Ice Age: The Meltdown

In the sequel to the charming computer-animated film "Ice Age", Manny the mammoth, Diego the sabre-toothed tiger and Sid the sloth are once again at the centre of the action. They set out on a long odyssey when the ice begins to melt, threatening to flood the valley where the animals live. At the far end of the valley lies a huge tree trunk that can be used as an ark, and all the animals of the valley head towards it, but it is a race against time. The three friends are joined by the mammoth Ellie and the two cheeky possums Crash and Eddie. At last Manny has found one of his own kind. The only snag is that Ellie has grown up believing she is a possum. She finds it more than hard to accept that things could be otherwise.

There is also room for another returning character, namely the indomitable little squirrel Scrat, who in a subplot struggles to hold on to his acorn.

In "Ice Age: The Meltdown" it is not just the ice that is thin. So is the plot. Instead the film thrives on its colourful cast of characters and its many inventive and comic situations.