Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.
Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.
And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize
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| The age has thawed when this picture was taken :) With the exception of Sid`s teeth :) |
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| We`re babysitting the possums :) |
During the beginning of this Century, it was obvious that Hand Drawn Animation was meant to go and CGI animation was meant to stay. However, it was also obvious how this new wave of CGI animated features was becoming a formula with the elements started by Toy Story. Most of them were buddy comedies with Pop Culture References about two mismatched males who went on a journey. Whatever could be said about that formula, when something is successful, it`s going to be milked for what is worth. Despite how the formula was becoming obvious, it couldn`t prevent the fate of how CGI was taking over the World. But in the early 2000`s, Pixar
had their string of successes, while DreamWorks finally made themselves
as one of the big boys with the tremendous success of Shrek. And joining the likes of Pixar and DreamWorks into the realm of animation was Blue Sky Studios` Ice Age.  |
| Even a rodent loves money :) They have an appeal to every creature :) |
Having already turned 20 years old, Ice Age happened to be Blue Sky Studio`s very first full-feature film. But it also turned out to be a huge Success, grossing $176,387,405 Domestically and $383,257,136 Worldwide. Critically, Ice Age was well-received, too. Due to it`s success, Ice Age became a mandatory franchise that is still milked to this day. But it`s also has become one of the most prominent animated franchises of this Century. While it wasn`t perhaps a gamechanger like Shrek or Toy Story, it still was credited among the CGI boom. And making Blue Sky Studios one of the Big Boys in the realm of animation.Ice Age`s Trademarks and Components
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| The lights makes us forget that we`re freezing our asses :) |
Released March 15th 2002, Ice Age was directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha (who was his former student and moved from animator to co-director). At least Ice Age shall have credit for depicting something that was rarely shown in animation: The era of the Ice Age (something that the following years Brother Bear would replicate, which made purists scream foul). But it does another thing that animation is simply synonymous with: To portray an (naturalistic) animal world. While the animation in Ice Age wasn`t truly praised as the animation of it`s counterparts of Pixar and DreamWorks, it still wasn`t shunned, either.  |
| I made him myself :) |
True that Ice Age also had something that most animated features would be known for after Aladdin: Celebrity voice casting and being marketed for it. As Ray Romano as Manfred "Manny" (James Earl Jones and Ving Rhames were considered, but Romano was chosen for his elephant-like voice), John Leguiazamo as Sid (who experimented with 40 voices and a slow voice to fit a lazy
sloth. But his final voice came when he saw how
they stored food in their mouth pockets), Denis Leary as Diego and Jack Black as Zeke. While Ice Age is first and foremost a comedy, it still has it`s fair share of heart and sentiment as well. And pathos and ethos. True that it wasn`t perhaps as appealing to adults as Shrek or Monsters Inc. But it still was among the successful streak of CGI features for the family. While it does highly resemble both Shrek and Monsters Inc., at least Ice Age has more action that both of them. |
| We`re know that our weights can make the ice crack :) But we were just curious :) |
Ice Age was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscar`s. And was the highest-grossing animated film of 2002. But since it`s become a franchise, in April 2016, the franchise generated $6 billion in revenue. Making the 18th highest-grossing franchise of all time, and the third grossing animated franchise after Despicable Me and Shrek. And it`s the first franchise to have five Theatrical films. However, while Ice Age used to be a Blue Sky Studios property, Disney took over it as a result of how their cross-studio merging when they took over 20th Century Fox. However, Disney unfortunately shot down Blue Sky Studio in 2021 for two reasons: Because they didn`t needed another animation studio. But also due to Covid 19. Behind the Scenes Information
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| It was fun hanging like this. Seriously, no joke :) |
Ice Age was pitched to 20th Century Fox in 1997 and intended to be made by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman's Fox Animation Studios. It was first going to be a hand drawn film, but eventually became the first CGI film for the newly-reformed Blue Sky, who Fox acquired that same year. Which was reshaped from a VFX house to a computer animation studio (despite how Fox were considering to sell the studio in 2000). Who had made commercials and effects for 20th Century Fox for X Files, Alien Resurrection, Fight Club and even Titanic. Focus shifted from making an action-adventure drama to a comedy (as Fox wanted it to be one).  |
| I`m a robot bunny. Sort of :) |
Chris Wegde made his directing debut with Ice Age (who had directed the 1998 short Bunny). He was hesitant to the story, but was won over by at last (the baby and Diego`s betrayal). After being hired, writer Michael Berg said that he couldn't write a film made for
children. Which the studio responded, "Great! Just write a good
story". Official production began in June 2000, one week after the closure of Fox Animation Studios. So it took two years. 150 employees were hired to work on the film, with a budget of $58 million. And yes it was pitched as “Three-Godfathers'-on-a-Glacier”. Michael Wilson, who worked on 1994’s live-action version of The Flintstones, was the first writer brought. |
| I know that we don`t look like geniuses, but we truly are :) |
Jon Vitti and Mike Reiss, both former writers for The Simpsons, were added later. For research, the team took many trips to the Museum of Natural History to make sure that the film felt like the Ice Age. The animation used was WaveFront's Maya software. Rendering was completed using CGI Studio, an in-house ray tracing program developed since Blue Sky's formation in 1987. While Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was the first CGI film to use that technology, Ice Age would have been the first had it been released when the studio began work on it. It`s Box Office numbers was ahead of Fox's optimistic projection of $30 million. The composer was David Newman (who also did another 20th Century Fox property, Anastasia).
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| Perhaps my tail can hide my acorn :) |
The reason for the simplistic look of the animation was for two reasons: For the budget and scheduling restrictions and for being the first film of the Blue Sky Studios. But Wedge wanted a stylised look. The designers had creative
freedom because they had no boundaries. Brian McEntee, who worked on
Disney`s Beauty and the Beast, was the art director. A designer for the movie, Mary GrandPré, worked on the book covers from Harry Potter. Scrat
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| I told them to put my ears on, but they wouldn`t listen :) |
While there were many reasons for why Ice Age was so successful, one of those elements was truly the character of Scrat. The saber-toothed squirrel who never get his nut (a blend of a squirrel and rat, suggested by screenwriter Michael J. Wilson`s daughter. Which his name came from). Who became iconic and the symbol of the Blue Sky Company. In fact, some have compared Scrat`s situations to the likes of Chuck Jones. The first scene of his failed attempts was put as a teaser trailer (which Wedge was skeptical about, for spoiling it all). Which created a lot of buzz and anticipation for the movie. Originally it wasn`t in the script and was the only scene for him, but he was a popular character with test audiences that he was given more scenes. |
| I`m using the acorn as a decoration :) Smart, huh? :) |
However, to take consideration of his storylines is fascinating. As his situations are mostly subplots. While his failures starts the evolution of the Ice Age and the situations of each movie, Scrat mostly functions as a separate character. What also differentiates Scrat is how he`s (unlike the rest of the main cast) is essentially a pantomime character (voiced by director Wedge). To have Scrat talk was dropped, as he worked better as a silent for comedic effect. But sure, it`s no denial that he`s a popular character and the demand for his screentime was warranted and mandatory.  |
| I heard that greeks were handsome, so therefore I wanted to be one :) |
Scrat's opening adventure was put in cause without it the first snow and ice scene wouldn't take place until 37 minutes into the film. And his scenes often appear directly after dramatic moments in the film. But yeah, Scrat both opens and closes most of it`s sequels, too. But Scrat was added to introduce the movie in a dynamic way. He was also put by character designer Peter de Sève when Wedge looked for a character that was left. And urged Sève to put some teeth on him. And for the technological limitations back in 2002, they couldn`t put enough fur on him. Originally Scrat was had more nuts to hide. And Scrat`s cartoony behaviour was modeled from real chipmunks outside the Blue Sky Studio. The Similarities to Shrek & Monsters Inc.
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| This is our task at acting school :) |
All in all, it would be fair to call the first Ice Age derivative. Because it borrows blatantly from both Shrek and Monsters Inc. The Manny/Sid-dynamic is an carbon copy of the Shrek/Donkey dynamic: To have a gruff, grumpy and sardonic character and a wisecracking, perky and vivacious counterpart (originally Sid was going to be a con-artist, a playboy. and a hustler, but changed to a talkative-clumsy sloth to make him more likable. Many
innuendos with Sid were cut, along with one in the tub with the ladies. Sid was also having a female sloth named Sylvia chasing him, who he despised. The crew took liberties with his movements, as they were faster, as well as a flexible range. But his arm was restricted to the slowness of sloths).
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| I`m trying to carry him without hurting him. It was a task given by our therapy counselor :) |
But just like Shrek, it shows a vulnerable side to Manny to make the audience root for him (to have him lose his family, which originally was going to be a dream sequence that opened the movie). But what makes Manny astonishing, is how he bears no resentment towards the humans. And still wants to return the human baby (named Roshan) to his father, despite his trauma (it took a long time to design him, but it was decided that his acting would come through facial expressions).  |
| This is our Peeka-boo with a paw :) |
But in Ice Age, a third character is added in Diego (while the same could`ve been said about Fiona in Shrek, she was a love interest, after all. As the first Ice Age pretty much excludes a love interest for the leads). Which makes Ice Age distinctive to Shrek and Monsters Inc. However, Diego is the most interesting of this trio, since he starts out as an antagonist and slowly morphes to the good side Which makes him go through an arc. And yes, Diego was supposed to die, but survived to please the kids (he moved as a real feline, which made it was hard to charicature his moves). But the similarities to Monsters Inc comes with the baby, who`s been shallowly compared to Boo. While it is a shallow cue, it`s still relevant enough.
The Story & Human Characters
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| I`m waay about ya :) |
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| Despite how I`m the leader, I can bow and still be respected :) |
But in that regard, it`s really interesting how the Ice Age depicts the humans. As they`re essentially devoided for any dialogue whatsoever, reversing the idea of how humans usually operates in the world. As it`s told from the animals point of view. Which was a deliberate choice (in a more litteral way than Disney movies who approached this idea, like Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmatians). And yes, the movie even pokes fun at this issue. But it overall makes sense, as they are Neanderthals (despite how they do highly resemble the Inuits from Brother Bear). Designing and animating the humans was a huge challenge. But yeah, the overall conflict comes from prejudice between mans and animals, which is a compelling conflict (which evolved during the treatments). And yes, Ice Age does have one iconic Disney trope: The death of a mother.
Franchise
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| I came after the dinosaur put his footprint :) |
Unsurprisingly, Ice Age became a mandatory franchise for it`s success. It was followed by various sequels. The first one (Ice Age 2: The Meltdown) being released four years after it`s predecessor in 2006. The two following ones, Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) and Ice Age 4 Continental Drift (2012) having a three year gap between them and Ice Age Collision Course (2016) breaking that pattern. But it`s interesting to examinate the sequels to their predecessor. While there was some sentiment to them, it`s remarkable how they essentially are frivilious fun compared to their forerunner (and even having a new score). While many considered the sequels as inferior for not having the pathos of it`s predecessor, I personally didn`t mind it. Since I enjoyed the sequels for their pure fun.  |
| Yes, cause it will melt someday :) |
All of them introduced new characters to the rut, which is a risk with an evolving franchise. For the reason of overloading the franchise. Meltdown introduces a new family to Manny with his love interest Ellie (Queen Latifah) and her possum "brothers" Crash (Sean William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck). Dinosaurs introduces a love interest for Scrat, Scratte, Buck (Simon Pegg), the weasel and Manny`s daughter Peaches. Drift has Peaches as an adolecent (Keke Palmer) and a love interest for Diego, Shira (Jennifer Lopez). And having more anacronistic situations to the characters and even anthrophomorizing some of them (which is certainly notable, due to how naturalistic the first movie was). A problem with sequels is perceiving which characters holds up and doesn`t. And it`s noteworthy that Diego simply becomes the character with the least to do. And basically becomes the third wheel (literally). |
| There`s an acorn inside the egg :) |
However, regarding specials, we have Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011). Taking place between Dinosaurs and Drift. Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016) takes place between Continental Drift and Collision Course. However, regarding the shorts, Gone Nutty was released on the Ice Age DVD in 2002. No Time for Nuts was a short released on the Meltdown DVD. Surviving Sid is a 2008 short released on the Horton Hears a Who! DVD and Blu-ray. Scrat's Continental Crack-Up is the first of a 2012 two-part short film released in theaters alongside Gulliver's Travels and Rio. Scrat's Continental Crack-Up: Part 2 was released in theaters alongside Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe was a 2015 short released in theaters alongside The Peanuts Movie. Scrat: Spaced Out was a 2016 shortreleased on the Ice Age: Collision Course DVD and Blu-ray.
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| Rafiki would be proud :) |
However, the Ice Age franchise has still been milked to this date in 2022. In January, Buck`s Wild Adventure was released to Disney Plus. The very first Ice Age feature to not be released theatrically (and the first to not feature Blue Sky, and was intented to be a series). It`s remarkable that it took so long to make a feature starring Buck (since he was my favorite character and was cherished one). Despite how it was crticially not well-received. In April, Ice Age Scrat Tales was also released on Disney Plus with six episodes (despite their short screentime). The first Ice Age property to actually become a short series (where Scrat is given a son). At least the mini-series got better reviews than Adventure.
Ice Age Attractions
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| Yes, we have a live attraction. Don`t ask us why :) |
While Disney has always been known for milking their products through attractions (which is a reason why I rarely write about it on my entries for them), the same has happened with Ice Age too. First was Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure, a live-action tour, a
production by 20th Century Fox and Stage Entertainment Touring
Productions. With new adventures with the characters. Baby Peaches was kidnapped by the evil
hawk-like Shadow. Manny sets off to rescue her with Sid and Diego. Their mission is successful, but
on the way home they encounter avalanches and rockfalls, diverting them
into a fantasy underground kingdom. The tour closed prior to 2016 and was followed by Ice Age on Ice. Which ran in Germany. |
| Don`t worry, it looks as freaky as it seems :) |
Ice Age rides and attractions was in Movie Park
Germany. In 2012, Ice Age 4D Experience opened at Alton Towers. In 2014, Ice Age rides open at Dufan Ancol, Jakarta. Which brought two Ice Age rides named Ice Age: Sid's Arctic Tours and Kontiki. In 2021, Ice Age atrractions was featured at the first
20th Century Fox theme park named 20th Century Fox World in Malaysia. Ice Age: Glacier Waterfall is a log flume water ride at Universal Metazoa, Disney-MGM Studios New York, and Universal Studios Philadelphia. The No Time For Nuts short was remade into a 4D ride, with some new scenes that weren't in
the original short. Ice Age Adventure was a ride in Movie Park, Germany that was closed for an expired license.
Epilogue
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| We`re trying to be wannabe dogs :) |
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| This will be handy to your circus :) |
As for myself, I liked the first movie, despite that I didn`t love it. As I frankly found it to be a little overrated and sappy (at the time). And I saw it Theatrically with an audience who laughed out loud. Frankly I liked the second and the third feature more (yes, I know that I have weird taste. But please forgive me). But the fourth movie was somewhat meh. The fifth movie was fine, as Buck`s Wild Adventure. At the end, since this franchise has reached it`s 20th Anniversary and has it`s high position in animation, there`s nothing left than to wish it Happy 20th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more. |
| Don`t do this at home, kids :) |
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References:
The Art of Ice Age (Tara Bennett)
Ice Age 2 Disc Special Edition DVD
