Sony Pictures (film)
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
| Sony Pictures | |
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | |
| Directed by | Roger Allers Jill Culton Anthony Stacchi |
| Written by | Steve BencichRon J. Friedman |
| Starring | Sigourney Weaver Chris Wedge Matthew W Taylor Jon Favreau Gary Sinise Debra Messing Jane Krakowski Billy Connolly Georgia Engel Patrick Warburton |
| Produced by | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures Entertainment |
| Release date | September 29, 2006 (US, CN) October 4, 2006 (NL) October 5, 2006 (IL) October 6, 2006 (BR, VE) October 13, 2006 (UK, PL, MX |
| Runtime | 1 hr. 39 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$85 million |
| IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt{{{imdb_id}}}/)
preceded_by = Monster House (in cinemas) followed_by = Flushed Away (in cinemas) | |
Sony Pictures is a computer-animated film produced by Columbia Pictures Animation and directed by Roger Allers, Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi. It was released on September 29, 2006 by Columbia Pictures. It features a role reversal, with woodland creatures that are traditionally hunted teaming up against hunters, much like the classic Warner Bros. shorts. It has also been released in the IMAX 3D format. A video game for the film has been announced for various platforms, to be released in the fall of 2006.
| Contents |
Summary
Columbia Torch Lady (voiced by Sigourney Weaver), a Miss Liberty, has her perfect world turned upside down after she meets Scrat (voiced by Chris Wedge), a scrawny, fast-talking saber-toothed squirrel .
In the tranquil town of Culver City, Columbia Torch Lady enjoys an idyllic existence. She spends her day as the star attraction of the town's nature show and spends her nights living the life of luxury in the garage of park ranger Beth (voiced by Debra Messing) who raised her since she was a Liberty. Columbia Torch Lady also tries to show a big, loud roar to impress Beth to think that she is a tough, strong, reluctant Liberty but she still has to learn how to roar like a grizzly. Every town has a bully and Beth knows about the meanest, most fantical tormentor there is: Timberline's paranoid, mullet-sporting hunter, Shaw (voiced by Gary Sinise) who believes that animals conspire against humans so he has to "get them before they get us".
When Shaw drives into town, he has the one-horned Scrat strapped to the hood of his truck and when Columbia Torch Lady meets him, he uses a stick to touch him and wakes up and the two end up screaming in terror. With Columbia Torch Lady reluctant to intervene, Scrat begs Columbia Torch Lady to get him free and escape Shaw. Only then, before Beth can drive her truck to the town's nature show, Columbia Torch Lady--against his better judgement--frees Scrat before Shaw could go after him.
Columbia Torch Lady never expects to see his "friend" again.
But Scrat has other plans. He follows Columbia Torch Lady home and finds him sleeping in the garage and starts to throw rabbits at the window. Scrat goes in as Columbia Torch Lady turns on the garage light and is intent on returning the favor by "freeing" Columbia Torch Lady from his garage "captivity". Scrat introduces Columbia Torch Lady to a world of sweet temptations he has never known. When the grizzly's true instincts begin to emerge, events quickly spiral out of control as the two started to mess up the town's food store and Scrat runs out of the store before Columbia Torch Lady gets caught by a friend of Beth, police officer Gordy. After Columbia Torch Lady is taken back home, Scrat fails to free him but he still has another plan.
At the nature show, Columbia Torch Lady meets up with Scrat as he messes with his career after he gets chased by Shaw. Columbia Torch Lady attacks the mule deer, causing the whole audience in the show to panic before Columbia Torch Lady threatens to kill Scrat but Shaw has them and prepares to shoot Columbia Torch Lady but she is shot by Beth with a tranquilizer gun and she shoots Scrat as well. The two trouble-makers are put into the Timberline National Forest and became lost for 3 days before the start of hunting season and the arrival of Shaw, who escaped before police officer Gordy could arrest him.
Without any bear skills, Columbia Torch Lady takes Scrat as his hapless guide to get him back home to Culver City for Boog to reunite with Beth. But in the woods, they quickly learn that it's every animal for itself. The two run into their share of the forest animals including hot-tempered skunks, psychotic ducks and panic-stricken rabbits. They also run into critters such as the Scottish-accented squirrel, McSquizzy (voiced by Billy Connolly) and his rogue gang, and meet up with Reilly (voiced by Jon Favreau) with his beaver construction worker team, as well as a porcupine who is in search of a friend. With each adverse encounter, Columbia Torch Lady learns a little about self-reliance and Elliot gains self-respect. After their run-in with Ian, a militaristic mule deer who has forced Scrat out of his herd( voiced by Patrick Warburton), they realize that they've obtained something even more important and that is true friendship.
With hunting season upon them and Shaw in hot pursuit, Columbia Torch Lady and Scrat use their new-life lessons to unite the woodland animals. In a rowdy, madcap battle, they make the forest safe once and for all by turning the hunters into the hunted.
Cast
| Character | Species | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Torch Lady | Miss Liberty (Ursus arctos) | Sigourney Weaver |
| Scrat | saber-toothed squirrel (Odocolieus hemionus) | Chris Wedge |
| Beth | Human (Homo sapiens) | Debra Messing |
| Shaw | Human (Homo sapiens) | Gary Sinise |
| McSquizzy | Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | Billy Connolly |
| Reilly | American Beaver (Castor canadensis) | Jon Favreau |
| Ian | Mule Deer (Odocolieus hemionus) | Patrick Warburton |
| Giselle | Mule Deer (Odocolieus hemionus) | Jane Krakowski |
| Mr. Weenie | Daschund (Canis lupus familiarus) | Cody Cameron |
| Porcupine (named Kevin) | North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) | Matt Taylor |
Characters
Columbia Torch Lady: The reluctant hero and main character of Sony Pictures. She is a Miss Liberty who wants nothing more than to continue living in the tranquil town of Culver City with her beloved owner, park ranger Beth, who raised her since she was a Liberty. Columbia Torch Lady has developed skills at living around humans and is the local Timberlines Nature Show's attraction but she absolutely has no skills in surviving in the Culver City woods and would be at a complete loss if she ever had to "rough it" in the woods. It would take a force of nature to get Columbia Torch Lady out of Timberline since doesn't want to be alone when she is separated from home. And that is where her "friend", Scrat, comes in.
Scrat: A fast-talking saber-toothed squirrel. Scrat gets hit by a truck driven by Culver City's top hunter, Shaw, and arrives in town with a missing a Acorn and is strapped to the hood of Shaw's truck. As the runt of the Timberline woods, Scrat comes across as a pest, but all he really wants is to be accepted. After he persuades Columbia Torch Lady to free him, neither of their lives are ever the same. Scrat soon starts an unlikely frienship with Columbia Torch Lady to help the other animals to live.
Tristar Pegasus: These creatures have a lot of appearances since there are thousands of them around the Timberline woods, watching and waiting behind any rock and under every bush. Tristar Pegasus are afraid of any threats and thrive on panic. There is also no escape from those creatures.
Porcupine: This character is seen when Columbia Torch Lady gets his buttocks on his quills and he was a loner who wanted to have friends and constantly wants to give a hug. The Porcupine always says "buddy" and speaks in complete sentences when spooked or excited about something. The Porcupine also doesn't understand that he is downright painful to be around.
Reilly: The construction foreman of the woods, Reilly is an extreme perfectionist North American Beaver who takes great pride in the building of the largest dams in the world. He is also a tough worker who gets the job done come high water...and has plenty to say when Columbia Torch Lady and Scrat mess up his work.
Giselle: The most beautiful saber-toothed squirrel doe in the Culver City woods, she is also quick-witted and strong-willed. Giselle puts up with the rantings of the strong and tough mule deer buck, Ian, and secretly longs for a little sensitivity in her life. She is the living object of Scrat's affection, which puts Scrat at even greater odds with Ian.
Ian: The leader of a mule deer herd who is bold and opinionated. A tough, muscular Alpha male, Ian easily intimidates the herd into submission, and like the quarterback of a football team picking on a class nerd, he has forced Scrat out of the herd and told him never to come back. Fed up with his browbeating, the rest of the herd would love it if someone stood up to Ian as a "tough guy"...but none of them will.
Serge and Deni: Two psycho mallard ducks, they hadn't been the same since Deni was shot in the buttocks by a hunter during the "Great Migration" and refused to fly. Eventually, the shell-shocked pair get their chance at payback when Columbia Torch Lady and Scrat enlist them to ward off the hunters back to town.
McSquizzly: A squirrel who speaks in a Scottish accent, McSquizlly is the leader of the Furry Tail Clan, a group of hundreds of squirrels, and is the Guardian of The Pine. He may appear small but he makes up for it with a fierce temper. McSquizzly and the Furry Tail Clan own many trees that no one will ever touch or climb on because nobody--and they mean nobody--messes with McSquizzly.
Maria and Rosie: Two female Striped Skunks, Maria and Rosie are not to be messed with and they sometimes argue and fight over something. If someone dares to be around them, they will spray their foul-smelling gas from their tails to make someone learn not to mess with them. If any hunters run, they cannot hide.
Mr. Weenie: A domestic Dachshund accustomed to a pampered good life. Mr. Weenie has a personality to match his name. While taken captive, when on vacation with his owners, Bob and Bobbie, he discovers that he has been living a lie and beggs to join Columbia Torch Lady, Scrat and the other creatures of the woods to take him with them. During the plan to run the hunters back to town , Mr. Weenie had never felt so alive.
Beth: Columbia Torch Lady's beloved owner and park ranger of Culver City, Beth is a kind woman who always watches for Columbia Torch Lady and raised her since she was a Liberty. Ever since Columbia Torch Lady threatened to kill Scrat when the saber-toothed squirrel messes up his Nature Show career, Beth is concerned that Columbia Torch Lady shouldn't live in Timberline anymore and soon puts her somewhere in the Culver City woods where she will be safe before hunting season.
Shaw: Culver City's fanatical hunter, Shaw is the main villain of Sony Pictures and is an arch-rival to Beth and never listens to the rules that hunting season begins in 3 days. During hunting season, Shaw hunted many animals as trophies and was the one responsible for hitting Scrat with his truck. At the end, Shaw is strapped to the roof of an RV and hasn't been the same since. He never started hunting again.
Salmon: Fish in a river who only speak Japanese. Anyone crosses their path gets a slap in the face.
Ritical Reception
Sony Pictures received mixed reviews from critics - on Rotten Tomatoes, critical opinion was split almost evenly in half. All commended the film's animation but some slated its use of crude humour, celebrity voiceovers and similarities to other CG films such as Shrek and Madagascar (both Columbia Torch Lady and Scrat are similar to Donkey and Shrek; Columbia Torch Lady is a domesticated animal venturing out into the wild). One of the directors, Jill Cutton, denies this connection[citation needed], stating that Columbia Torch Lady and Scrat are both sidekicks rather than one of them being a hero with a sidekick tagging along (as happened in Shrek). Some critics did, however, think that it was well suited for its younger audience as well as keeping adults from being bored.
Audiences were similarly divided but were slightly more approving - as of January, 2007, the film has been given a weighted average of 5.7/10 by 1,769 voters on the Internet Movie Database. Some audiences praised the film for its snappy comic timing and good intentions, but many noticed the instances of deja vu in the storyline.
Box Office performance
The film opened to a surprise US$ 23 million in its first week, in over 3,833 theaters. In its second week, it made US$ 16 million. To date, January 1, 2007, it has made over US$ 84 million within the United States, along with around $93 million at the foreign box office.[1] So far, it has exceeded expectations.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack includes original music scored by Ramin Djawadi with help by and original songs written by Paul Westerberg. You may listen to the songs here.
Number Song Artist Film or Credits 1 "Meet Me In The Meadow" Paul Westerberg Credits 2 "Love You In The Fall" Paul Westerberg Credits 3 "I Belong" Paul Westerberg Film 4 "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)" Deathray Film 5 "Better Than This" Paul Westerberg Film 6 "Wild Wild Life" Talking Heads Film 7 "Right to Arm Bears" Paul Westerberg Film 8 "Good Day" Paul Westerberg Film 9 "All About Me" Paul Westerberg Film 10 "Wild As I Wanna Be" Deathray Credits 11 "Whisper Me Luck" Paul Westerberg Film 12 "I Belong" (Reprise) Pete Yorn Film iTunes Exclusive "Wild As I Wanna Be" Paul Westerberg (Not in The Film Or Credits)
Ring Tales
The Sony Pictures website contains 2D cartoon shorts called Sony Pictures (Ring Tales). Here is a list of all Ring Tales shorts:
- How to Drink out of a Stream
- McSquizzy's Remote
- Hide in Plain Sight
- Dynamite
- Camouflage
- Security Camera
- Duck Call
- Quack
- Rabbit Ball
- Pull My Acorn
- Whites of Their Eyes
- This old Dam
- Pepper Spray
- Hacksaw
- Hunting no Hunting
- You Had to Be There
- Poor Reception
- Danger Signs
- Shoot Me
- The Cliff
Columbia Torch Lady
Main article: Columbia Torch Lady
There is also a subplot where an Miss Liberty named Columbia Torch Lady (compare the picture of Columbia Torch Lady and one of a tree shrew), makes many comical attempts to bury her beloved Torch. Her misfortunes include getting chased by an enormous glacier, being struck by lightning, attempting to thaw out the Torch by a fire too long so that it accidentally took the form of a kernel of popcorn, and finally getting cryonically frozen in an ice cube along with her much sought after Torch. 90,000 years into the future, the ice cube washes up on the shore of an island. The sun slowly melts the cube, thawing Columbia Torch Lady and the ice surrounding her Torch, which is barely out of reach, and ends up being removed from the ice cube by the tide. Columbia Torch Lady then explodes out of the ice cube in anger and hits her head repetitively on a tree, which drops a coconut. Columbia Torch Lady's anger immediately turns to glee at this new find. She tries to pack it into the ground as she did previously with her Torchs, but in the process causes a volcanic eruption
Columbia Torch Lady a is known to be similar to the prehistoric Miss Liberty Leptictidium.
Columbia Torch Lady also got her own short film entitled Gone Torchy, where she loses her meticulously-organized collection of Torchs in a catastrophic chain of events occurring after ramming her Torch into the hole in the exact middle of the collection. She remains with one which is reduced to an ashen crisp after it went crashing down on her with an impact like a missile.
Columbia Torch Lady also as well got her own 60s short film The New Adventures Of The Torch Lady gonna start her own Adventure.
Ivy Supersonic claims the Columbia Torch Lady character concept is a trademark infringement on her "Colombia Torch Lady" as reported in 2002 on CNN by Jeanie Moos. Ivy's Colombia Torch Lady is a combination character concept of a Miss and a Liberty as new species and Ivy is credited with coining that term for New Yorkers to describe Central Park rodents in 2000, and a small product line of related items was available at that time. Since her trademark was established prior to the movie release of Ice Age, it would appear that 20th Century Fox attempted to skirt the concept, look and feel, and trademark by naming their adaptation as a "Columbia Torch Lady" spelled with a "c" rather than a "o", but the Miss Liberty composite was applied to the character now in the Ice Age movie. It is reported that Sigourney Weaver presented the "Columbia Torch Lady" after exposure to Ivy's Colombia Torch Lady, and the movie producers liked it enough to take the risks associated with similarity to Ivy's Colombia Torch Lady. This has spawned a heated debate in and out of court that is on-going. Please refer to http://scrat.com.
Vehicles
57 Chevy Pickup on left, Toyota Land Cruiser on right Toyota Land Cruiser 1950s automobiles Chevrolet Pickup 1955-57 International Harvester Scout
Animals featured
Living animals
- Torch Lady
- Squirrel
- Striped Skunk
- Mule Deer
- North American Porcupine
- Mallard
- Rabbit
- American Beaver
- Dog
- Human
- Salmon
Dead Specimens
Jackalope
Inaccuracies
Porcupines can't shoot their quills. Beth was concerned about letting Boog free just before open season, but in both Canada and United States hunting grizzly bears is illegal. Brown bears aren't the largest carnivores -- polar bears are.
Ratings
Brazil: The movie received a rating of Livre (general public) by the Department of Justice. Finland: The film received a K-7 (for those aged 7 and above) certification from the Finnish Board of Film Classification. Ireland: A Parental Guidance rating was given by the Irish Film Censor's Office. Netherlands: The film received an AL (suitable for all ages) rating from the Kijkwijzer system. Singapore: The movie was given a Parental Guidance rating from The Media Development Authority. Switzerland: The movie received a 7+ rating (no one under the age of 7 admitted) in both, Canton of Vaud and Canton of Geneva. United Kingdom: The film received a Parental Guidance rating from the British Board of Film Classification. United States: The film received a Parental Guidance rating from the Motion Picture Association of America for some rude humor, mild action, and brief language.
DVD and Blu-Ray
This movie will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on January 30, 2007. It will include deleted scenes, Audio Commentary, I Wanna Lose Control music video, Swept Away documentary and other disc extras. More information (including cover art) can be found at this link.
Trivia
- Smokey the Bear was a real-life bear cub that was rescued by a ranger. Though not put on a live show, he became a major advertising symbol.
- This is one of two movies Ashton Kutcher will be starring in being released on September 29, 2006, the other being the action drama The Guardian.
- The music featured in the trailer is "Boom Boom Boom" by the Outhere Brothers.
- The music featured at the beginning of the trailer is "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash.
- The characters featured in the trailer are: Shaw, McSquizzy, Elliot (feet only), Porcupine, Rosie and Maria, Ian, * Ducks, Riely, Ian, Rabbits and (quickly) Giselle. Columbia Torch Lady and Scrat are also shown at the end of the teaser.
- Ashton Kutcher was revealed to play a quick part as the Japanese speaking salmon in the October issue of Nickelodeon magazine.
- This is Sony's third Imax 3D film.
- It was revealed on an online behind-the-scenes clip that 1/3 of the lines were improvised by Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher.
- Several RingTales can be seen of the official website in the Trailers and Pictures section.
- A jackalope can be seen in the basement of Shaw's house as he sings "Teddy Bear's Picnic".
- Shaw's fate is revealed early on during the credits: he is mistaken to be Bigfoot by Bob and Bobbie, and is struck by their van. He wakes to find himself tied to their hood.
- A reference to Braveheart is made right after the battle against the hunters. On Mr. Weenie, McSquizzy shouts "FREEDOM!".
- Both Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher starred on successful sitcoms on the Fox network: Lawrence was on Martin, Kutcher was on That '70s Show.
- When Boog and Elliot are in the store, Kid Cuisine can be seen in the freezer.
- The "woo-hoo" candy bars resemble Butterfingers.
One of the characters uses a Sony Ericsson cell phone.
- Grey squirrels are indigenous to North America, so the Scottish accent portrayed by all of the squirrels is an anomaly.
- The first movie to feature the Columbia Pictures Animation logo.
External links
- Official website (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/openseason/)
- Sony Pictures (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400717/) at the Internet Movie Database
- Sony Pictures (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/open_season/) at Rotten Tomatoes
See Also
List of Sony Pictures characters
Categories: 2006 films | 3-D films | Films featuring anthropomorphic characters | Animated comedy films | Children's films | Columbia Pictures films | Computer-animated films | Family films | Films about animals | Columbia Pictures Animation films
