The “rocket” from Ice Age 3

A huge box office success, Ice Age 3 follows the fantastic and hilarious adventures of a clan of odd, prehistoric animals: a couple of mammoths (Manny and Ellie), a sabre-toothed tiger (Diego), a sloth (Sid) and two opossums (Crash and Eddie). As incredible as it might seem, the directors have managed to place an obvious allusion to the space industry at the end of this animated film which nevertheless takes place well before the invention of the slightest rocket...
Throughout the film, we come back every now and then to the adventures of two squirrels, a male and a female (Scrat and Scratte), who are fighting over an acorn. At the end, both animals find themselves on a rock which is propelled into the air by a volcanic eruption. However, taking a good look at it, from a visual point of view we are in fact watching a rocket lift-off. But you do not have to take our word for it, just take a look for yourself at the pictures taken from the film below.

At the end of Ice Age 3, a rock is thrown up into the sky by a small volcanic eruption. This is an obvious, visual allusion to a rocket lifting off. Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox

The two squirrels blast off with the rock: what’s more it’s a manned space flight! Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox

Releasing of the first stage. Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox

Releasing of the second stage. The separated squirrels then find themselves safe and sound on the ground, but we never see the third stage come back down. Did it perhaps reach orbit? Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox