In Ice Age: The Meltdown, Manny the Mammoth is known for his muscle and ability to handle situations that involve facing imminent danger. Because of his mental and physical powers, Manny has never fallen victim to peril. Stoic he may be, but he cannot deal with the constant visions of his family who died at the hands of hunters.

Manny (voiced by Ray Romano) and his adopted herd composed of Sid the Sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo), and Diego the Saber-Tooth Tiger (voice by Denis Leary) are optimistic that other mammoths will be found now that the ice is melting. Still, in the back of their minds, the trio must deal with the reality that Manny may be the last of his kind.

Sid has been working on developing confidence and a tough shell. His one desire is to have the constant respect of others. Sid despises being teased and taunted by Diego and Manny. He reminds them that without him they would not have a herd to call home. Believe it or not, Sid is about to earn respect from an unlikely source.

Tigers are supposed to be ferocious and feared, so Diego considers himself to be a leader and in charge of every situation. He doesn't want Sid or Manny to know his secret -- he's deathly afraid of water, and with the ice melting that's a BIG problem. Sid, who has his own insecurities, learns of Diego’s secret and works with him to conquer his fear, thereby strengthening their bond.

While the animals have been enjoying the return of warm weather and the melting of the ice, Fast Tony (voiced by Jay Leno), a skilled and professional con man, senses an opportunity to prey upon the animal’s fears. This armadillo, who has the luxury of curling up into a shell when intimidated or scared, tells residents that a flood is coming. He insists it will wipe out the entire valley and that there's not room for survival. He uses everything in his arsenal to frighten the other creatures into parting with their money and/or belongings.

Sid, Diego and Manny soon figure out Fast Tony was right. The animals will not survive unless they hurry to higher ground at the end of the valley. This will be a treacherous journey, and some will not survive. The Lone Gunslinger Vulture (voiced by Will Arnett) and his friends provide the group with more motivation to keep moving, for they plan on dining on anyone who straggles and cannot put up a fight. They drive this message home parodying "Food, Glorious Food" from Oliver! -- one of this animated movie's few funny scenes. 

Manny is thrilled to find out he's not alone when Ellie, a female mammoth (voiced by Queen Latifah) appears. That elation turns to dust after Ellie turns out to be loud and abrasive. She cannot be convinced of anything, including the fact she's not a possum. Even though Manny shows Ellie  their shadows and compares hoof prints and tusks, Ellie still considers herself a possum. Much to Manny's chagrin, Ellie and her two brothers Crash and Eddie (voiced by Seann William Scott and Josh Peck) join Manny, Sid and Diego on their journey out of the valley.

Sid, continually yearning for respect, soon finds out that goal may not be all it's cracked up to be. His ability to create fire earns him the kind that can get him killed. A tribe of sloths crown him the Fire King and treat him like a God. Little does Sid know he's in danger and that his reign is to be short-lived. These sloths have dealt with molten lava and now want to honor the Gods by sacrificing Sid in an elaborate ceremony. 

Audiences looking for a humorous and clever sequel to Ice Age will probably be disappointed with this movie. The laughs are inconsistent; the script by Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow is too thin; new characters are undeveloped; and the film takes on a serious tone by keeping danger at the forefront. Even the return of audience favorite Scrat, who provides a few laughs, fails to save director Carlos Saldanha's film from being a letdown.

(Released by 20th Century Fox and rated "PG" for some mild language and innuendo.)

Review also posted on www.movie-critiques.com.