Ice Age 2: The environment strikes back

A family film should be good for the family (and maybe for a date, as well), and "Ice Age: The Meltdown" is certainly that. Very impressive animation is presented in this film, which will impress the older viewer and dazzle the younger viewer. However, as a legitimate, enjoyable movie, "Ice Age 2" unfortunately falls short of the standards that the first "Ice Age" set.\nThe first film is filled with funny, often hilarious moments and the characters are all incredibly differentiated and fun. In the sequel, the three new major characters are missing the complexity of the three original main characters. There is Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah), the female mammoth who is convinced she is a possum, and her two brothers, Eddie and Crash (actual possums). Her conflict, which consists of believing she is a possum, might entertain small children but it is very hard to believe. Not hard to believe that it could actually happen, because obviously, this film contains talking animals; but hard to believe even within the world that director Carlos Saldanha sets up.\nIn the first film, Diego the saber-tooth tiger (voiced by Denis Leary) is a dangerous and frightening character. His character arc brings him from fierce predator to understanding compatriot and friend, and it is his storyline that propels the first film forward more than anything else. From the onset of the sequel, however, Diego has lost his edge. Something about him being simply a caring, loving member of the herd just doesn't feel right. The filmmakers attempt to make him seem dangerous to Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), but it comes off as forced and playful as opposed to actually dangerous. \nThe danger in this film comes from natural disasters as opposed to characters; the only bad guys who pose any direct harm to the main characters don't even have any lines of dialogue. This is quite interesting when viewed in contrast to the first "Ice Age," where a herd of saber-tooth tigers are plotting to kill Manny the mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano) throughout the film. In the sequel, there is not as much a feeling of danger to the characters, and thus it proves harder to get sucked into the storyline. \nThis film is not about good characters escaping bad characters, though; it is about the concept of individuality and isolation versus having a family or a herd that you can feel comfortable with and be important within. Diego must overcome a fear, Sid must feel respected, Manny must feel loved. These are not tangible goals such as the first Ice Age provided (i.e get the human child to safety), but rather emotionally interesting goals that keep us involved in the characters if not so much the plot.\nI recommend seeing this movie either with a date or a child. But please do not combine the two.