Yes, I Mean the Squirrel From ‘Ice Age’
Looking for a romantic movie to celebrate on your upcoming anniversary with your partner? What about a period piece for a sleepover with those two friends you still talk to in your parents’ living room? Whatever the circumstance, “Ice Age” (2002) is the choice for you.
The movie follows Scrat (Chris Wedge), a zealous saber-toothed squirrel, on his hunt for an acorn. Portrayed as an annoying child-like creature, his attempts to acquire his acorn continuously cause a chain reaction. These include opening a direct pathway to the center of the earth and more. I know what you’re thinking…if Scrat keeps causing catastrophic events in his attempts to bury the only acorn left on the planet, why do you like him? Without him, we wouldn’t have five “Ice Age” movies.
The only reason a franchise half as popular as “Toy Story” could produce an extra movie in less time is because of Scrat. If we’re counting Scrat’s two biopics (see: comedy shorts), then the “Ice Age” franchise technically has seven movies. I’m surprised the writers of the cartoon haven’t revealed the squirrel is a Horcrux yet.
Not only does Scrat carry the entire film series on his back, he is also currently taking up residency in all of our hearts. During what felt like the end of the world, Scrat’s sole purpose was to find the one object of his desire. Further, no matter the amount of misfortunes he faced, he never gave up on his quest for his acorn –– not even when his girlfriend tried to stand in the way of his hyperfixation. Yes, you read that right: Scrat had a girlfriend in the fourth installment of the “Ice Age” series. Although Scratte, the female saber-toothed squirrel with the creative name and disturbing fan art, enticed Scrat, he never strayed from his goals.
Scrat and Scratte weren’t the only living saber-toothed squirrels, however. In the fourth installment of the series, the former discovers the island of Scratlantis, filled with enough squirrels to make me uncomfortable even in those nice movie theater seats. His thirst for squirrels unfortunately caused the sinking of the mystical land, which seriously simplified the plot lines. Society wasn’t ready to accept a saber-toothed squirrel named Ariscratle in 2012. Scrat knew that.
The only reason why “Ice Age” was able to build its cartoon movie franchise to span five movies, two comedy shorts and one video game was because of Scrat. If the director had cut the squirrel’s scenes in post-production, society would never have recovered. Not only would it have prevented the Industrial Revolution, but Drew would have never named their unofficial mascot as Scrat himself.
If you’re interested in learning more about Scrat, check out some of his lore on the Ice Age fansite.
