Saldanha says that, individually, Scott and Peck are “free spirited, funny, and high-energy actors. Together, they produced magic,” which Saldanha captured by putting them together in the recording booth – a rarity in animated feature filmmaking.
The director drew special pleasure from animating Crash and Eddie because they’re so physically flexible and very different from Manny, Sid and Diego. That bendy physicality adds to the characters’ madcap fun. “Crash and Eddie will try any stunt – the crazier, the better,” says Saldanha. “They’re no-holds-barred in actions and humor, and that gives a director and animator so much to work with.”
Seann William Scott had not yet seen “Ice Age” when he committed to ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN. But when he did catch up with the film, he was hooked. “The ICE AGE : THE MELTDOWN script was fun and I was looking forward to being a part of it,” he says. “But when I saw ‘Ice Age’ on DVD, it took the experience to a whole new level.”
Josh Peck is another “Ice Age” fan. “I loved how the emotions and character expressions came across in the film,” he says. “Watching it was like spending time with your best friends.”
Peck likens Eddie to a high-energy teenager. Still, he’s less intense than older brother Crash. “Of the two,” adds Peck, “Eddie’s the voice of reason, but he’s still a stunt devil who likes to have a good time – and take care of his sister.”
The film’s principals are supported by a menagerie of colorful villainous characters. Fast Tony, an armadillo voiced by late night talk show king Jay Leno, is a slick con artist who warns the valley creatures of the impending flood – and does everything he can to make a buck out of it. “I had a great time voicing Fast Tony,” relates Leno. “He has the amazing energy – and scruples – of a high-powered used car salesman. He’ll take anything, even a potential cataclysm, and use it to his advantage.”
Leno, a renowned stand-up comedian as well as talk show titan, likens the process of voicing an animated character to doing stand-up. “In both, you’re trying to make people laugh, using only your voice. If [voicing a character] was modern interpretative dance, I’d be in trouble,” he jokes. “But as a comic who’s used to being on stage, projecting, and making funny noises – I could handle the work on ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN.”
A more threatening presence is the Lone Gunslinger Vulture, voiced by Will Arnett, who stars in the Emmy®-winning sitcom “Arrested Development.” The winged predator sees the flood as a golden opportunity: every creature in the valley becomes a potential meal! The banquet the vulture believes awaits him, inspires him and an entire chorus of vultures to song – an inventive take-off of the classic tune, “Food, Glorious Food,” from the ’60s Broadway musical (and Oscar®-winning film) “Oliver.”
Then, there are the most dangerous creatures of all: Cretaceous and Maelstrom, two prehistoric reptiles who, once defrosted from their Ice Age habitat, chase our heroes with intent to devour. They’re a looming threat throughout the story. Cretaceous is a crocodile-like creature with a long snout, and Maelstrom is somewhere between a killer whale and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
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