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Three out of Five stars
Running time: 90 mins

Impressively animated, family-friendly comedy with likeable characters and some terrific comic set-pieces.

What’s it all about?
Ice Age 2 picks up more or less where Ice Age left off, with our sub-zero heroes Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Diego the Sabre-Toothed Tiger (Denis Leary) and Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) having formed their own herd (ie. family).

However, when their idyllic valley is threatened by an imminent flood, due to global warming they join a mass exodus to the other end of the valley, hoping to catch a giant boat.

The Good
The film’s main strength lies in its likeable characters and the voice cast are all excellent, particularly Romano and Latifah. The script is also extremely witty, with several gags aimed squarely at adults. There are several enjoyable set pieces although nothing quite on the level of the first film’s Attack Dodos. Highlights include a musical number performed by vultures, a scene involving a pile of precarious rocks and a thrilling underwater sequence.

However, as with Ice Age, the film is comprehensively stolen by the acorn-chasing Scrat the Squirrel, who gets a lot more to do this time round. Each one of Scrat’s scenes is like a classic short; they’re guaranteed the biggest laughs.

The Bad
The only real problem with the film is that the plot seems to lack imagination, though the strong character work makes up for that. In addition, Diego (Leary’s character) seems to get slightly less of a look-in this time round.

Worth seeing?
In short, this is an enjoyable sequel that won’t disappoint fans of the first film.