Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
MPA Rating:
for some mild language and innuendo.
for some mild language and innuendo.
Reviewed by: Ken Goding
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Average |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Kids Family |
| Genre: | Animation Comedy Family Sequel |
| Length: | 1 hr. 30 min |
| Year of Release: | 2006 |
| USA Release: |
March 31, 2006 (wide) |
Relevant Issues
INCREDIBLE SLOTH—What can a sloth teach me about life? Answer
Answers about the Ice Age
From Christian Answers theam member Answers In Genesis
Information about Noah’s Ark and the biblical flood
Top choice for accurate, in-depth information on Creation/Evolution. Our SuperLibrary is provided by a top team of experts from various respected scientific creationist organizations who answer your questions on a wide variety of topics. Multilingual.
Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation in Christian Answers’ site for kids—activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, coloring pages, and more
| Featuring |
Ray Romano John Leguizamo Denis Leary Queen Latifah Josh Peck |
| Director |
Carlos Saldanha |
| Producer | Lori Forte |
| Distributor |
“The pack is back.”
“Ice Age: The Meltdown” showed plenty of promise based on the previews: More of what we got last time, with new characters for us to laugh at. It certainly delivers that in spades, although not a whole lot more. All of our favorite characters return, including Sid the sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo), Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano), Diego the tiger (Denis Leary), and of course dear little Scrat the… something (Chris Wedge), who never quite manages to keep his acorn.
Once again the plot revolves around a journey, this one to safety from a massive flood that is soon going to wipe out anyone who stays in the area. Sid, Manny, and Diego set off with many other animals, but always seem to be separate from the rest, the pack usually is a minor part of the action. And the adventures begin, all with danger, funny situations, and humor that could have been a lot cleaner. The largest of these is meeting up with two possums and another mammoth (Queen Latifah) who believes that she is also a possum. These identity issues make for quite the situation as Manny believes that they may be the last two mammoths left alive. And it turns out that Diego is afraid of water, not a good thing when a flood is headed your way. So they all travel together and try to keep from getting killed; you have to wonder how a few animals can get into so much trouble.
The physical comedy is the strongest point, of course. You can’t help but laugh at the scrapes they get in and out of, and it almost makes you forget the dialogue which borders on pathetic. sadly, much of the humor in the dialogue is insults and word plays (a beaver says “Dam!” and the theater erupts in laughter). There is a bit of shaky ground as the mammoths discuss their relationship, but they kept it to a decent level. And like the original, Scrat overshadows everything in his quest to get the acorn. It’s safe to say that he’s the favorite; the kids always made happy noises as soon as he appeared.
So the worst part is the dialogue, of course; I think the scary situations are comic enough to not cause too much trouble for the younger audience. Hungry sea animals may be a little tougher, but the rest will simply evoke laughter. Evolution is, of course, assumed to be true, although it takes a back burner in light of all the adventures. Included is a spoof of Noah’s Ark; the destination of safety is a large boat, so it can at least open a discussion about what really happened. Since the target audience is the children who will absorb all of this stuff, I suggest you give them the parental guidance that the rating advises.
I do feel positive overall about the movie, despite its shortcomings. I certainly did laugh, and while the plot isn’t wonderful, following it made me feel like I had the adventure right along with them. It is what it is; the kids will love it, and parents probably won’t feel like they’ve wasted their money to see it.
Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Mild / Sex/Nudity: Minor
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
Positive
Positive—Hold on. Right as of now I do not understand why people gave it negatives. Yes, it did have that d** and a** word. But the thing is that they were used in the right context. I’m one of those people that can get easily offended, but honestly this was one of those true funny family films everyone in the family could enjoy. Great fun and all around great movie. You’ll see something in there straight from Noah’s Ark. Go watch and support it.
Better than Average / 5
Better than Average / 5
Peter, age 22
Positive—…I do not believe that the film assumes Evolution is true. They mocked evolution in the beginning of the first “Ice Age”, and again in Ice Age 2 when the sloth says that he thinks they should rapidly evolve to sea creatures to avoid the flood. Any evolutionist would be offended by this because they know evolution is not to be taken as a rapid event. Also, I do not believe that there were any Biblical spoofs as mentioned. I think the movie had Biblical Allusions. Yes, the mammals were going to a big boat, Noah’s Ark, for safety. How far off from the Bible is that? …Also, Scrat is seen floating in a basket much like the story of Baby Moses. Scrat then is seen parting the Ice Formation and saving all the animals. Doesn’t Moses do something similar with the Red Sea, by parting it and saving his people? This movie could open up some excellent conversation, and I do not believe it is a Biblical Mockery. Good movie overall.
Better than Average / 4
Better than Average / 4
Ben, age 22
Positive—…What first needs to be noted is that THE MOVIE IS RATED PG. Guess what that means? Parental Guidance suggested. That means that there may be a couple of things in the movie that very young children may not be ready for. So let’s not get all shocked and offended when they use the words “ass” and “dam” in humorous ways. Instead, be glad that they didn’t just outright say them, as many PG movies do. In fact, the explanation for the PG rating says “mild language and innuendo.” …And as for the mammoth “wanting to get laid,” this is quite an exaggeration. The reason he’s talking about population is because they are the only two known mammoths on Earth. Let’s also remember these are animals we’re talking about here, so there’s nothing sacred about sex. And finally, the part that was supposedly mocking the existence of a God was nothing more than a joke that NO ONE should take as a cut on Christianity. It involves Sid being carried away by other sloths who are looking for a sacrifice to their fire god. This is a joke that has been done a million times before, and to complain about this is an insult on Christianity, because our religion does not depend on human sacrifices to idols. If anything, it’s an insult on false religions.
In conclusion, the movie was great. Consistently funny, albeit a little cheesy at times, and above all, NOT a source of great immorality as some people here would have you think. Would I recommend it for viewing with a 5 year old? Probably not. It’s PG because the humor and dialogue is not suitable for ALL ages. Simple, really. But would I recommend it to pre-teens? Sure. Because they should be intelligent enough to not go around swearing because they hear a pseudo-curse in a movie, they should be intelligent enough to know that the mammoth dialogue was a joke and is not promoting sex, and they should DEFINITELY know that the tribal worship scene is a complete joke. And maybe adults should realize not everything is meant to be taken seriously, too. We as Christians have much more important things to worry about than petty jokes in a movie that warns you in advance that it will, indeed, contain such material.
Better than Average / 4
In conclusion, the movie was great. Consistently funny, albeit a little cheesy at times, and above all, NOT a source of great immorality as some people here would have you think. Would I recommend it for viewing with a 5 year old? Probably not. It’s PG because the humor and dialogue is not suitable for ALL ages. Simple, really. But would I recommend it to pre-teens? Sure. Because they should be intelligent enough to not go around swearing because they hear a pseudo-curse in a movie, they should be intelligent enough to know that the mammoth dialogue was a joke and is not promoting sex, and they should DEFINITELY know that the tribal worship scene is a complete joke. And maybe adults should realize not everything is meant to be taken seriously, too. We as Christians have much more important things to worry about than petty jokes in a movie that warns you in advance that it will, indeed, contain such material.
Better than Average / 4
Brian, age 20
Positive—I like all this one too. Only one bad word. It’s start with a c. That’s all I will say. I like Skat. …Good movie.
Good / 5
Good / 5
Thomas Dickensheets, age 44
Positive—Hey this film is really funny. We took a group of 10 yr. old girls, and they had fun with it too! However, I think that my husband and I enjoyed it more than they did. A lot of the adult humor passed them over, they did use 2 words (that in the context of the film were used as merely a play on words) it was not offensive. Go allowing yourself to laugh and have fun!
Better than Average / 4
Better than Average / 4
Keri Andino, age 38
Positive—This film was EXTREMELY enjoyable. My mum two sisters and I went for my 10-yr-old sister’s birthday, and we TOTALLY loved it! There was hardly anything objectionable, mostly clean, cute, kid humour. Great film that keeps you captivated from start to finish!
Better than Average / 5
Better than Average / 5
Maria-Antoinette, age 19
Positive—I agree with the reviewer who talked about the rating system. I went to see if my husband would be taking our 3½ year old. She will not be seeing this movie, but then, it is rated PG, NOT G. So if you go in *hoping* that there won’t be things that can be included in a PG movie, don’t take your kids. I would suggest that a pre-teen would enjoy this. I don’t think it’s appropriate for young children. There are scary parts and as mentioned they do swear. The only other part I didn’t like was that there was a whole section of “fat jokes.” As an adult I thought it was great. I liked it as much as the first one. I do wish I could take my little girl but there are other movies.
Better than Average / 4
Better than Average / 4
April Hardwick, age 27
Positive—Ice Age 2 was probably not the best kids movie that I have seen, but it is better and more clever than other kids movies such as “Yours, Mine and Ours” and “Cheaper By The Dozen”, which rely too heavily on slapstick humour. Ice Age 2 had some clever parts and brought its humour through the lines and also through the crazy squirrel.
The storyline itself was fairly good, as it lets us think about the effects of global warming and what we are doing to our world today. Most of the characters were likeable, although at times I did find Sid the sloth a little annoying at times. Out of all the characters, I preferred Diego the tiger as he kept his cool even when things got rough and managed to overcome his fear of water by attacking it.
On the negative side, there were parts of sexual innuendo that I feel should have been cut out. The scene where Elly and Manny discuss mammoths and “continuing the species” should have been deleted, as it is unacceptable in a kids’ movie Overall, an enjoyable movie. If only they had shown more of the squirrel and less of Sid the annoying sloth.
Average / 3
The storyline itself was fairly good, as it lets us think about the effects of global warming and what we are doing to our world today. Most of the characters were likeable, although at times I did find Sid the sloth a little annoying at times. Out of all the characters, I preferred Diego the tiger as he kept his cool even when things got rough and managed to overcome his fear of water by attacking it.
On the negative side, there were parts of sexual innuendo that I feel should have been cut out. The scene where Elly and Manny discuss mammoths and “continuing the species” should have been deleted, as it is unacceptable in a kids’ movie Overall, an enjoyable movie. If only they had shown more of the squirrel and less of Sid the annoying sloth.
Average / 3
Dave, age 20
Neutral
Neutral—I enjoyed this movie a lot. However, I do think that the sexual overtones in this movie were inappropriate for young children especially when Manny asks Ellie if they want to repopulate their species. For a movie that is supposed to be appropriate for children, I don’t think “Ice Age” did very well with it. Children should be forewarned before going to see this movie. I thought Diego, Sid, and Scrat did good, and they were funny to watch, but I was disappointed with the Mammoths.
Average / 3
Average / 3
Lauren, age 20
Neutral—Although the film is entertaining and my 7 and 6 year old daughters didn’t catch the “adult” humor, the story is one big environmental advertisement for global warming just as I expected. They even manage to throw in some animistic religion that seemed to be poking fun at anyone that would dare to believe in a god. How dare anyone declare the existence of a GOD! I thought at first that the Sierra club had paid the moviemakers to preach a sermon about animal extinction but then a herd of Wooly Mammoths showed up. If you like to spend your money to be indoctrinated then this is a great movie. If not, then the technical moviemaking presentation of this one is no better than the first one, and I’d wait for the DVD
Average / 4
Average / 4
Bob C, age 42
Neutral—The first “Ice Age” was a fantastic movie. I thought it had a good underlying message and our 2-year-old son absolutely adores it and wants to watch it all the time. So, my wife and I thought it to be a no-brainer to take him to see the sequel. The film certainly had some very funny moments in it. My wife and I both got a big laugh here and there. The filmmaking quality is great, with even better detail than the first.
Those positives aside, we were both taken aback within the first few minutes of dialogue. Manny, Sid and Diego are around a bunch of children whom Sid was initially playing with. One of the kids makes reference to Manfred’s mom being an ass, as in the animal (which to avoid confusion, Manfred is a mammoth. The kids were only teasing him). They, of course, have to turn this into many comments being tossed back and forth with play on words, making it “seem” like they are cursing.
Those positives aside, we were both taken aback within the first few minutes of dialogue. Manny, Sid and Diego are around a bunch of children whom Sid was initially playing with. One of the kids makes reference to Manfred’s mom being an ass, as in the animal (which to avoid confusion, Manfred is a mammoth. The kids were only teasing him). They, of course, have to turn this into many comments being tossed back and forth with play on words, making it “seem” like they are cursing.
The same is done with a huge wall of ice that serves as a dam. The same applies here with the play on the word “dam.” And then towards the end of the beginning scene with the dam, a large piece falls of and one of the creatures very obnoxiously says, “dam.” All of the children in the theater “got it,” so I fail to see why that is necessary to have in a film that is marketed and geared toward children.
Now, normally this would not be too big of a deal, but my son is at that young age when he repeats literally everything he hears. If you’re a parent under the same circumstances going in, I’d suggest being about 10 minutes late, as this will avoid the cursing scenes. There are some sexual innuendoes littered throughout, but they should be far above any child’s head and therefore shouldn’t pose as a problem.
Average / 4
Aaron, age 26
Neutral—With some reluctance, I took my twelve year old son, because he was so keen to see the very popular Ice Age on the big screen, but I guessed with Ray Romano and Queen Latisha there would be some, not so subtle, bathroom humor and earthy innuendos. In the first few minutes my concerns were confirmed, though overall it was a well-made animation with some cute characters and many funny, witty and tender scenes. The possums were very entertaining as was death-defying Scrat and his acorn! The story pace was fast and there was a lot of action and heart-in-mouth stuff going on. Great cartooning of ice and water! I noticed in the packed theater, that the biggest audience reaction was to the crude humor and to the scary adventure scenes. I only saw one child appear to be anxious with the tense near-death sequences. The heroes face death many times via ice, water, monstrous sea creatures, vultures, falling logs and steam jets, but the kids and parents seemed to love it. I left disappointed, but impressed by the quality of animation. A recap on how the heroes became orphans would have been helpful, but not necessary. I sense an Ice Age III coming along the turnpike!
Average / 4
Average / 4
Christopher Marsden, age 51
Neutral—Along with the other language mentioned, didn’t I also hear the S-word from the sloth? It was a play on words, because of his lisp it sounded like it…? I was not impressed with the language and sexual references that were worked into this film. My kids didn’t need to see Adult Romance issues, Parental Guidance or not. The flood in itself was scary for my kids, not to mention the scary sea creatures (which are an obvious “missing link”). I loved this film otherwise, it was very funny, and I did like the plot, and of coarse, there is Scrat! The last scene in the movie is my favorite!
Average / 5
Average / 5
Jessie, age 25
Neutral—I went to see this movie with my boyfriend with no expectations whatsoever, having never seen the first one, and overall came away a little disappointed. The writers relied on cheap crude humor to fill in the gaps between their better jokes. I also couldn’t help but be surprised at a rather dark tone to the story that is not normal in movies aimed at families—death and destruction loomed throughout, and one of the moments I couldn’t help but laugh hardest at was also one that was more disturbing: a chorus of vultures following the main characters and singing about how they would eat each one (mammoth steaks, etc.)—fans of Oliver! will get a kick out of the reference though. I heard several children wimper at various scary or sad parts of the movie. The sexual undertones were definitely there, although the main emphasis really was on Manny’s need to continue the species. Another thing parents might want to consider is that children are represented by horrible brats who torture their teachers and disobey all adult orders, and unlike many movies, “Ice Age II” never has an instance where the children learn to respect their elders—they remain brats to the end, unphased, reinforcing the unfortunately popular idea that bad behavior is okay. Though the movie definitely has many funny moments, I could only give it a Neutral rating for these reasons.
Average / 3
Average / 3
Christie Evans, age 22
Neutral—The filmmaking was superb! There were times the animation almost looked real. The scene with Manny and the kids with the “wild ass” comment was completely innocent. Scenes like this really take place and kids will be kids. I found it more cute than I did offensive or funny. …The one thought I had during the movie as the animals were seeking shelter from the impending flood on a distant “boat” was that maybe (just maybe) that boat would have been Noah’s ark. I was disappointed that it wasn’t, but again—not offended. Strong lessons on teamwork, selflessness, family, and loyalty. A little bit of entertainment for the kids, and an incentive for the adults bringing the kids (or those like me—adults who never grew up).
Average / 5
Average / 5
Pete, age 27
Negative
Negative—We took my 2 daughters to see this …It was very funny, but we were stunned when one of the characters said “Damn” and when another character said “wild Ass.” If they would have left this out of the movie I would say it was superb! I wish they would quit ruining cartoon movies.
Offensive / 5
Offensive / 5
Chasity Jenkins, age 30
Negative—I was nervous sitting there waiting for my 7 or 9-year-old to ask what a pervert is and why the girl mammoth said that to the boy… This ruined it for me. Great animation, but where are the plots for children anymore. Not as bad as “Shrek 2”, but wouldn’t recommend it either.
Average / 3
Average / 3
Gena, age 33
Negative—Ice Age 2 was supposed to be one of those movies that is aimed toward kids with a mix of adult humor that we are all used to these days. Gone are the days or “Snow White”, “Dumbo” and “Beauty and the Beast”; now days the cartoons are all about reaching beyond childhood lines, and connecting with its adult audience. Movies like “The Incredibles” and “Shrek” actually have done a fantastic job. However, Ice Age 2 stepped right over the adult line, into the almost PG-13 line. I have actually seen some PG-13 movies with less dirty humor than Ice Age 2.
It is a rare thing when I actually get offended in a movie because of humor, however when I am sitting with a good friend of mine and his two kids, and hearing a 20 minute long sex joke, I tend to get a bit offended. What started off as a joke about populating the world, quickly turned into a slam on the sexual predator nature of the supposed male. Turning an innocent advancement into a joke about men wanting to get laid. Then the female Mammoth asking the male Mammoth what he likes the best about her body. He stutters around and then says “I like your butt,” she says “wow that is so nice, what do you like about it,” so the male Mammoth says “oh it is so big, its huge, its just so big, I like it.” Then another joke about turning the words ass, referring to a donkey, into a short but verbal joke about asses. I mean come on, kids do not need this… Jokes like this are filthy, wrong and should be offensive.
Some may say that I am being overly critical, however, I say shame on you, to those who really accept this as being humor for kids. Personally not knowing what is in the movie, I would have taken my kids (if I had any) to this movie, because I would have expected it to be innocent fun. However, now you have been warned. If you want your kids walking out talking about the a-word, having questions about sex and wondering why the Mammoth was checking out another Mammoth’s butt, then this movie is for you.
The plot of this movie is incredibly simple and easy to follow. The movie is about the ice caps melting and the need to move before the land gets flooded. That is pretty much it. Some of the characters along for the ride, bring an extra flare to the movie. The possums are just a crack up; the Mammoths are great but the show stealer is again, the Sloth.
With filthy humor aside, the movie actually had a good moral and a good message. I actually loved the fact that they showed the protective nature of the male figure to protect the one he loves, even risking his own life. I really enjoyed the fact that they showed that people should not pick on one another and to come along side of the weak and hurting. I love the fact that they showed the bond of friendship and family, and I loved the fact that they really went into depth to show that family is not just by blood but by heart.
The special effects in the movie were actually quite good, however I could not help but feel that the movie did not pay attention to how short the special effects scenes lasted. When the movie was ending, you just were kind of left with it being over—lacking the impact and punch that a movie like this needed.
Aside from the dirty humor, the humor was actually downright hysterical. I found myself laughing quite a bit at the most unexpected things. However, just because a movie is well done or has some really funny moments, does not mean that this is a family movie. Warning to Parents: Quite a bit of Bad Language for Kids and lots of dirty jokes. This is NOT a family movie.
Very Offensive / 3
It is a rare thing when I actually get offended in a movie because of humor, however when I am sitting with a good friend of mine and his two kids, and hearing a 20 minute long sex joke, I tend to get a bit offended. What started off as a joke about populating the world, quickly turned into a slam on the sexual predator nature of the supposed male. Turning an innocent advancement into a joke about men wanting to get laid. Then the female Mammoth asking the male Mammoth what he likes the best about her body. He stutters around and then says “I like your butt,” she says “wow that is so nice, what do you like about it,” so the male Mammoth says “oh it is so big, its huge, its just so big, I like it.” Then another joke about turning the words ass, referring to a donkey, into a short but verbal joke about asses. I mean come on, kids do not need this… Jokes like this are filthy, wrong and should be offensive.
Some may say that I am being overly critical, however, I say shame on you, to those who really accept this as being humor for kids. Personally not knowing what is in the movie, I would have taken my kids (if I had any) to this movie, because I would have expected it to be innocent fun. However, now you have been warned. If you want your kids walking out talking about the a-word, having questions about sex and wondering why the Mammoth was checking out another Mammoth’s butt, then this movie is for you.
The plot of this movie is incredibly simple and easy to follow. The movie is about the ice caps melting and the need to move before the land gets flooded. That is pretty much it. Some of the characters along for the ride, bring an extra flare to the movie. The possums are just a crack up; the Mammoths are great but the show stealer is again, the Sloth.
With filthy humor aside, the movie actually had a good moral and a good message. I actually loved the fact that they showed the protective nature of the male figure to protect the one he loves, even risking his own life. I really enjoyed the fact that they showed that people should not pick on one another and to come along side of the weak and hurting. I love the fact that they showed the bond of friendship and family, and I loved the fact that they really went into depth to show that family is not just by blood but by heart.
The special effects in the movie were actually quite good, however I could not help but feel that the movie did not pay attention to how short the special effects scenes lasted. When the movie was ending, you just were kind of left with it being over—lacking the impact and punch that a movie like this needed.
Aside from the dirty humor, the humor was actually downright hysterical. I found myself laughing quite a bit at the most unexpected things. However, just because a movie is well done or has some really funny moments, does not mean that this is a family movie. Warning to Parents: Quite a bit of Bad Language for Kids and lots of dirty jokes. This is NOT a family movie.
Very Offensive / 3
John Kehrli, age 31
Negative—While my 10 and 12 year old enjoyed the movie, I was appalled. Thankfully they missed the strong sexual overtones that permeated the entire movie. While there were some good moments, they were few and far between. This mess reminds me of a cross between the “Land Before Time” and an R-rated movie. I had some high expectations for this movie. The first one focused on self-sacrifice and teamwork to complete a noble task, returning a child to its rightful parent. This was a self-centered, sexually-focused movie that aimlessly wanders with no clear purpose. There are some good parts surrounding Scrat and the possum brothers, but otherwise it was 90 minutes of my life I want back. This movie just erodes the innocence of the younger children watching it.
Offensive / 3
Offensive / 3
Brad Stevens, age 46
Negative—Ice Age 2 was an exercise in desensitization. After hearing “A**,” “DAM,” and “CR*P” (whether they were “in context” or not) within the first 10-15 minutes of the film, my wife and I were looking at each other, wondering whether we should go on watching the movie with our children. We’ve taken them to PG films before, biting our lips and hoping that it’s not too offensive, and drawing a sigh of relief when it turns out okay (on the other hand, sometimes we go in to a G movie totally reassured by the rating and are more appalled than we were at a PG movie!).
This time, however, we were disheartened and strongly reminded of the fallen state of our world. Though the children likely missed the extent of the boy-girl scene, the situation is that of a friend coming home to his male buddies who are wondering whether he “scored” or not. Certainly God allows procreation, but these animal characters are human-like (have your kids mimicked any of them at home?), and if they are so human like, they should at least have some suggestion of a “marriage” or getting together in the movie before this night-time innuendo takes place. During that scene, incidentally, the female asked the male mammoth what he liked about her the most, and the best he could come up with is her “BUTT!” And it didn’t stop there; he had to go on describing how big it is and how that’s actually a good thing. What’s a girl—of any age—in the audience supposed to take from that? That her mind and her heart don’t matter?
I was nauseated at the obnoxious, brother possums that had to be in the script throughout the movie, the defiant, disrespectful children in Sid’s daycare at the beginning of the movie, and was left wondering why there had to be the addition of the evil, water creatures (which made my kids jump at one of their sudden appearances) who killed one of the characters early in the movie and viciously pummeled the mammoth later in the movie.
If you are offended at any of these comments, I just ask you to consider how desensitized we all are at this point in our lives, especially if your tendency is to defend this movie and others like it. There was a spirit of deception—and we know who the Deceiver is and what he wants to accomplish in this world—that I felt throughout this movie, unlike in the first one. It was a feeling of the script and movie trying to “push the envelope,” as is so often done in movies and video games; as if we and our children won’t be entertained unless this movie is more extreme in every way than the last one. Why can’t we simply be entertained by a good story line, sans the language and innuendos and jokes that perhaps only adults may “get” (but that our children are being exposed to at an early age). Why do the writers feel that the adult viewers must have some adult humor mixed into the children’s movie in order to be entertained?
The best part of our day was when we left this movie and went to get some books from the library. There was definitely some debriefing that had to take place with our kids after this one.
Offensive / 4
This time, however, we were disheartened and strongly reminded of the fallen state of our world. Though the children likely missed the extent of the boy-girl scene, the situation is that of a friend coming home to his male buddies who are wondering whether he “scored” or not. Certainly God allows procreation, but these animal characters are human-like (have your kids mimicked any of them at home?), and if they are so human like, they should at least have some suggestion of a “marriage” or getting together in the movie before this night-time innuendo takes place. During that scene, incidentally, the female asked the male mammoth what he liked about her the most, and the best he could come up with is her “BUTT!” And it didn’t stop there; he had to go on describing how big it is and how that’s actually a good thing. What’s a girl—of any age—in the audience supposed to take from that? That her mind and her heart don’t matter?
I was nauseated at the obnoxious, brother possums that had to be in the script throughout the movie, the defiant, disrespectful children in Sid’s daycare at the beginning of the movie, and was left wondering why there had to be the addition of the evil, water creatures (which made my kids jump at one of their sudden appearances) who killed one of the characters early in the movie and viciously pummeled the mammoth later in the movie.
If you are offended at any of these comments, I just ask you to consider how desensitized we all are at this point in our lives, especially if your tendency is to defend this movie and others like it. There was a spirit of deception—and we know who the Deceiver is and what he wants to accomplish in this world—that I felt throughout this movie, unlike in the first one. It was a feeling of the script and movie trying to “push the envelope,” as is so often done in movies and video games; as if we and our children won’t be entertained unless this movie is more extreme in every way than the last one. Why can’t we simply be entertained by a good story line, sans the language and innuendos and jokes that perhaps only adults may “get” (but that our children are being exposed to at an early age). Why do the writers feel that the adult viewers must have some adult humor mixed into the children’s movie in order to be entertained?
The best part of our day was when we left this movie and went to get some books from the library. There was definitely some debriefing that had to take place with our kids after this one.
Offensive / 4
David, age 39
Negative—We took several neighborhood kids. I was disappointed that they used the words “wild ass” and “dam(n)” as a play on words. I don’t see any need to expose children to them. I also did not like the heavy sexual overtones between the mammoths. I was prepared to love the movie as much as “Ice Age 1”. I am also a Children’s Director and would not show this movie in my church.
Average / 4
Average / 4
Joe, age 57
Negative—My husband and I went to see this movie to see if it was as good as the first one before we would take our 4 ½ year old boy for his first theater experience. We loved the first “Ice Age” movie, but “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown” has a lot of bad words and crude behavior. Not to mention the truly frightening sea creatures. I highly recommend watching this movie before allowing your children to watch it. What a shame. Don’t the filmmakers realize that these movies can be more profitable by leaving out bad words and other objectionable stuff?
Offensive / 1
Offensive / 1
Shiela, age 33
Negative—The movie would have been just as charming and entertaining as the first, but the plays on words that result in cussing ruin any attempt that comes along. I would recommend renting this movie with a language filter DVD player or something, but I would not recommend watching this movie, uncensored, with children. When censored, it will be a very good movie.
Offensive / 5
Offensive / 5
Kimmy, age 20
Comments from young people
Positive—My dad and I went to see this movie together, and we both really enjoyed it! There were three areas they could have left out, and they were towards the beginning of the movie. 1. Emphasis on one word (d…), 2. Unnecessary use of word (a…), and 3. Adult humor between Latifah and Romano about “preserving the mammoths.” As I said before, these were towards the beginning and the rest of the movie was most enjoyable!
I was afraid that this movie wouldn’t be as good as the first (as most sequels are), but it was very funny, and I would definitely rent this movie again (using TV Guardian to cut out the two words). I don’t think we wasted our money at all! My dad and I were quoting from the movie the whole way home. My parents are very particular on what my sisters and I can see. We always look up movies here on ChristianAnswers.net or on ScreenIt before seeing movies. My dad and I both enjoyed this movie very much!
Better than Average / 4
I was afraid that this movie wouldn’t be as good as the first (as most sequels are), but it was very funny, and I would definitely rent this movie again (using TV Guardian to cut out the two words). I don’t think we wasted our money at all! My dad and I were quoting from the movie the whole way home. My parents are very particular on what my sisters and I can see. We always look up movies here on ChristianAnswers.net or on ScreenIt before seeing movies. My dad and I both enjoyed this movie very much!
Better than Average / 4
Emily, age 16
Neutral—I think this was pretty good. Some parts may be objectionable, mainly between Manny and Ellie. A couple of a**s and a d*** (a play on words). Also, the Sloth tribe repeatedly refer to Sid as the Fire king or something along those lines. They call him “oh great one,” “holy one,” stuff like that. And a few jabs at evolution. Scary sea monsters might scare younger kids. Pretty good though, I thought. Probably should only take older kids.
Better than Average / 3
Better than Average / 3
Lacy, age 12
Neutral—The movie had a lot of funny moments and some great new animals, but it was spoiled by the number of rude immature comments spoken by the characters. I don’t think children have to hear words like cr**, bu**, *ss, dam* etc to have a good time. Why do the movie makers think that a children’s cartoon has to have words that will shock the ears or cause a big cheap laugh in the audience, when so much of Ice Age 2 was great and well done? It’s disappointing that I can’t recommend this movie to any of my Christian friends and that most of them will have to watch it later this year on Clean Flix!
Average / 4
Average / 4
Jasmine Winter, age 14
Neutral—I think it was quite a good movie. Apart from some crude humor, one swear word (used as a double meaning), and some inappropriate comments, it was enjoyable overall, but not the best movie ever. If you want to see this movie, I would recommend that you be prepared for a few things that might be a bit offensive. But, like I said, it isn’t that bad of a movie (as far as movies go). The animation was 4/5 and the story kept you wondering what would happen next.
Average / 4
Average / 4
C.J. Springs, age 11 3/4
Positive—This movie was very funny and enjoyable. I think it is great for the whole family to see. I saw “Ice Age 1” and didn’t like it very much so I expected the second one to be the same. But I was wrong. It was very funny and worth the time and money.
Good / 4
Good / 4
Natalia, age 14
Positive—I think this movie is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! I must admit, I thought it would be lame, but I was proved wrong. However, there are some things in it that people might find offending, [two bad words,used in fun, frightening vultures, and suggesting sentences], but they are very tame. I saw this with my friends, and we laughed so hard near the end we almost cried! The ending is surprising, too. I almost cried, and I never cry during movies! If you liked the first movie, you’re sure to like this one as well.
Better than Average / 5
Better than Average / 5
Elizabeth, age 12
Positive—I saw this movie with my 18 year old sister, and we really enjoyed it. Yes, they did say wild ass (as in burro) and dam, but altogether, wild ass was used 2 times and dam was used once. Has anyone seen “Back to the Future”? That was PG and had MUCH more swearing! As far as the “sexual undertones” Yes, they were there, and perhaps unneeded, but they went over the kids’ head. I didn’t think that Manny just “wanted to get laid;” I think he was worried about the mammoth population. …I think there were a lot of things in this movie that open good discussions about God. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I think it definitely deserves its PG rating though; so parents, ‘Parental Guidance Suggested,’ but a good film!
Average / 5
Average / 5
Natalie, age 15
Negative—First of all, this wasn’t even close to the first one funny-wise. And, it had a few bad things that I wouldn’t want my younger kids to hear (if I had any kids)—like when Elly asks Manny what he likes about her body. For a few seconds, they talk about her rear, which isn’t very appropriate. They do mention “Dam” for it is about to collapse, but I didn’t really think anything about it. The only other thing I can think of is when they are talking about the wild donkey… you know. But that’s about it, for bad stuff, well, unless you think the about the girl sloths worshipping Sid. I actually thought it was rather funny. What really surprised me was that the movie wasn’t that funny at all! A few laughs here and there, but I was really disappointed. It seemed like Scrat was the star of the show, this time. For me, the movie was hardly entertaining. I noticed that this one wan’t made by Pixar like the first one. Maybe that’s why it was so different, I don’t know.
Average / 3
Average / 3
preciousjewl, age 15
Positive—I loved this movie!! I think it’s better than the first one. I liked how Manny really opened up to his feelings. Yes, there was what you could call “sexual” stuff, but as far as Manny knew, he was the only mammoth left on Earth. Then he found another one. It’s just natural to feel the need to reproduce. Skat was hysterical; you see him a lot more in this one than the first.
Excellent! / 4
Excellent! / 4
Sarah, age 16
Neutral—I think that the movie was a great movie that had a lot of humor in it. The only problems I found were that there were three bad words in the first ten minutes! Also the mammoths started talking about reproducing, and Manny commented on Ellie’s big butt. The movie would have been just as good and funny without those parts. It is time that Hollywood stop ruining good and clean movies by including offensive material!
Average / 5
Average / 5
Ileana Ortiz, age 13
Neutral—Well, overall. the movie was great! Way better than “Ice Age” 1. Here are the things that I didn’t like though: the characters said “damn,” “ass,” and in one scene, they were talking about sex. Okay, it’s animals, but still… They showed Scrat go to heaven, but then go back! Can you believe it?! God would never send someone back!
Good / 4
Good / 4
Marti, age 12
Neutral—I think that Ice Age 2 was indeed a very funny movie. However, it was awfully short compared to Ice Age, and it seemed like they had really ran out of jokes. ICE AGE, the first movie, is still my favorite movie, and it always will be. I hope there is an Ice Age 3 maybe it will be a little better.
Good / 3
Good / 3
Joscary De La Cruz, age 14
Neutral—…So what there were two puns, and some sexual stuff for adults and teenagers? It had 3 words in the whole film, and they are not exactly the most offensive words you will come across. I have 5 year old brothers and I know there is no chance of them picking up a word if it is said once in the whole movie. Then again, I thought it was only an average movie anyway. The funniest scene was the last scene, and Scrat is by far the funniest character. My brothers were scared by the sea creatures. Finally, I was unnerved by the evolutionary bias, which I do feel quite strongly about.
Better than Average / 3
Better than Average / 3
Peter Bullock, age 15
Positive—I think it is an okay movie, if you are a mature Christian over ten. The scene with Manny saying to the female mammoth that he likes her butt is impulsive. It shows that he is not a good thinker and blurts words impulsively. It was okay, but the mean fish monsters are nasty carnivores who might give a child nightmares.
Average / 3
Average / 3
Amy Garner, age 15
My Ratings: Excellent! / 5