Critics’ reviews

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

9 reviews from 9 publications. Critics’ score 61: 1 positive, 7 mixed, 1 negative.

Back to our review of Ice Age: The Meltdown

61
Positive
1
Mixed
7
Negative
1

Most critics regard Ice Age: The Meltdown as a pleasant but unremarkable sequel, with enough comedy to entertain children and some amusement for adults. Praise clusters around the animation and Scrat’s acorn-chasing interludes, which repeatedly emerge as a stronger attraction than the main story. The returning voice cast also earns approval, though the reviews find less invention and less memorable material than in the original.

The reservations centre on weak plotting and a sense that the separate comic routines do not quite form a coherent film. Most assessments sit close together in qualified approval, with differences largely about how much the gags compensate for the story. The AV Club finds the structure thin but singles out the vultures’ musical number for praise. Eye for Film is markedly less persuaded, arguing that the disjointed plot and lack of a credible threat leave the sequel disappointing despite occasional entertainment.

Variety
30 March 2006 · Todd McCarthy
70*

McCarthy calls the sequel an entirely serviceable follow-up that should entertain children and amuse parents. He praises its vibrant CGI, the returning voice cast’s sly performances, and Scrat’s comic misadventures.

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Empire
30 March 2006 · Caroline Westbrook
65*

Westbrook finds it a decent, charming sequel, though its story is weaker than the original. She praises the superb animation and Scrat’s increasingly hilarious acorn quest.

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Los Angeles Times
31 March 2006 · Michael Wilmington
65*

Wilmington considers the sequel a good movie, especially for children, but says its premise weakens the humor and makes it feel more like an anonymous franchise film. He praises Scrat’s acorn-chasing gags and John Leguizamo’s voice performance, while noting that the banter is weaker than in the original.

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The Guardian
20 October 2006 · Rob Mackie
65*

Mackie finds the sequel jolly, but less inventive and memorable than its predecessor. He praises Scrat’s comic interludes and Queen Latifah’s better-written role.

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The New York Times
64*

The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be confirmed. No specific praise or complaint is available in the provided text.

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Time Out
4 April 2006 · Derek Adams
64*

The page identifies this as a review, but the critic’s verdict cannot be established from the available text. The truncated standfirst mentions Roadrunner cartoons and computer-animated works, without revealing what the critic singles out about this film.

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The AV Club
29 March 2006 · C · Tasha Robinson
57

Robinson finds the sequel thinly plotted and more like a collection of animated shorts than a coherent movie. She praises the vultures’ choreographed performance of “Food, Glorious Food” as a memorable highlight.

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The Skinny
16 May 2006 · ★★★ · Keir Hind
60

Hind finds the sequel pleasant and funny but ultimately lacking the kick to feel special. He praises the squirrel’s physical comedy as its main set piece.

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Eye for Film
31 March 2006 · Amber Wilkinson
30*

Wilkinson finds the sequel entertaining in spots but ultimately disappointing and less cool than it should be. She particularly faults its disjointed plot and the lack of a credible threat.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate