Ice Age: The Meltdown 2006

Peter Debruge, Miami Herald: There's not much to Ice Age: The Meltdown, but it's enjoyable all the same. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: The film feels visually richer than its predecessor, but has the same brand of uncomplicated all-ages charm. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: This Ice Age is still a good movie (especially for kids) with top-of-the-tech CGI. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: [The film] has lots of energy, some decent animation and good voice-over work -- but no real story and few chuckles. Read more

Phil Kloer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Ice Age: The Meltdown is fine, in much the same way the first one was fine -- not as inventive as Pixar, but not out scratching for jokes like Chicken Little. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: It's more like watching a typical animated-shorts collectio--a few highlights, a lot of clinkers--than like watching an actual movie Read more

Kathy Cano Murillo, Arizona Republic: Despite the plot cracks, Ice Age: The Meltdown is a solid treat for parents and kids alike. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Ice Age: The Meltdown is pure sequel product that should make children and undemanding grown-ups happy even as it lacks anything resembling storytelling inspiration. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Ice Age: The Meltdown crosses familiar territory but does so with exceeding sweetness and no shortage of visual imagination, bolstering what is, in essence, a fairly simplistic road movie with an eco-conscious twist. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: I enjoyed the computer-animated Ice Age, and its sequel, Ice Age: The Meltdown, is just about as good. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: If the rest of Meltdown is a three-star movie, Scrat brings four stars every time. Perhaps by the next sequel, they'll dispense with the filler and give Scrat his own movie. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: The sequel to Ice Age is very much like the original: witty and imaginative at times, dull and predictable at others. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Ice Age: The Meltdown blithely looks on the bright side of life, amassing a screen full of vultures to sing and dance 'Food Glorious Food' and daring us not to get happy. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: There's something disheartening about the way the writers and director have to give so much of the dialogue double meaning, all literal for the kiddies and full of double-entendres and pop culture references for the parents. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: Even when Meltdown melts down, it's still fun to look at. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: The movie still retains the goofy charm, stylish visuals and attention to character of its fine 2002 predecessor. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR.org: Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: A good-natured, gag-filled sequel to the hit animated movie about animals trying to evade extinction while trading one-liners. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: You'll take your kids, yes. But don't be surprised if this one leaves them cold as you-know-what. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Ice Age: The Meltdown has its share of humorous moments, but most of these involve the squirrel. The main plot involving the exodus and the Mammoth romance is more often dull than amusing. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The first Ice Age movie more or less exhausted these characters and their world, and the meltdown doesn't add much. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: The Meltdown is less a story than a series of complicated slapstick bits -- the physical gags are often enjoyable, but there's not much else to the movie. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Forget two thumbs up. Ice Age: The Meltdown earns three toes up -- of the sloth variety. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: The Meltdown is at least faithful to its predecessor in the sense of being equally as underwhelming. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: The storyline wanes towards the end and, from the kids' point of view, the whole package lacks momentum. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: With its appealing combination of humor and endearing characters -- many of whom are back from the first film -- it is at least as good as the original Ice Age, and possibly better. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: A tad crasser and pushier than its predecessor, Ice Age: The Meltdown is still an entirely serviceable follow-up to the 2002 hit that will thoroughly amuse kids and get a rise or two out of parents as well. Read more

Jim Ridley, Village Voice: Watching this zoo of long-vanished quadrupeds, you're left with an eerie message for our own warming times: They fought the thaw, and the thaw won. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: The animation is first-rate, but the story needs to catch up to the magic. Otherwise, what's the point? Read more