The Reviews have arrived!

Dialysis by Analysis: The Film Review Spectrum. By Chaney.

This film review hobby of mine that I am undertaking is meant to discuss the formats of filmmaking, as well as the messages and methods behind the films that we all see and love.

It is meant to be a revolutionary in terms of its film theory and reviews. (I've been reading alot of Black Panthers literature lately, and my Socialist-meter is running sky-high at the moment)

It will not, however, indulge in pop culture, satire, or other counter-revolutionary forces.

The first piece that will be brought before discussion is the film, "Ice Age 2", by the 20th Century Fox filmmakers. Where this film draws interest in a revolutionary discussion of filmmaking is in its usage of characterization. Mainly, that the film posits the personalities that the filmmakers assume to be human values, onto the animals.

This is quite common, you say, and I agree. Where this discussion draws merit is in the way that the filmmakers make assumptions about OUR lives. The theory operates in the same manner as a geometric proof. Mainly that, the animals = us, not animals. If the viewer therefore gets past viewing the film as a Wooly Mammoth, Slough, and Saber Tooth tiger going through the plot motions, and instead views it from the angle of class, gender, and racial conciousness, the values that the filmmakers force on us are revealed.

Again, this is a common practice in most film theory. (see = marxist interpretations of films such as Titantic, where only the sexual energies of a proletarian Leonardo DiCaprio can sastify the bosoms of Kate Winslet, where the bourgeosie sexuality of Billy Zane falls far short. In the end, the proletariat proves itself worthy of honor, while the capitalist bourgeosie sneaks aboard a sinking raft, but anyway, enough James Cameron! And don't get me started on postmodernism.)

Pictures and screen shots will follow this post in greater defense of my points, and will illustrate the symbolic nature of many characterization points of this film. But first, let's view the main caveats of this theory, character by character.

One) Manny, the Wooly Mammoth, voiced by "Everybody Loves Raymond".
character values = white, middle class, skeptical capitalist, who has hang ups about the afterlife (extinction). Obviously supports the traditional male-female family set up, as he takes a mate in the female Ellie, during the course of the film, and the general baseness of his personality reflects the non-threatening political and emotional values that the filmmakers assume that many Americans have. He also has contentious, but, and I must emphasize this, SAFE arguments with his wife. They all really love each other in the end, you dig? The idea that Manny would have an argument that would cause him to lose control and do something crazy like, say, kill Ellie, is beyond the character here. That simply does not happen in white, suburban America. On the other hand, compare that to Diego, who, in the first movie, was attempting to kill babies and eat Sid. Ken Lay, anyone?
meanings = This is your prototypical American consumer. Obviously White. Obviously with safe, middle-class and moderate values. Manny never offers any other value or idea that is not of the general idea of "lets keep things under control, and traditional animal life (i.e. traditional American Life) is safe and we must keep the minorities (the predators, one can only assume they represent black people) out. This character is also designed to represent the alpha male in society. The savior, much in the same way firefighters and police officers are idealized in films such as World Trade Center, or other common propaganda. Manny functions as voice of sanity in this film, as surely the most rational members of society must certainly be the whites, and are most skeptical about hucksters (Fast Eddie, appropiately voiced by Jay Leno) and moochers on society (such as the vultures). The American values of hard work, sacrifice, and determination shine through this furry and extinct creature. Note the herd of Wooly Mammoth at the end. If that's not a marine military march, I don't know what the fuck is.

Two) Sid, the slough, voiced by John Leguizamo.
values = Sid is lazy, impetous, and oftentimes endangers the community around him. Clearly a minority, although, as we see in many John Leguizamo films, he is not entirely a threatening minority, more liek a safe, Jennifer Lopez-style minority, that has somewhat bought into American values in terms of language and beliefs. Sid does not do anything to rock the fabric of the animal society, much like the ways that the vultures, predators, or hucksters do. In fact, his skpeticism about Ellie attempting to break racial barriers (in trying to be a possum instead of mammoth) is more white than anything else in the film.
meanings = Again, Sid is clearly representative of minorities here. In which they generally contribute nothing to the overall success of the trek (Diego is the fierce defender, and Manny the brute strength and fierce, American willpower - note the geyser scene in the end. Total John Wayne bravado, whereas Sid is well, Sid) Sid is simply, there, and must be tolerated by the two contributors to society. Sid does nothing but antagonize the other two and does not offer any noble and endearing physical characteristics.

Three) Diego, the saber-tooth tiger, voiced by Dennis Leary.
values = skeptical, independent, and prone to violence in self-denfense, when justified. Diego can represent your typical rural American, fierce and ready to defend himself with the usage of brute force - Firearms. Or, in this case, claws.
meanings = this is your typical libertarian, conservative type. Diego is clearly independent of the group, but because of his own self-loathing and guilty conscience, patronizes the moderates and minorities that make up the world of "Ice Age 2". Diego also has that distinctly Republican achilles heel, in this case, water. Much like real Republicans, in the sense that they try to hide from the growing problems of society by hiding in an enclaved suburban or rural community, Diego hides from the growing problems of the geological meltdown. As the water (poverty) continues to grow and spread and seep into their sheltered valley community, Diego cringes from it, and even reacts violently to it at times. He also fails to adequetely defend society in the instances that he is relied upon to do so.

Four) Crash. The Squirrel.
values and meanings = drug users. The nut is the fix. And he (Sean William Scott) will stop at nothign to acquire it. Notice the spasms and hyperactivity. This squirrel clearly has either a serious case of withdrawal going, or is hitting the blow (notice all the white "snow" all around him. Hmmmmm?) hard. The fact that this squirrel has absolutely nothign to do with the plot just goes to show how much people in society really disregard drug users are useless. At least these filmmakers do.

Feel free to critique or offer your own takes on the above jive that I've posted. I'd be more than happy to hear it. I wish I could remember more of what I saw from this film, I watched it two days ago, and didn't get a chance to copy the screen shots.

Power to the people.