We’re in the midst of the post-Oscar, pre-summer movie drought, so it’s slim pickings at the multiplex this week. However, for those who sensibly heeded the health warnings associated with the dire “Basic Instinct 2,” this friendlier, much more enjoyable sequel isn’t the worst way to get out of the seasonal rain showers.

“Ice Age 2: The Meltdown” sees the digitally animated pre-historic heroes from the first movie—Manny the mammoth, Diego the saber tooth tiger and Sid the sloth—fleeing the thawing tundra of their home as the Earth heats up and ice gives way to ocean. The wise-cracking Sid, voiced by John Leguizamo, hams it up beautifully, stealing most of his scenes and providing audiences with the movie’s best moment, a daft song and dance number that raised more than a couple of guffaws from the adults, who of course were there “for the kids.” Queen Latifah provides romantic interest as Ellie, who is stunned to hear that she and Manny (Ray Romano) might have to repopulate the world’s mammoth population as the last survivors of their species—especially as she believes that she is not a mammoth but a possum. (Ridiculous yes, but no more than the idea of Ray Romano being Queen Latifah’s love interest. And again, this is all much more interesting and believable than any of the relationships in “Basic Instinct 2.”)

“Ice Age 2” is a little darker in tone that the original, dealing with themes of global warming, death and extinction. Sometimes the gags aren’t quite funny enough to get over these rather weighty, doom-laden topics. Moreover, with two hungry sea creatures tracking our heroes, as well the presence of vultures, drooling with glee at the possibility of a serious feast if the animals don’t survive the changing climate, the movie’s bad guys are really bad, and little else.

More could have been done with Denis Leary as Diego, and Ray Romano is a little leaden as the lead. However, putting more cynical tendencies aside, this will keep younger audiences entertained, and the sight of a pre-historic squirrel falling off a cliff is, well, funny.