Bad Natural History

[urbpan]

Okay, so when you watch a movie with animals acting like people (you know, talking and such), you must suspend some of your disbelief. I'm okay with that--it has been this way since Aesop.

But these days the filmmakers are mixing in lots of actual Natural History with animals acting like people. For example the fish in "Finding Nemo" look (and to some degree behave) real, but they don't eat one another. In "Antz," there are both male and female worker ants. (This movie, which I am only halfway through, is the reason I'm posting. There's an awful lot that I could say, positive and negative about it, but I need to finish it, and I probably have to watch "A Bug's Life" for comparison, and the go see "The Ant Bully," too.) Even the bug scene in "King Kong," while exciting, is laughable from a Natural History standpoint (beyond even the bugs' great size--I'm talking behavior).

I want to know this, from you all:

At what point does faulty Natural History interfere with your enjoyment of a movie?

Comments

[klandaghicat.livejournal.com]

Mostly, for me, it is every single time there's a skunk involved. Except, maybe, Mystery Men. That was real. Just come over to my house in the Springtime, you'll see.
But, usually, they're too fuzzy-bunny cute (Flower), too verbal (and sound like squirrels or something), and too quick to spray. I've handled wild skunks, capable of spraying, during times when you'd expect them to spray. They prefer to warn you, by stomping and turning their butt to you, and wandering away. Dogs are often sprayed because they equate this with play behavior.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

have you seen the commercial for pbs with the pet skunk? adorable.

[klandaghicat.livejournal.com]

Yes! I love that one. I have the file dl-ed. "Life with domestic skunks". Although I wouldn't let mine free-roam outside, with no "accepted" Rabies vaccine in the US.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

oh, for sure! i think the doggy-door was just a trick to confound and amaze. :)

[klandaghicat.livejournal.com]

Yep, the only outside shots were from the camera view. I remember the first time watching it. I definitely *squee-ed*, even made the skunk-hating ex watch it on one of his visits.

The skunks are the #1 reason we're divorced. He even used them as his case for custody. "Wild, vicious animals" backed by photos of Bowen watching tv on the couch, and Artie eating Jack-o-lanterns in the kitchen.

Flower's my favorite though!

[nysidra.livejournal.com]

"I'm not a butterfly, but you can call me flower.... if you want to."

I still quote that line, voice effect and all, to this day. hehe.

Re: Flower's my favorite though!

[klandaghicat.livejournal.com]

I know, and he's probably one of the reasons I have pet domestic skunks. It's just the usual "Disney-pomorphism" that causes people to must-have wild animals for pets. (insert the usual wildlife rehabber Disney rant here!) I know I'm not a raccoon-person (very special people, indeed!) But! Oh how I really wanted one after watching Pocohontas! And baby skunks really are the cutest things ever, even cuter than baby opossums!