MovieChat Forums > Ice Age (2002) Discussion > Big Flaw

Big Flaw

posted 22 years ago by mavmaramis
208 replies | jump to latest

Ok so I know this is animation (cartoon) and as such disbelief should be suspended - but suspended how far?

Scientifically this film is ludicrous, mixing two distinctly different geological time zones and creatures into one all encompasing umbrella labelled "Ice Age"

The Ice Age as most scientist define it is a period known as the Pleistocene - the last 2 million years of history up to 10,000 years ago when it changed to the Holocene.

Smilodon (Sabre Tooth Tigers) were primarilly Mesozoic creatures that became extinct along with the rest of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous.

Woolly mammoth - Mammuthus primigenius (Blumenbach, 1799), were primarilly Pleistocene creatures. And yes they were around at the same time as humans.

Yada yada - can't have an extinct creature roaming around in a later time frame.

And as for sloths being around where there was permafrost - again dubious.

[–] ZakaryBinx 22 years ago

Its people like you who ruin the movie for us. I mean really, yes we all know that animals cant talk and yada yada yada but common its a flippin cartoon. Lighten up a little bit for gosh sake. You must be really desperate to do something if all you can do is rip on little kids movies for pleasure. Everybody isnt perfect in this world, so neither are movies...get a life...

[–] traildraft 22 years ago

I am an adult and an old school animation fan(i.e. Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote). Those were some of the toons that started it all. I think it's astounding how movies like Ice Age, and Shrek are made. I can't wait to see what's next! Sure not everyones is gonna like the same movies but let's agree to disagree. Just my 2 cents.

[–] ktstephenson85 22 years ago

what is the poin in watching films if your just gunna pull them apart and criticise them afterwards. i dont care if u liked it, surely some pleasure has got to have gone out of it by commenting and picking on all its flaws. honestly i couldnt give two hoots about the mokfmvomfvom period or whatever (sorry the post was soooo boring i couldnt be bothered going back to check the correct spelling). this was a brilliant film, ok maybe a bit short but it was sooo funny!

could you suggest other characters from the same period as the rest of them who could have fulfilled the same kind of humerous role as the sabre tooth tigers did, probably not. they were put there for a reason....our enjoyment!!!! so enjoy them. its a childs film not a factual film and there are plenty more films with more obvious flaws than those with only megazoid brains could point out so chill yer boots man

ciao kt xx

*guaranteed to jack you up*

[–] 22 years ago

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[–] undergroundwoman 22 years ago

Regardless of the fact that I agree that the initial poster seemed a little too big for his britches, and was wrong, which was why as a geologist I joined this thread....there is a disturbing trend in these last few posts. Do people care anymore what they are spoon-fed by the media? I don't expect people to notice or care about the few picky errors in a cartoon, now if there had actually been a dinosaur in this movie I would be livid. If someone goes to make a movie, or cartoon, based on scientific fact; I would hold them to some degree of scientific accuracy. I do not pick apart, for instance, Wile E. Coyote's defiance of the laws of physics, because it was not written based on fact.

The truth is, some of us do care about the "jadrlfhadlfahksdj" period, and find it fascinating. I will be the first one to call myself a geek in that respect, though I make no claims on whether my brain is "megazoid." To tell me to stop thinking, which IS basically what you are asking me to do, is like telling me to stop breathing. If you stop questioning what is placed in front of you by people with a lot of money and power, then you are in trouble. If someone made a cartoon that was offensive to your ethnic, racial, religious, etc, background would you sit there saying "oh it's only a cartoon," and laugh?

I just remembered there was a post on here about this movie being offensive to someone's religion...good for you, mtrupe, for questioning this movie and posting...although I still don't agree with you... :)

[–] Inu_Ranma 22 years ago

If you want flaws, look at the plot holes. Those are plenty.

[–] 22 years ago

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[–] Jezebell 22 years ago

LOL. this is just too funny. Mature adults arguing over inaccuracies in a child's cartoon movie. You want accuracy, go watch TLC and Discovery. Don't sit here and start a useless discussion if the sabre tooth tiger was from the mesozzoic or whatever else era you claim or not claim him to be from. If you scroll up this post a bit, a small discussion about Monsters, Inc was started. One guy said that Monsters Inc was "crap because it stated that Monsters come through your wardrobe and this ofcourse is untrue!" LOL. I just can't help but laugh! Do you guys look at what your writing??? So I guess any other animation ever made is crap, because none of it is true. hello? thats why its called animation! cos its not true! People who feel the need to analyze every bit and detail of a movie and tear it into shreads really ruin the experience for everyone else. There is no need whatso ever for this movie to be accurate. It is not a documentary, it is not a discovery channel or prime time special. Its a cartoon. ITS A CARTOON.

[–] BlackTerror 21 years ago

"hello? thats why its called animation! cos its not true!"

best statement EVAR

[–] CrypticMystic 22 years ago

I'm glad I don't sit near you at the movie theaters.

Yes, it's not accurate. But then I don't see the word "documentary" in there anywhere....

[–] 22 years ago

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[–] little_tx_cowgirl_n_sa 22 years ago

Are you Trying to sound smart with your "noticed flaw" cus in my opinion you sound completly stupid for trying to slaughter a FAMILY FILM bc of "geological correctness" or "incorrectness" in your viewpoint.

[–] 22 years ago

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[–] 22 years ago

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[–] CTW-3 21 years ago

Sabre-toothed cats aren't tigers, ok? They haven't evolve yet during the time of the dinos. They died out about 10,000 yr. ago and I hope you know that dinosaurs extincted 65 milion yr. ago, and another thing, those creatures in the movie can possibly be together in time. The scientific flaw in this film is that they talk, fine? (I'm talking to the smart ass starting this ok? not you or anyone else.)

[–] movie-geek 21 years ago

Undergroundwoman,

I saw Ice Age yesterday and, like yourself, enjoyed it immensely. Today I looked it up on IMDB and read this entire "Big Flaw" thread.

I was going to suggest that you should just ignore them all - if they think you are trying to slaughter the movie or tear it apart, when you were merely defending it and attempting to enlighten them a little about some of the fascinating findings of science along the way (relating to the Ice Age and other eras), they are hardly worth responding to - but since you haven't posted since May I can only assume this already occurred to you.

I for one enjoyed and appreciated your posts and share your views on this entertaining movie.

All the best,

movie-geek.

[–] undergroundwoman 21 years ago

Huh, today out of all days I happened to check back to see if anything vaguely intelligent and worth replying to had been said in my absence. I'm all for meaningful discussion and debate, but apparently this board is not too receptive, or in some cases, though I hate to be an intellectual elitist, literate. I appreciate that you (and an earlier poster who enjoyed my long and nerdy post) took the time to reply; my wavering faith in humanity has been temporarily restored.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to run along to my Global Climate Change class. : D

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] devil_trigger_88 21 years ago

Well the focus has been put onto the characters in this film obviously. It works pretty well under the circumstances and the cartoon comedy is pretty fluent. Enough to distract you from the 'flaws'.

[–] hayrab 21 years ago

Don't worry about seeming intellectually elitist. I think most adults all have their area of expertise. I could sit here jabbing about computer RAM CAS latencies and TCP/IP socket to PPTP SSL encryption tunnels but it doesn't really apply except in the Hackers discussion forum. Ice Age happens to be a field day for geologists and little details that 99.999% of people who watch it didn't notice, pretty much what movies like hackers, swordfish etc... do for me.

Now as far as Ice Age, the movie was hilarious but not nearly as funny as this thread. The post about this movie not being for religious people had me laughing my a$$ off. No matter the movie SOMEONE will find it offensive, sesame street is satanic btw. Anyway, morale of the story, enjoy the movie, drink a 5th of liqour and then start posting replies so I can enjoy this post.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] irisheyes317 20 years ago

Under-
I just wanted to agree. I don't remember much about the dif eras from HS sci, but I didn't think you were being stuck up or anything. I like the fact that you stuck up for yourself, your posts, and the movie. I love that you set the orig. poster strait, cause thats one thing I did remember from my archeology dreams as a kid, the olny mamals durring the dino age were uber-small, not sabers.

Everyone Else-
I liked this movie just as much as the kids I babysit for and was thrilled when I got it for christmas. I'm in college and it still makes us all laugh, so everyone else out there, stop ragging on a kids movie and those who enjoy it. yes there were inacuracies, as there are in almost every movie. just watch the movie and think it of nothing more than a funny cartoon. its not supposed to be psyko-analyzed or have religion dragged into it. Just come home, watch a funny movie to relax, and then go back to your cublicle the next day.

sub-artic tempreratures will force us underground for a million billion years!
so you got three melons?

[–] robina5-1 19 years ago

It has to be said right - this is ridiculous. Undergroundwoman is defending a damn funny film and your all attacking her! Can i say this - leave the poor woman alone she's on your side. She has said that yes there are inaccuracies but that its still an amazin film (and shes right) I reckon we just fight against the original poster cos he/she was the one who's sad enough to criticise a kids film. Oh and can we keep this seriously funny thread going??
I need somethin to cheer me up

Just my opinion

Inside me there is a model waiting to get out and throw up

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] arric 21 years ago

How about this for a flaw? The animals all talk.

If you can ge tover that you can get over dealing with a little interspersing of epochs.

[–] Waben 21 years ago

Is it me, or is every post in here a repeat of someone elses??

[–] Slopmaster4001 21 years ago

Honestly there are some other things that stood out. Remember the crashed flying saucer in the glacier, for some people thats pretty unlikely. Stone Henge at that time? I seriously doubt its that old and I'm not scientist but shouldn't humans have been able to talk at the point.

[–] Waben 21 years ago

I don't think the humans can't talk, but we are watching from the animals point of view. Maybe, to the animals, humans can't talk, like to humans, animals can't talk. Get me?! That's just what i figured...

[–] CTW-3 21 years ago

I got your point.