Forget what
you’ve learned in geology about the continents forming as a result of massive
tectonic turbulence and volcanic eruptions tearing land masses
apart. “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift” reveals that these seismic
shifts came about from Scrat’s misadventures.
Two million
years ago, one global-shattering event changed everything. Scrat, the world’s
most lovable prehistoric squirrel-rat is about to rewrite history in “Ice Age
4: Continental Drift.” The film reunites us with Scrat as he’s going
about his usual business: he has grabbed the acorn, set it down on the ground –
and suddenly a mountain is torn apart and the earth itself opens up, separating
land masses into the seven continents. Scrat hurtles toward the earth’s
core, triggering massive earthquakes, which in turn isolates Manny, Diego and
Sid from the rest of the herd. Scrat’s continental crack-up has cast
adrift Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), Diego (Dennis Leary) and Sid (John
Leguizamo) from the rest of the herd, including Manny’s beloved wife Ellie
(Queen Latifah) and their teenaged daughter Peaches (who was born in 2009’s
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” and is voiced by music-actress Keke Palmer).
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| Scrat |
From his
introduction as a breakout character in “Ice Age” to becoming a celebrated
movie icon, Scrat has brought joy to countless moviegoers – and to the
filmmakers who bring him to life. “There’s no better or more enjoyable
character to animate than Scrat,” says director Steve Martino. “Who else can
you knock around, smash around – and he just keeps going after that
nut?!” Adds supervising animator Nick Bruno: “Scrat is why I’m in
animation. His adventure in this movie is like a classic tale, where he
sees his goal, goes after it, and gets his butt kicked. But this time,
the stakes for him and for the herd couldn’t be higher.”
Meanwhile, let’s hear it from Scrat
whose thoughts will only be read and heard in the q&a that follows:
Q:
Hi Scrat. First things first. Is your acorn safe?
Scrat:
Define ‘safe.’
Q:
Buried in a place that only you know about.
Scrat:
Not exactly (fidgets).
Q:
Where is it right now?
Scrat:
It’s within arm’s reach – well, almost.
Q:
Why is it so hard to hold on to your prized nut and keep it safe?
Scrat:
That is a question I ask myself every day. Every hour of every day. Every minute
of every hour. Every second of
every minute. Every nanosecond of every second. I ask myself
that question a lot.
Q:
Some might say your interest in acorns borders on obsession. How would you
respond?
Scrat:
Are you saying that I’m nuts? Oooh nuts. Mmmmm, nuts… (rubs hands together).
Q:
What have you learned over the course of the last few years?
Scrat:
A coconut is not a giant acorn. And if you roast an acorn for long enough, it
will turn into a large popcorn kernel.
This is not to be recommended.
Q:
Is it true you found a treasure map recently?
A:
I did!
Q:
What does X mark the spot of?
Scrat:
A whole island filled with beautiful golden acorns! Oooooh…
Q:
Wow. That must be very appealing to someone of your disposition. What do you
think the probability of ever
finding that treasure is?
Scrat:
Hmmm (scratches head). Realistically? Maybe one in a hundred trillion? I’ll
happily die trying though.
Q:
Is it hard to live with yourself, knowing that your past actions have led to
earthquakes, volcanoes, continental
drift and global warming?
Scrat:
Huh? I’m just trying to bury my nut, dude. Don’t get all heavy on me.
Q:
You’re one of the only living animals to have visited the earth’s core. What is
it like there?
Scrat:
It’s hot.
Q:
You sound like Paris Hilton.
Scrat:
Who?!
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