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A movie to thaw the hardest heart

Ice Age: The Meltdown is the best kind of children's movie: It's funny and it's short. If you've got a kid younger than 10, prepare to see it multiple times, either at the theater or on DVD.

For fans of animation, Ice Age: The Meltdown is not good enough to join Toy Story, Shrek or Finding Nemo on the classics list, but it beats most of the cinematic dreck that pretends to entertain children these days.

At just over 80 minutes, Ice Age: The Meltdown is a lovable romp that mixes life lessons about friendship and loyalty with laughs. And not just mild giggles but actual belly busters, prompted mostly by Scrat, the hyperactive squirrel who won't give up his single-minded chase for an out-of-place acorn.

The TV trailers don't do this film justice.

The sequel to the 2002 original is smarter edged thanks to screenwriter John Vitti, a veteran writer from The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live. Oh, there's still plenty of sweetness to woo the wee ones, but it never hurts to toss in a few gentle double-entendres to keep the folks interested. Chris Wedge turns over the directing reins to Carlos Saldanha, but stays to voice the squeaks of Scrat.

Ice Age: The Meltdown reunites Manny the woolly mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary). This time, it's not a human baby they are trying to protect, but themselves. Prehistoric global warming is turning their frozen wonderland into a mess of puddles and pools. And swimming is not everyone's strong suit.

Their only hope of survival is to trudge to higher ground. Don't think about timing too much or you'll wonder how the disparate group survived the thousands of years from the beginning of the Ice Age to the end. Sit back and enjoy the thaw.

A few subplots keep the trio, and story, moving forward. It appears Manny is the last of his species until Ellie (Queen Latifah) comes along with her opossum "brothers" Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck). Ellie is blissfully unaware that she is different in every way from her much smaller siblings and has to be convinced by Manny that it's not just her footprints that make her a woolly girl.

(If you've got fans of Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh, make sure they know beforehand that Josh Peck is the voice of Eddie. It's not often a kid actor voices characters in animated movies, and they'll like knowing.)

As the waters rise, tough Diego is forced to face his fear of water, and everyone is trying to avoid lurking underwater threats and a menacing band of vultures. Menacing that is, until the ugly birds break into a lively musical dance number worthy of the June Taylor dancers.

Film Notes: Ice Age: The Meltdown Directed by: JCarlos Saldanha Cast: Voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Josh Peck, Jay Leno, Seann William Scott Running time: 81 minutes Taiwan Release: Today

Oddly enough, there is chemistry between Manny and Ellie. You know a movie has suckered you in when you are rooting for two woolly mammoths to fall in love. Romano's laid-back delivery plays off Queen Latifah's upbeat confidence, and we just know things will work out for the two of them.

How ridiculous is that? But that's the beauty of Ice Age: The Meltdown -- it'll melt your heart.
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