Out Of 4)

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