ICE AGE: A star-studded cast provides the voices for the prehistoric creatures in this computer-animated feature set 20,000 years ago as the Ice Age approaches. Seemingly antisocial Manny, a woolly mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano), acts as if he just wants to be left alone. When he meets Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo), a sloth, the two become unlikely traveling companions. The plot thickens when the duo finds a human infant and decides to try to return the child to its "herd." Manny slowly but surely reveals his heart of gold, while Sid continues to provide comic relief. Diego (voiced by Denis Leary), a saber-tooth tiger with ulterior motives, soon joins them in their search for the humans. Ultimately, this group of misfits becomes its own herd, learning about friendship and loyalty as they brave snow, ice, freezing temperatures, predators, hail, and even boiling lava pits. All the while, a saber-tooth squirrel, Scat, provides comic relief as he valiantly struggles with an acorn. A well-written, humorous script and endearing characters mesh well with the state-of-the-art technology and effects. Other stars lending their voices to the feature include Goran Visnjic, Jack Black, and Jane Krakowski.

ICE AGE 2: In this computer-animated sequel to ICE AGE, prehistoric creatures face a new problem: their icy world is melting. Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), seemingly the last woolly mammoth on Earth, and his pals--a saber-toothed tiger named Diego (Denis Leary) and a sloth named Sid (John Leguizamo)--are perfectly content in their ice-covered valley. When con artist Fast Tony (Jay Leno) claims that their home will soon be under water and the world is about to end, they think he's kidding. But to everyone's surprise, the shady fast-talker is right: Manny, Diego, and Sid soon discover that the valley will flood in days. Following the advice of a vulture (Will Arnett) who is hoping for the worst, a bevy of animals begin to make their way to the end of the valley in search of a boat that will save them from the flood.

En route, sad sack Manny is startled when he encounters another woolly mammoth, Ellie (Queen Latifah). As happy as Manny is to see another one of his kind, there's a problem: Ellie is convinced that she's a possum like her hyperactive brothers, Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck). And to make matters worse, the melting of the ice has released some ferocious sea creatures that had literally been frozen in time. Will Ellie finally realize that she's a gigantic woolly mammoth and not a pint-sized possum? Is it really the end of the world? Can Manny and the rest of the animals in the valley survive the impending flood? And will Manny be able to leave the past behind now that he knows he's not alone? Saber-tooth squirrel Scrat and his quest for an acorn once again provide additional comic relief throughout the film.

DVD Features:

2-Disc Set
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital Surround - Spanish, French
Disc 1: ICE AGE
Disc 2: ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN

Chris Wedge: Director, ICE AGE (2002)