Ice Age: The Meltdown

Teddy got some Fandango Bucks as a birthday gift in December, and he used them today to take me to see Ice Age 2. I was surprised by how much I liked the first one, so I was pleased to be his date for the sequel.

I know there are people who are turned off by CGI, but I think it’s great when it’s done well—and without human characters (which are creepy and nightmarish, as far as I’m concerned). There are some scenes in this movie where the rushing water looks absolutely real. The animals’ fur moves with the breeze; you can see the individual hairs, and the sheen changes with the light and the ripple of the muscle underneath. It’s pretty amazing, and it’s done with skill and care so that there’s a real warmth to the characters. Ted noted that you could see the animals’ emotions in their eyes, and I agreed.

Blah, blah, blah. I like Queen Latifah, blah, blah. Not enough of Denis Leary, blah. Slightly annoying song and dance number featuring a bunch of sloths that reminded me of the one from Madagascar, only more out of place and awkward, blah, blah, blah.

What is unusual about this movie? Sex and heaven. You heard me. Manny, the mammoth, fears he might be the last of his kind. He meets another (who thinks she’s a possum) and mentions to her that it’s their responsibility to save their species. She asks how they can do that, and he says, “Well . . . you know . . .” in that Ray Romano voice, and then Ellie (Queen Latifah), the mammoth, says, “What? You’re hitting on me already?” I assume it went over the heads of the pre-school set, but Ted noticed it. It wasn’t a big deal, but I was surprised.

Also surprising was the scene at the end where the nearly dead Scrat finds himself in Heaven, and enters the acorn-y gates. Just as he’s about to reach for the enormous acorn that’s waiting among the regular acorns that are his for the picking, Scrat is pulled back to earth thanks to Sid, who’s given him mouth-to-mouth.

Now, I know death is common to many kids’ movies, from Bambie on up, but it’s the first time I can think of that Heaven was pictured in an animated kids’ feature. I don’t care, and am not put off or anything, but parents who weren’t prepared or didn’t note the PG rating (like at least half the people sharing the theater with us), were likely in for some discussion.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but I bet there will be a lot of surprised parents.

Preview excitement: The Simpsons Movie! July 2007! Woo hoo! I read an interview years ago (with Matt Groening, I think) that said there wouldn’t be a movie until there was a good reason for one—that they wouldn’t just make a movie to make it. I hope that’s the case.

Also, have any of you guys seen the previews for the movie with all the singing/dancing penguins? What’s up with that? I can’t decide whether it will be cute and funny or as annoying as that wretched Hamster Dance.

I’ll go and see the movie about Over the Hedge (despite the fact that it features CGI humans along with the animals), because my boyfriend Steve Carell is in it. What? You didn’t know he was my boyfriend? Well. He is. So is Jack Black, who is hosting the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards tomorrow night. Guess what Teddy and I will be doing? It’s a bigger deal in our household than the Oscars or the Olympics.

I guess that’s it for this afternoon. I've been invited to see Seamus Kennedy at this place tonight. I know it'll be fun, but I'm feeling a little too fat and anxiety-riddled to run out and meet a bunch of new people. We'll see.