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.

[–] michaelilkiw 21 years ago

Since your Mr. Wizard and everything has to be scientifically correct, how come you didn't complain about the animals talking. Not only were they talking, but they were talking in English. Which of course wasn't used in any of those time periods. I would call that a bigger flaw. But I watched the move for entertainment. And it was entertaining so lighten up and stop tyring to impress people with your ability of researching scientific facts.

[–] william_lunn 21 years ago

My cat's breath smells like cat food.

[–] majik_tripp 18 years ago

I wasn't going to comment, and I know I'm three years late, but they're talking in English because if they were grunting and growling, we wouldn't be able to understand them. Its the same principle as having a movie set in Russia with the characters speaking English. We know Russians speak Russian. But most of us wouldn't be able to understand it. Its just a dramatic tool used to make it relatable to the audience.

"Ma coeur et sa coeur toujours!"

~Remy, X-Treme X-Men #10~

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] tanmarktx 21 years ago

ok,ok you all list flaws here about the wrong animals in the wrong period and so on
but hey nobody saw the big FLAW
animals CANT TALK
so get off your high horses and let a kids cartoon be what it is supposed to be FUN!!!

[–] Waben 21 years ago

ok, does ANYONE else feel like commenting on the animals being able to talk?!!! The first time I heard it, it was a good point, now it's just getting old...

[–] druid-10 21 years ago

Seems to me that all posts are repeats of somebody else's!

[–] Waben 21 years ago

Seems to me that all posts are repeats of somebody else's!

My words exactly!

[–] Chalice 21 years ago

The only thing that bothered me was that they're not called Sabre Toothed Tigers, it's Sabre Toothed CATS. Big difference.

Chalice

[–] undergroundwoman 21 years ago

Thank you so very much for translating my posts and combining them with the post of someone I disagreed with—it’s obvious that you actually read what I wrote. I now understand that I am a loser with no friends, and obviously better than everyone else, and regardless of losing my sense of humor in middle school, I still found this movie funny.

Personal attacks on my social life are of course the best way to counteract statements about factual evidence. For the record though: prom--boring, bad music. geology--nudity, good music, lots of beer. I mentioned on this board earlier the ridiculous portrayal of scientists in popular media. Sure, most of us devote our professional lives to what others may find completely non-interesting, but we are not scary people who think we’re “better than everyone else.” The real insecurity lies in believing that stereotype and all the paranoia over how the scientific method works. You are allowing yourself to feel stupid, when my main purpose in posting was educational. I would just assume go into international finance as shoot myself in the foot, but I don’t say that my friend who does work for a big bank, or my friends in social work, are stupid. I’m glad someone’s interested in keeping the real (well, human) world running while I look at piles of dirt all summer.

ps It depends on whether you speak American English or the English the rest of the word speaks. American: archeologist, paleontologist. British: archaeologist, palaeontologist. :)

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] undergroundwoman 21 years ago

You can enjoy something and critique it at the same time. I for one, am grateful for many aspects of the US government, but at the same time I can critique its actions. I wasn't aware that film criticism was a totalitarian regime.

You still have obviously not read my posts very carefully. I direct you to this quote: "I am merely suggesting that the initial poster of this thread do some research before he goes around correcting children's movies. I contributed my evidence against his comment, in case anyone really cared. Which I didn't expect them to."

As I also stated before (which seems an ok thing do do on this board, given the 80-odd statements that animals don't talk), you have to remember to question what people feed you. Since I am not a historian of turn of the century France, I probably miss most of the historical innacuracies in Moulin Rouge. Which is silly anyway, since that's not really the point of the movie--it's a fantasy. Ice Age sort of falls along those lines too, which is why I never would have brought up inaccuracies outside of a group of geologists, where we could share a giggle about where on earth movie people come up with such crazy ideas. No, Ice Age is not a documentary, but since the filmmakers obviously did do some research into the scientific reality, one would hope that they portray that to the extent that it works for the plot, etc. I do not relish laughing at it like I laugh at "Volcano," "The Core," and the upcoming "Day After Tomorrow," because I actually think Ice Age is a good movie. There is fantasy, and then there is reality. People should know the difference, not stick their heads in the sand when forced to think for themselves.

[–] Greek-a-Rican 21 years ago

VERY well said! And hey...where the heck is the guy that started this whole post? He got everyone's panties in a twist, then split. I guess that's why they all (most) decided to attack you instead, underground. In my opinion, they are having their own personal moron-a-thon. Who's winning, guys?

[–] NIMH87 21 years ago

Maybe you should read the posts more carefully. I don't believe that she said anything that you interpreted her as saying. In fact, she said that she enjoyed. All she did was make some comments about the accuracy of the movie, but she was just following the thread so far, which began with a discussion of the accuracy of the movie. If you can't at least make an effort at understanding other peoples' points of view, why exactly are you reading these posts? And just as sa side note, there is really no need to be rude and altogether mean: everyone is just discussing a kids movie. There is no need to get offended.

[–] brodie_kashmir 21 years ago

Yes, and she pointed that out.

Did you read my 2nd post? obviously not. Did you closely read my 1st post? no. Did you take what i said at face value and not take note of the hint of sarcasm? yes (your first one, congrats)

Yes, i realize that what i said could have come off as rude or mean. But i stand by what i said because the point behind what i said is not rude or mean or even funny. it is a completely legitimate and very serious point.

i will restate it in a non-rude, unsarcastic way here:

Why say that you know that it is a movie, that it is a kids movie, that it is meant for nothing more than entertainment, and then turn around and say that this movie was terribly historicaly inaccurate? And it isn't just this board, it was on Gladiator, Braveheart, i'm sure it will be on Troy, King Arthur, and Alexander the Great.

Ice Age was a fantasy, animated movie that was in no way meant to be a documentary (if you want an animated documentary, go watch the Discovery Channel). People don't go to movies to learn, they go to escape. Learning is what we have school for. Entertainment is what we have movies for.

That was my point. address it if you will. But people, come on. leave the movies alone. leave the movies out of the education debate.

Revenge is a dish best served cold!

[–] robbevl 19 years ago

Why say that you know that it is a movie, that it is a kids movie, that it is meant for nothing more than entertainment, and then turn around and say that this movie was terribly historicaly inaccurate?

Can't you read? SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT!

[–] luvmonkey5 20 years ago

i totally agree. im not posting anything but this- you guys are funny to read

[–] CooperKid 13 years ago

You're basically saying that there's no point in the goofs section on IMDB? That by pointing out the mistakes, we're missing the point of the film?

Undergroundwoman did say she/he enjoyed the film, and I actually found it interesting that some of the animals existed when they did. There's no need to shoot someone down just because you don't understand what they're getting at.

__________________
You're only supposed to blow the doors off!

[–] mhsdawgs 20 years ago

You can't be much of an underground woman if you put "nudity" and "lots of beer" as the opposites of "boring". Just pointing that out.

[–] Illbethereforyou 9 years ago

Imdb becomes heated 1st times. Don't take it personal. Jerks are everywhere.

[–] alivicwil 21 years ago

I watched this movie with my year 10 history class the other day. There's a scene, just before Sid tries to climb the rockface, drops the baby, and Diego arrives. Manny lifts his trunk and does a kinda "read my lips" thing (I can't remember what he said, sorry).

Anyways...

At that point, one of my year 10 boys puts a hand up and asks,
"Miss, do elepants really talk through their noses?"
To which I reply
"Ummmm, I don't think elephants really talk."

(Yes, I realise Manny's a mammoth, not an elephant. Just go with it, petty-board people :p )

But it got me wondering. The trumpeting noise elephants make... Is that through their trunks (like a snore), or through their mouths (like a roar). Or is it a bit each way?

Edited to add:
Just did a search on Ask.
at http://www.knoxville-zoo.com/elephants.htm I found this (if anyone else cares):
African Elephants can make many sounds with their trunks:
* Trumpet- through their trunk
* Roar-open mouth
* Rumble-a low sound possibly from their throat
* Chirp-tongue sucking noise
* Raspberry-noise from the tongue or tip of the trunkWhistle

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] Xarathos 21 years ago

Tigers don't change their ways, its impossible. If they did, and weren't cared for, they would die. This movie is absurd!! Oh wait, It's a MOVIE!!! If you want to complain about a movies accuracy, I've been to the JFK board. Now, even among conspiracy theories, the film is innaccurate. Ofcourse most the conspiracy theories are, infact there are way to many of them.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] Bob_Tanaka 21 years ago

Smilodon didn't live until around 10,000 years ago. It did not live with the dinosaurs. No large mamals lived with the dinosaurs! Cats didn't evolve until much later. The First big predators after the dinosaurs were large birds, not Smilodons. They lived with megatherium and phoeresroacus in south america around 10-20,000 years ago.

"We're humans, let's make ourselves proud of it!"

[–] Greek-a-Rican 21 years ago

Oy vey.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] garnet_Bill 21 years ago

undergroundwoman, I fully respect you. Not just for your intellegence or your interest in pre-history, but for you ability to control yourself and not resort to foul language and back-talk to those who rebute you. I, myself, have sometimes back-talked to people on boards, but I haven't degraded myself as to post messages with foul language in them, as far as I remember. But, Ice Age IS a great family film. It's funny and there aren't any crude humor/language or any jokes only adults catch. It's great fun for all ages and it's written for children to understand. Well, of course, some children might ask, "Mommy, what kind of kitty is that?" You know, things like that, because they're creatures children might not have seen. I'm sort of embarassed to say that my knowledge of what a Mammoth and Saber Tooth Tiger is comes from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Wait, is a Mammoth and Mastadon the same or different? Anyways, the creatures I liked the most in this movie were the Dodo's. "Doom on you. Doom on you." "Well, there went our last female." Funny. So, to cut this short, I'm just saying undergroundwoman, you are cool. =)

[–] ih8myselfih8you 21 years ago

mavmaramis, who cares about that bs, it's a kids movie. Someone with your "intelligence" shouldn't try to watch children's movies, they are out of your conceptional grasp.

I hate myself for not being what you want me to be; I hate you for wanting me to be what I'm not.

[–] benadam 21 years ago

undergroundwoman,

Thank you for your thoughtful, well-written comments and for persevering the less-than-thoughtful comments of others who participate in this forum.

I am intrigued by this film, a story about outcasts, and the meaning of belonging. Manny is a pariah through circumstances - the murder of his family by humans as told without words in the cave pictograms. Manny defies convention by not migrating South, literally walking against the current of the migrating herds. Sid is also an outcast. Shunned by his family, Sid defies convention by declaring that marriage is silly. Diego betrays his herd by bonding with the mamouth, the sloth and Roshan, the human baby. Roshan who narrowly escapes death by the jaws of the vengeful, murderous sabertooths, is orphaned and cut off from his community.

The sadness of disconnectedness is the thing that resonated with me. The film tugs at our hearts throughout the film, but does so most artfully in the cave.

The most glaring flaw in my view is the unimaginable union of perpetrators and victims. Humans hunt mamouths, sabertooths hunt humans and mamouths. Can Roshan love one of the animals that murdered his mother, or the animal (mamouth) he will hunt if he lives long enough? Implausible.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] benadam 21 years ago

The film industry and computer animation houses like Pixar in particular employ THE most talented people. The technical acumen required to produce films like Ice Age is very high.

Strats? You may be referring to Skrat the pre-historic squirrel.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] traingal1 20 years ago

I'm gonna put my 2 cents in as well. I am a psychology major and I think that if someone wishes to analyze a movie's content go for it!! On the other hand, if you wish to watch it simply or it's entertainment value, I think you should control yourselves from needless critisism. Some people actually enjoy analyzing movies! I am not in any way trying to attack anybody but it seems to me that some people are missing the point: Yes it is a cartoon where reality can be suspended for a while, Yes it is supposed to be entertainment for young children, and Yes it can be analyzed. BTW, undergroundwoman,I think you are a very intelligent person, thank you for your input, it was very interesting to read.

[–] janinew 20 years ago

Have you all noticed that this thread no longer has anything to do with the original subject? It has morphed into something pretty strange...