The Meltdown

by AARTI BASNYAT

FROM ISSUE # 126 (June 2006) | IN THIS ISSUE
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Director: Carlos Saldanha
Rating: ***1/2

If you liked Ice Age I, Ice Age II is definitely for you. It's back in a big way with all the favourite original characters: Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger (Denis Leary). Joining the fun is Ellie (Queen Latifah), a mammoth who thinks she is a possum, and Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck) as possums.

Remember Scrat (Chris Wedge) with his precious acorn? With added screen time devoted to him Scrat steals the show with more scampering after that one acorn. Ice Age: The Meltdown is a riot of laughter.

A funny and entertaining family feature, this sequel brings an ecological message to audience, young and old. The possibility of extinction because a giant ice dam which holds back the sea is melting, raises serious questions about our environment. Especially after witnessing natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami, it calls on us to be more sensitive about the world we live in.

The gang of prehistoric animals' journey to safety at the other end of the valley hold together the loosely constructed main story. The love plot with a mammoth who thinks it's a possum gives it a twist. The additional two characters Eddie and Crash are as entertaining. Don't be surprised if you find yourself mimicking Crash's gestures once the movie is over.