Related Sections: Animation Interviews Movies News
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Why filmmakers don't care if it's wrong
It doesn't take a paleontologist to know that there were no dinosaurs in the ice age. Yet Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs introduces said reptiles into the timeline in the third film.
But director Carlos Saldanha was ready to defend the historical accuracy of his family fantasy film. "Bring it on, bring it on," Saldanha joked in a press conference this month in Marina Del Rey, Calif.
In Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) discover an underground world where dinosaurs still live. The character of Ellie (Queen Latifah) even acknowledges that she thought dinosaurs had been extinct by the time of the ice age. So even the ice age characters knew there shouldn't be dinosaurs around.
"It's not so much that dinosaurs lived in the ice age," Saldanha said. "The concept was more [that] they discovered this world of dinosaurs that nobody knew existed. So we tapped into that. We weren't going for the Discovery Channel kind of accuracy. We were going for the fun of 'What if these two worlds lived in the same spot?' and how much fun we can have with that."
Romano offered another explanation of dinosaurs existing in the ice age. "Also, in your defense, when you say dinosaurs weren't in the ice age, well, animals don't really talk, either," Romano said during the same press conference.
The Ice Age filmmakers say they pay respect to real science in other ways. As co-director of the first film, Saldanha recalls checking in with paleontologists from the Museum in Natural History in New York, who OK'd everything about the first movie. That is, as long as the filmmakers assured him there would be no dinosaurs in it. Perhaps Saldanha had his fingers crossed when he made that promise.
"We knew it," Saldanha said. "When the third one came, when the concept came through, discovering this world of dinosaurs, we took creative liberty to make something that was entertaining, fun and not trying to go for the scientific accuracy. We just created this parallel world that never collided until this movie."
Romano chimed in again. "By the way, 90 percent of the population doesn't know that dinosaurs didn't exist during the ice age, so don't tell anybody."
The filmmakers did make one artistic decision based on evolutionary science. Their dinosaurs do not speak English like the rest of their prehistoric cast. "Well, the concept behind it was that dinosaurs were creatures from a long time ago, so that's why they don't talk," Saldanha said. "They didn't evolve as much as our guys."
To Romano, this part was realistic. "Now, come on, dinosaurs don't talk," Romano deadpanned. "That's ridiculous."
Romano should be happy about the addition of dinosaurs to the story: They define his entire character motivation for the third film.
"Manny as a character was always the biggest thing on Earth," Saldanha said. "On the third one, we said, 'OK, let's play with that.' Part of the character story of Manny in this movie was about him overcoming his own fears and him also thinking he could control the world. He could have the baby and make the world perfect for the baby. So the dinosaurs created this ginormous obstacle that, in a way, made him realize that he needs much more than just his ego that is there to have this life with the baby and have a life with the friends."
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs opens July 1.
By katyushina at 8:37 AM ON 06/29/09
Parents who take their kids to see this movie should consider furthering their *education* with a visit to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, where they can view displays of "Adam and Eve ... in the Garden of Eden ... and dinosaurs roam[ing] near the Rivers of Eden." Located just seven miles west of the Cincinnati Airport! Welcome, and prepare to believe!
By kookiekentucky at 9:44 AM ON 06/29/09
While fictional children's stories have been known to bend the facts to suit their purpose, I have to admit that's the first time I've seen a museum bend the facts to suit theirs.
Museums are supposed to be fact, not fiction.
I especially like the part where they have Noah's Ark on display. Because they found it, verified it and transported it right there to kentucky... right?
By doc_sloth at 9:48 AM ON 06/29/09
I'd like to know which paleontologists they talked to at the AMNH for the first one b/c there are a few details about Sid that still bug me!
*sigh* still, I let it go and try to enjoy the movies anyway....
By UnRiel at 10:42 AM ON 06/29/09
Anyone interested in some alternative historical viewpoints, there is plenty of evidence that defies "orthodox" history. One example is the carving of a stegasaurus on the temple at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. How could they have such an accurate understanding of the supposedly extinct animal. There are examples of South American carvings of extinct species of giant ground sloth that supposedly predate any humans in the Americas.
Science is not done discovering. There is plenty of room to modify the orthodox history, yet it is often protected as dare I say it, Gospel.
Let's the animated movies have some fun. It sounds like the spin on plot of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of The Earth, with the characters being extinct Ice Age creatures. Where's the harm?
By sboles1701 at 11:22 AM ON 06/29/09
Pardon me for being a bit sarcastic, but frankly anyone who goes to Hollywood for his/her science *or* theology is seriously barking up the wrong tree. Movies are for entertainment, and maybe to make you think a bit, but *not* to educate. Remember Star Trek--the original titles had the ship pass in silence--scientifically accurate and emotionally *dead*. There was no feeling of speed. Entertainment trumped scientific accuracy--quite appropriately. Same thing here--this is *fantasy*--if it's fun it's fine--but if you want a science lesson go to Discovery channel or a classroom--which I *do* from time to time before anyone asks.
By cassi at 12:22 PM ON 06/29/09
love Ice Age and don't waste a single thought about the historical accuracy of the new film. It's just a fun movie, nothing else!
By Rob at 3:24 PM ON 06/29/09
LOL! Bible thumpers couldn't ignore the fact that dinosaurs existed, so they incorporate it into their mythology! LOL!!!
By Crusade2267 at 4:24 PM ON 06/29/09
Just like the Flintstones confused generations past, Ice Age will now continue the tradition of showing dinosaurs millions of years after the asteroid. Yes, it'll confuse little kids, but someday those kids will grow up into big nerdy adults and realize that THIS IS JUST A CARTOON. IT'S FUNNY.
By Token at 6:24 PM ON 06/29/09
I'm fairly sure that the depiction of wooly mammoths palling around with a sloth and a sabre-tooth tiger isn't very scientifically accurate either...
By shimrod at 3:41 AM ON 06/30/09
Facts have no place in religion - everyone knows that
they get in the way of the 'truth'
Im still going to enjoy this film though
By Sam at 12:10 PM ON 06/30/09
Besides, yesterday God and I had coffee and he took me to the ice age where a mammoth, T-rex and 'raptor were playing cards. I joined in and had a blast, although the T-rex was irritable and the velociraptor kept staring at me. The mammoth was cool, although I'm pretty sure he took my wallet.
God says Hi, by the way.
By Rob at 6:41 PM ON 07/02/09
Sam, you are not real either.
By Jeff at 1:25 PM ON 11/01/09
I am a scientist (biologist) and was a little disturbed when I first heard the title of the move, but after reading the above plot in a little more detail I am fine with it as a source of children's entertainment, but it would be good for the schools to reinforce the true time line. After all, I did enjoy the Flinstones as a child, even though I knew it was fiction. By the way, Giant Ground Sloths were still alive when humans populated the Western hemisphere. Two links showing some of the time line on that are below.
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/sloth.html
http://archaeology.about.com/od/foodsoftheancientpast/a/cubasloth.htm
By Adam at 11:14 PM ON 01/15/10
In truth children do derive a heavy amount of information from media resource, especially in today's day and age. The problem with this obvious attempt at a sequel, is that it will seriously mess up childrens perspective of the time-line. It is because of the Ice Age that mammals took precedence over large cold-blooded reptiles. So titling a sequel or triquel or whatever- "'Dawn' of the Dinosaurs" where the first movie has humans already, I can foresee a lot of children growing up thinking dinosaurs came after humans.
Visit mobile.syfy.com/wire on your mobile device.
Adam:
In truth children do derive a heavy amount of information from media resource, especially in today's day and age. T...More »