In 1995, Disney and Pixar released Toy Story (yes, it really has been that long) and thrilled audiences everywhere with the first feature-length entirely computer-animated movie. Since then, computer-animated pictures have been growing in number and popularity, and these days it seems as if the traditionally animated movies are actually the minority.
While Pixar to date remains the producer of the best computer-animated movies, there are on occasion others worth noticing. In 2002, for example, Blue Sky and Fox Animation Studios produced Ice Age, the entertaining odyssey of a saber-toothed tiger, a sloth and a woolly mammoth, joining forces to return a lost human child to its tribe. A few weeks ago, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown was released and was, in rare form, a rather good sequel.
In The Meltdown, the original gang discovers their home will soon be flooded by the melting ice as the Ice Age is drawing to a close. They set off, along with some new friends, in search of higher ground. Despite hungry vultures, quick-swimming sea monsters and the threat of their own extinction, Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth and Diego the saber-tooth have to find a way to make it into the next age.
With most animated movies, the battle is always to find a pleasant medium between entertaining the kids while interesting the parents enough to keep them buying the movie tickets. The Meltdown admirably succeeds, slipping in the occasional innuendo or political joke over the kiddies’ heads and winning a discreet PG rating. Don’t worry moms – Looney Toons is much worse.
While it may not quite be on par with The Secret of Nimh, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is a well-executed, smartly told story that should be able to entertain just about anyone, from the average to the aficionado. Not to mention, as I am sure many of you will be pleased to hear, Scrat gets a lot more screen time than in the first Ice Age.
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is currently playing at Carmike 14 Cinemas in Johnson City.
Love me? Hate me? Want to request a movie be reviewed? The East Tennessean will be publishing a special expanded summer issue, so send in your comments or requests to themoviegoercj@gmail.com before it’s too late.

Author