Ice Age 2 - The Meltdown (U)

Apr 7 2006 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

THE TRUE test of any animation is whether adults can enjoy it at night without the kids.

No matter what time of day you choose to watch this engaging sequel and whether you have children or not, Ice Age 2 ticks enough boxes to become a huge hit.

A much-improved script on the year 2002 original, another leap forward in animated technique and a string of interesting relationship dynamics only tell half the story of a thriller that's laced with strong humour and some scary vultures and fish that Hitchcock would have applauded.

Scrat, the rat-squirrel creature which opened the first movie, now has regular appearances as he tries to control his longed-for acorn.

Meanwhile, thanks to the melting ice, Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano) and Diego the tiger (Denis Leary) have to hit the road like real refugees in search of a boat at the end of the valley.

New possum characters Eddie (Josh Peck) and Crash (Seann William Scott) tag along for comedy company.

In terms of illustrating the potentially dramatic effects of rapid climate change their collective plight resonates more than The Day After Tomorrow.

And the arrival of Queen Latifah's Ellie, a female mammoth who thinks she's a possum, is a hilarious yet moving insight into the way creatures who face extinction can still be fussy about prospective mates.

The US might like to think it's the world's superpower, but the ultimate lesson from this 90-minute blockbuster is that nothing stays the same on this Earth for ever: where are the Romans and Greeks from yesteryear now, for example?

But what makes Ice Age 2 truly stand out is its use of water. The traditional hurdle for animators has been overcome once and for all in a film which also captures animal movements and fur in breathtaking fashion.

Congratulations to director Carlos Saldanha, stepping up from co-directing Ice Age and last year's Robots. A new star is born!