Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006)

57% of critics liked it
(143 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(779,878 ratings)

Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), and Diego (Denis Leary) may have made it through the big freeze, but when the ice begins to melt, the heroic trio must warn the other inhabitants of their peaceful valley of the coming flood in directors Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha's sequel to the… More Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), and Diego (Denis Leary) may have made it through the big freeze, but when the ice begins to melt, the heroic trio must warn the other inhabitants of their peaceful valley of the coming flood in directors Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha's sequel to the computer-animated 2002 hit Ice Age. As the ice age winds to an end, the animals of the Earth have taken warmly to the melting paradise that surrounds them. Despite the false comfort of a lush valley teeming with vegetation, however, great danger looms just over the horizon. When Manny, Sid, and Diego realize that the miles of liquefying ice overlooking their valley will soon turn from a gentle trickle to a violent force of nature capable of destroying anything and everything unfortunate enough to be in its path, they quickly set out to spread the word and get their endangered friends out of harm's way. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Estella Elliot, Carlos Saldanha
Written By: Jon Vitti, Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow
Genres: Documentary, Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 31, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Nov 21, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

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.
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.
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.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
The Meltdown is at least faithful to its predecessor in the sense of being equally as underwhelming.
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.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
On the short list of sequels superior to the originals -- alphabetically between The Godfather, Part II and Toy Story 2 -- you may enter Ice Age: The Meltdown.
Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique
Ice Age: The Meltdown is a considerable improvement over its predecessor...As before, Scrat (again voiced by Chris Wedge, who this time did not direct) steals the show.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
As with the first "Ice Age" movie it is Scrat the acorn-obsessed rodent who bookends the movie and steals the most laughs with his hilarious attempts at obtaining an ever-elusive acorn.
Heather Huntington, ReelzChannel.com
I don't know what happened to the Ice Age team between the first movie and the sequel, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Plucky animals survive prehistoric global warming.
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film
I've seen cooked spaghetti with more tension.
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth
For as endearing as Scrat's antics are, even they can't sustain the lackluster jokes that pass for humor for the bulk of the ninety-minute running time.
James Plath, Reel.com
I'm not going to beat around the glacier. If you liked Ice Age, you're going to like this sequel.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
A fun romp that calls to mind the very best of the old Warner Brothers cartoons.
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
Abounds in well-paced gags, both visual and verbal.
Michael A. Smith, Nolan's Pop Culture Review
The animation is beautiful, with the flowing water and icy cliffs perfectly rendered.
Jeffrey Chen, Window to the Movies
If the animation studio Blue Sky has proven anything so far, it's that they're big league visual artists, but frankly pedestrian when it comes to stories.
Staci Layne Wilson, Buzzine Magazine
The lines may not be Shakespeare, but the physical escapades are pure Rube Goldberg and many of the scenes, especially those involving Scrat, will have you not only on the edge of your seat, but laughing out loud.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Brad W

A movie that almost that could've lived up to the first if only they could have kept the things that made the first so special.
Directors C

Ice Age 2 is another runt computer animated film. The only bits I found funny were the scens featuring scratt and the story just isn't as good as the first Ice Age.
Alexander D

We can admit that ICE AGE has quickly become a long journey through the frigidity and that Scrat, the trademark of all animation who never becomes an old joke, is the only furry creature who saves this first sequel. Queen Latifah is the worst--I hate to say it, because in almost any… More
We can admit that ICE AGE has quickly become a long journey through the frigidity and that Scrat, the trademark of all animation who never becomes an old joke, is the only furry creature who saves this first sequel. Queen Latifah is the worst--I hate to say it, because in almost any other movie she is the bomb--and, even though Sid only mentions to Ray Romano's character Manny once that "she completes you", that really seems to be the gist of it: the journey continues, the three (Manny, Sid, and Diego, in case you didn't know) meet another mammoth named Ellie, Sid teases that Manny loves her, and in the end, Manny predictably saves her and falls in love with her. Predictable, right? But if you have a good amount of popcorn handy, and you're watching as a whole family, there's a few laughs and some overall enjoyment to get out of this.
Michael E

i agree with everything in the review by the critics for this movie, Impressive animation carries this sequel, as the story is not up to par. Kids will surely enjoy it, but most everyone else will wish to see more of the mute ice squirrel and less of the main characters." i do… More
i agree with everything in the review by the critics for this movie, Impressive animation carries this sequel, as the story is not up to par. Kids will surely enjoy it, but most everyone else will wish to see more of the mute ice squirrel and less of the main characters." i do disagree with the see less of the main characters
Jani H

"Maybe we could rapidly evolve into water creatures. - That's genius, Sid. Call me Squid." 'Ice Age' was a hit and the best animation in its release year. It lost the Oscar to 'Spirited Away', an Asian animation but it was so obvious that a sequel… More
"Maybe we could rapidly evolve into water creatures. - That's genius, Sid. Call me Squid." 'Ice Age' was a hit and the best animation in its release year. It lost the Oscar to 'Spirited Away', an Asian animation but it was so obvious that a sequel would be coming at some point. It took 4 years and 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' was released. It was an even more bigger success than its predecessor but was it better than the original, which I gave a 5 star rating? As the first one, this sequel also begins with a scene starring Scrat, the sabretooth squirrel. And it comes as no surprise when I'm telling you that he (yep, it's a boy which is shown in the third film) still has an obsession with the damn acorns. The following scene shows the mammals enjoying waterslides and the heat. They've clearly skipped the fact that the ice is melting. When this is proven, the whole bunch start their journey to safer grounds. On the way, the three protagonists of the first film, Manny, Sid and Diego, meet two opossums that suffer from really bad ADHD. They introduce the bunch to their sister, Ellie, who is in fact a mammoth but believes to be an opossum. Manny, who was sure that he would be the last of his species, is happy about the truth that he is not alone. Will Manny convince Ellie that she is not what she believes before it is too late? And by late, I mean before the two hungry water beasts rip 'em apart! The horror... If 'Ice Age' looked great, this sequel looks even better. The film is richer in detail and the enhancement of character design has made 'em even more alive. There's some new characters with Ellie the mammoth, played by Queen Latifah and two opossums, played by Seann William Scott and Josh Peck. Queen Latifah contributes with an excellent role as the lovable mammoth who amusingly believes to be an opossum. The two opossums have probably been created to give equally as many laughs as Sid the sloth but it's just not possible. For example the scene were the miniature sloths capture Sid and hold him as their God is one of the funniest scenes in the film. Scrat succeeds to deliver, again, several funny scenes and in the end scene, these two hilarious characters are united. Almost has the same magic as De Niro and Pacino in 'Heat'... But is it as good as the first one? Here it goes: The story is less sympathetic than its predecessor and it feels as if the makers have wanted to make more of a faster, funnier etc film. But more isn't necessarily better. 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' lacks the charm, wit and heart of its predecessor but is in no way a bad sequel. The film itself is a fun ride but like so many other sequels, it just doesn't recapture the same feeling as with 'Ice Age'.
Richard C

B-
Ross C

I like the Ice Age series for its entertaining characters, which must be great at educating kids about natural history, but this story suffers from the curse of sequel writers' fatigue. The only memorable line was when Sid mocks Manny about the extinction of the mammoths with… More
I like the Ice Age series for its entertaining characters, which must be great at educating kids about natural history, but this story suffers from the curse of sequel writers' fatigue. The only memorable line was when Sid mocks Manny about the extinction of the mammoths with some alternative lyrics to Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth".
Dead A

Funny and enjoyable.
KJ P

Better than the original, therefore I will remember this one longer than the first!
Anthony L

An irritatingly inferior sequel. Shame.
Jason O

Not far from being as good as the first, but not quiiiiiiite...
Thomas B

blerg
Film C

the second doesnt disappoint whilst keeping to the plot of wy we love the characters nd ice age we are introduced to another loveable character (queen latifah) and this mammounth believing shes a posum is funny as hell, the second instalment of ice age doesnt lose its humour and s… More
the second doesnt disappoint whilst keeping to the plot of wy we love the characters nd ice age we are introduced to another loveable character (queen latifah) and this mammounth believing shes a posum is funny as hell, the second instalment of ice age doesnt lose its humour and s just as fun as the first one !! Really worth a watch!!
Mike S

Good follow-up and just as entertaining as the first one in my view. Let's hope the third installment keeps the same high quality, and doesn't do a Shrek 3. Because I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we've had enough now of disappointing and lackluster… More
Good follow-up and just as entertaining as the first one in my view. Let's hope the third installment keeps the same high quality, and doesn't do a Shrek 3. Because I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we've had enough now of disappointing and lackluster sequels.
Lady D

Definitely as good as the first, with new and old characters, this movie is a great watch for both kids and adults alike.
Lewis C

Disappointing when compared to the hilarious original.
Cassie H

Cute Movie
Red L

Hmmmm, a sequel that wasn't half bad. Same characters as the first with the addition of a girl mammoth/'possum. I rated both Ice Age's the same.
Gordon A

Disappointing sequel with only the Scrat sequences worth seeing.
Candy R

Cute animation about the Ice Age. Funny in parts.