Ice Age 4: On the Crest of Morality
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift is another summer premiere that could hardly surprise anyone. The fourth part of the long saga about prehistoric predators and herbivores was obviously designed only for those who go to the movies as if they were visiting: they say, not really, of course, you want to, but you need to while away the evening in not the worst company.Actually, good box office receipts against the background of, to put it mildly, a weak plot, jokes that were given with great difficulty and the general indistinctness of the characters, prove precisely this motivation. The viewer wanted Scrat - the viewer got Scrat, and at the same time pirates, the sea, some kind of incomprehensible interpretation of the split of the Pangea supercontinent - everything they wanted. On the other hand, there is something else in the cartoon. Something that negates all of its all too obvious flaws. We will not talk about the mistakes in detail, because, firstly, they are already striking, and secondly, they do not greatly affect the perception of the tape. By the way, this is the main paradox of "Ice Age": there are so many flaws in it (especially stylistic ones - what are at least sirens, so vulgar and predictable that it’s even embarrassing) that it would be worth finding something, which could be called"non-flaws."So, for fun. Everything is so coarsely sewn, painted with such large strokes, it is so categorically declared - a sermon, not a work of fiction.  It is the preaching pathos that makes Continental Drift the main cartoon of the new era, the era of unconditional values. And if "The Amazing Spider-Man", which LostFilm.INFO already talked about, hid a similar strategy behind an action movie, then "Ice Age" is even simpler: just adventure, just funny Sid in the end he understands what a wonderful grandmother he has (although without a king in his head, of course). Peter Parker is preaching for teenagers, and Sid and Manny are for middle school children and their parents, who are the main addressees of the cartoon.  Children, to be honest, do not perceive the teachings head-on, and the tape itself is unlikely to be of interest to them because of the huge number of completely adult scenes and storylines. The love of saber-toothed tigers Diego and Shira, built in the genre of remarks and giveaway games - is this addressed to some third grader? Please dismiss. The same story is with raising the daughter of Manny and Ellie ( Peach is, of course, too obviousmimic), her involuntary betrayal and her crushing victory (thanks to her parents) of the wayward party. Will the kids watch it? Never. Parents, parents only.  Peach is their childhood, Diego and Shira is their youth, Manny and Ellie - their present, Sid and grandmother - their possible future, not the most fun, but you can still replay (actually not). For some reason, it is customary to scold Hollywood for"lack of spirituality,"but"dream factory"remains the main moralist of the planet, and even through the boring adventures of a herd of mammoths, the commandments appear in huge letters. Honor your father and mother, do not lie, do not betray, do not steal. Children will learn, parents will be remembered. That's why the cartoon is made. Hopefully, the fifth part of the franchise will be about duty and loyalty to the Fatherland. 
The Topic of Article: Ice Age 4: On the Crest of Morality. |
