CRITTERS, CREATURES ON DVD.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

Global warming is on the minds of the critters in ``Ice Age: The Meltdown,'' the sequel to the animated smash hit. And no, it isn't because they caught the Al Gore documentary ``An Inconvenient Truth.''

Instead, the droopy mammoth Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), the caustic saber-toothed tiger Diego (Denis Leary) and the dopey sloth Sid (John Leguizamo) have figured out the doomsayers are right and the glaciers are melting. Soon they'll have to hightail it from their home before the sun brings the flood.

Not quite as warm and furry as the original ``Ice Age,'' ``Meltdown'' still has its moments and will likely delight most young kids.

The critters' journey from their home gets a lift from another mammoth named Ellie, who thinks she's a possum. She even sleeps hanging upside down by her tail from a tree and pals around with two crazy possums (Seann William Scott, Josh Peck). But at least Manny is comforted to know he's not the last of the species before the groups heads off to a Noah's Ark-style ending.

The single-disc version of the film offers the usual commentary and a short, ``No Time for Nuts,'' featuring Scrat, the nutty prehistoric squirrel. Some of the extras on the two-disc set appear to be padding. But they may amuse kids nevertheless and are meant to teach them about the ice age.

``Ice Age: The Meltdown'' (Fox; $29.98 for the single disc, $34.98 for the two-disc set.)

``You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch. You're a nasty, wasty skunk. Your mind is filled with unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk.''

Who better to better to voice the big green nasty one in ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' than Frankenstein's monster himself, Boris Karloff.

The ``50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition'' of the 1966 film directed by legendary animator Chuck Jones has returned in new glory.

(In case the dates confuse you, the book was originally published in 1957, but the TV special aired in 1966.)

There isn't much new on this edition that wasn't on a previous version, except for a sharper picture and a new featurette, ``Dr. Seuss and the Grinch -- From Whoville to Hollywood.''

Still included are ``Horton Hears a Who,'' the animated Seuss tale of the elephant who discovers the tiny city of Whoville -- which is where ``Grinch'' takes place -- inside a daisy. Jones was chief animator on that one, too. There are also two other featurettes on the disc, including one about the wonderfully clever songs.

By the way, veteran voice artist June Foray (Rocky the Squirrel) is the voice of Cindy Lou Who. But it's Karloff, who is also the narrator, who steals the show with his macabre delivery.

As the song goes, ``You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.''

``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! -- 50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition'' (Warner; $19.98).

Rob Lowman, [phone]

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Diego the saber-tooth tiger (voice of Denis Leary) and Crash the possum (Seann William Scott) face global warming in ``Ice Age: The Meltdown.''

(2) no caption (``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! -- 50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition'')