Synopsis:
Manny, Sid and Diego must search for higher ground when they learn that their valley will be flooded due to the melting Ice. On their journey they discover that Manny is not the last of the woolly mammoths as he had believed.
What a delight! Ice
Age 2: The Meltdown was on! Always had a soft spot for Blue Sky
Studios after their impressive feat with the original Ice Age
which was modelled entirely in
Maya software. More often than not it's sequel gets a much harsher
review than I feel it deserves, but where I agree in some parts that
it doesn't match up to its predecessor it also jumps ahead in others.
What was so great about the first was that it was such a breath of
fresh air that you couldn't help but like it. A mismatched trio who
slowly become the best of friends. Now that they are in this
equilibrium the makers have to keep the audience invested for a
entire sequel. Difficult to do so it was a good idea to introduce new
characters with their own back story and characteristics that can
intertwine with the 'Herd'.
At
first I wasn't sure about Ellie. I was getting slightly bored with
romance side of things as Manny was trying to woo her. I felt this
was kind of a step back from the rich brotherhood that had been built
by the first film. But then out comes the heart wrenching side, we
are reminded of Manny's history and you really feel for him. He
himself has an inner struggle as he doesn't want to betray the family
that he once had. It would have been nice to see them elaborate on
this more but you still get a strong feeling and emotional attachment
to the piece. You also get the tea jerker moment with Ellie and her
past so in the end I didn't mind the attachment these two have with
each other. Nice character progression here.
Less
deep were Ellie's eccentric twin brothers, Crash and Eddie. Not
really sure about what they bring to the table, other than helping
with Ellie's back story. They seem to be an unneeded addition to the
comedy value element. When you've already got Sid and Scrat in those
roles the fun that they bring can feel a bit like overkill in places.
But their childish innocence makes them lovable in a sense. I just
have a problem mainly because humans aren't present in this film. I
had even forgotten, when watching Dawn of The Dinosaurs,
that they were around, that this isn't set before our time. Because
of their absence I feel like the seriousness kind of trails off a bit
and this becomes a creature feature only, Crash and Eddie the
catalysts for this movement.
But
if there was any fear if Ice Age losing its edge think again. Here,
as always, allow me to explain my favourite part. The Villains. If we
look at Ice Age
chronologically, before the events of the threequel we have yet to
see a dinosaur, or any reason too, given that this is set 65 million
years after their extinction. So when two sea-dwelling terrors are
unleashed from their icey tombs it doesn't half up the peril factor.
The sabre tooth tigers from the first instalment made for good
baddies, but the fact that these new creatures are so silent in their
relentless pursuit of our heroes you can't help but fear them, even
when the troop is nowhere near water. So now you fear two things, the
impending breaking of the damn, not to mention the horrors that lurk
in the ever growing waters that flood the valley. It's suffocatingly
brilliant film making.
As
a little side note, Scrat is without a doubt Blue Sky's greatest
invention. The animation involving his attempts to reclaim his acorn
have only been improved upon second time around. The fact that he
remains part of a sub plot, and only intertwines his story with that
of the protagonists is absolute gold. It would be a travesty to
introduce him to the group as a permanent member. This way it's like
two films for the price of one. That's how good Scrat's story is this
time around.
Overview:
Understandably
not as well received as Ice Age. More
of a hit and miss instalment. These films rely heavily on their
characters and the bonds they establish, so when the introduction of
some characters is a good idea and others bad, it's hard for a film
with such great potential to come out firing on all cylinders.
Rating:
★★★
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