Ice Age: The Meltdown
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
By Travis Mackenzie Hoover

I’ll say one thing for this sequel to Ice Age: it could hardly be worse than its mediocre predecessor. And so it manages to rise exactly one feeble notch higher.

Where the original had one annoying plot strand that it flogged mercilessly, this movie has three: the tedious march to a “boat” after the glaciers surrounding our heroes’ valley melt, the tortured romance between mammoth Manny (voice of Ray Romano) and an opposite number who thinks she’s a possum (Queen Latifah) and the non-issue of whether sabre-toothed Diego (Denis Leary) will ever learn to swim. Sound like a pulse pounding night out? Maybe, if you’re an addled seven-year-old with more money than sense, but most thinking adults will blank out early on and only be roused by their offspring when the lights come up.

Oh, there’s plenty to see and hear, as the filmmakers try to show their pop-culture savvy, reaching a crescendo with an ill-advised musical number involving vultures and their appetites, but it’s mostly a wit-free extravaganza full of feeble jokes and mindless uplift in the name of God-knows-what. Queen Latifah’s character, in particular, gets very old very fast, as she tries to hang upside down from trees and make like her possum buddies, with her ever-credulous delivery bringing the hammer down on what was an already misconceived element.

Though the animation is slightly better than the first film’s, and there’s more variety in the sappy denizens of our boys’ home valley, it’s all for naught, as the filmmakers can’t even rise to the level of even Shrek in their attempts to pat themselves on the back for cleverness. (Fox)

ATL - Dir. by Chris Robinson
Basic Instinct 2 - Dir. by Michael Caton-Jones
Battle in Heaven - Dir. by Carlos Reygadas
Brick - Dir. by Rian Johnson
Inside Man - Dir. by Spike Lee
L’Enfant - Dir. by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Lucky Number Slevin - Dir. by Paul McGuigan
Niagara Motel - Dir. by Gary Yates
Scary Movie 4 - Dir. by David Zucker
Silent Hill - Dir. by Christophe Gans
Six Figures - Dir. by David Christensen
Slither - Dir. by James Gunn
Take the Lead - Dir. by Liz Friedlander
The Wild - Dir. by Steve "Spaz" Williams
V For Vendetta - Dir. by James McTeigue
Whole New Thing - Dir. by Amnon Buchbinder
Bayonetta [PS3 / Xbox 360]
"I've got a fever and the only cure is dead angels."
-Bayonetta

Ever since the Christmastime gaming deluge ended, I've been killing a lot of angels. Though God's messengers have been bad guys in other pop-cultural products ― His Dark Materials book trilogy, the pas... Full Review
Leif Vollebekk - Inland
Although he's a Montreal native, this debut album sparkles with many of the magical elements associated with Vollebekk's Scandinavian heritage. At times recalling Nick Drake's Bryter Layter in its fragility and subtle deployment of strings, but also the playfulness of fellow Montrealer Patric... Full Review
Lindstrøm Explores
Don't count on Norway's premier disco revivalist Hans-Peter Lindstrøm to ever turn in the same record twice. "All the artists and bands that I really like do surprising stuff every time, and I guess I just copy their way," he says from his Oslo home studio. "But it's also about not getting bored myself."... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the April 2006 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Questionnaire  •  Research  •  Technology  •  Timeline • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  Where I play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues