Decent Kids Flick but adults beware...

Rating: 5/10 (1 May 2006)

For a kids' flick, "The Meltdown" dabbles in death more than Marilyn Manson's diary. But when you're dealing with extinction, how can you not? Our adventure has our threesome trying to get to the other end of the valley where they live to avoid a big thaw that will have them looking like Leo DiCaprio in the waning moments of "Titanic." Along the way, each deals with their problems. Manny is afraid that he's the last mammoth alive, Sid is mad that no one respects him and Diego can't swim. In other words, it's kind of like the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz" minus the flying monkeys and midgets sucking on lollipops.
Mixing fun show tunes, a wittier than expected script and a couple of compelling story lines, "The Meltdown" manages to build and impress throughout. Leguizamo's wispy voice work shows that creating compelling animated characters takes more than just placing a sitcom star in front of a Mic  yes, I'm looking at you, David Schwimmer. And Scrat, the ratty squirrel-like creature who just wants his nut, offers creative interludes that ring of Wyle E. Coyote.
Even sellout Queen Latifah, who voices a mammoth that thinks she's a opossum, manages not to ruin the flick  even though every time she speaks, you can't help but think it's a Pizza Hut commercial or a bad buddy movie. I probably would have been better staying home.