History NightmareFuel / IceAge2TheMeltdown

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cretaceous1.png]]
* The introduction of Cretaceous and Maelstrom. Just a simple closeup on one of them frozen in the ice, the music builds, then…[[EyeAwaken THOOM]]. Seriously freaky.
** A special thing to note about their introduction is how it's a startlingly effective twist on the EyeAwaken trope--both of the animals are shown to have been frozen with their eyes ''open'', rather than being closed first so they can be opened for dramatic effect. So how is Cretaceous revealed to be awake? [[spoiler: His eyes shift from staring off-center to (as seen in the page image) ''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou looking directly at the viewer!]]'']]
** Also, considering that Cretaceous and Maelstrom don't speak and they look and act realistically, [[KnightOfCerebus they are very dark antagonists]]. All they utter are ferocious growling, snarling, and hissing sounds.
** Not helping matters is that anytime Cretaceous and Maelstrom enter the picture, the score audibly transitions to something that'd feel right at home with what you'd hear in a SlasherMovie.
** It's rather easy to notice upon a second viewing that Cretaceous and Maelstrom aren't just acting like typical predators: there is actual, intentional ''spite'' in their eyes when their prey gets away, and Cretaceous actually seems to ''smile'' when lunging for Manny. Maelstrom later shoots Manny a murderous glare when the two have him cornered underwater, all but confirming that ItCanThink...
*** In the video game, Maelstrom and Cretaceous act noticeably more feral and unhinged than in the movie, roaring and snarling viciously when chasing Scrat and charging through sheets of ice to get at him. Definitely seems that the herd constantly evading their hungry maws has made them [[VillainousBreakdown royally pissed off]].
** The director does a great job in [[ParanoiaFuel making the viewers expect the beasts to strike anytime]]. The young aardvark that is left behind and looks into the lake looks very much like a potential victim and... splash! [[spoiler:It was just Fast Tony's glyptodon lackey Stu scaring him senseless into leaving, and then while he swims carefree, it comes as no surprise that the snorkel gets dragged down and Stu gets [[EatenAlive devoured alive]]. And his remains, the shell, gets used by his boss (the aforementioned [[SnakeOilSalesman Fast Tony]]) as a boat.]]
** Just the fact that if [[spoiler: Stu hadn't scared away the young aardvark, ImprobableInfantSurvival WOULD have been averted]].
** Also considering the fact that [[spoiler: glyptodon shells are living parts of the body (much like turtles, the shells are fused to the spine), the fact poor Stu was ''ripped clean out of his'' paints a [[BodyHorror VERY]] disturbing picture of what his death [[NothingIsScarier must've been like]]...]]
* The Geyser Field near the climax. It's the equivalent of walking through a minefield, except in addition to being blown apart, you suffer a CruelAndUnusualDeath via being ''broiled alive'' (as the film is [[BlackComedy all too happy to show us with]] [[ButtMonkey a Dodo]]). Every step has the potential to be fatal, the places where the steam erupts from are ever changing - and to cap it all off, ''there's no other way to go'': it's either through the broiling, desolate hell of the Geyser Field, or death by drowning when the Dam finally bursts.
** FridgeHorror: It stands to reason that not every animal could avoid the geysers, smarter than a Dodo or not. How many of them weren't as lucky as the Herd?
* The vulture confirming that the dam will burst and the valley will be completely flooded in a few days is somber and haunting, especially as the animals look around as the vulture makes clear they're in a ''bowl'' ready to be filled up. The vulture also makes it clear what will happen to them if they either perish during their exodus to the boat, or die in the flood:
-->'''Vulture''': There is good news: The more of you die, the better I eat. ''(Various animals gasp)'' I didn't say it was good news for ''you''.
** "[[AdultFear Do not leave your child unattended. All unattended children]] ''[[AdultFear will]]'' [[AdultFear be eaten.]]" Jesus, birdie, could you really not avoid to say that?!?
* The film continues to regularly cut back to the deteriorating dam, with an ominous rumbling growing louder and louder with each time, giving us [[SarcasmMode a friendly reminder]] [[TheEndIsNigh of the apocalyptic flood slowly growing closer with each passing day in the film]]. When the dam finally does burst, it's with an almighty explosion of water that instantly floods the former waterpark and ''half'' of the movie's settings. We cut back to the boat, where the animals all feel the rumbling caused by the biblical flood and realize what has happened - they promptly begin stampeding up the mountain to hurry onto the boat.
** After Ellie is trapped and sends Crash and Eddie to get help, we cut to the approaching floodwaters again, and see Cretaceous and Maelstrom surging with the floodwaters, ready to pick off any victims that didn't escape in time. Now the mammals are in ''their'' element.
** When Manny rushes to go save Ellie, he pauses when he notices something on the horizon - it's the gigantic tsunami caused by the flood, barreling towards them. Manny is appropriately terrified.

!!VideoGame:

* The WombLevel after Maelstrom swallows Scrat, especially the “boss”: a parasitic [[EyesDoNotBelongThere circle of eyeballs]] surrounding a huge [[{{Squick}} sphincter]].

** Just the fact that if [[spoiler: Stu hadn't scared away the young aardvark, InfantImmortality WOULD have been averted]].

* The film continues to regularly cut back to the deteriorating dam, with an ominous rumbling growing louder and louder with each time, giving us [[SarcasmMode a friendly reminder]] [[TheEndIsNigh of the apocalyptic flood slowly growing nearer each passing day]]. When the dam finally does burst, it's with an almighty explosion of water that instantly floods the former waterpark and ''half'' of the movie's settings. We cut back to the boat, where the animals all feel the rumbling caused by the biblical flood and realize what has happened - they promptly begin stampeding up the mountain to hurry onto the boat.

* The film continues to regularly cut back to the deteriorating dam, with an ominous rumbling growing louder and louder with each time, giving us [[SarcasmMode a friendly reminder]] [[TheEndIsNigh of the apocalyptic flood slowly growing nearer each day]]. When the dam finally does burst, it's with an almighty explosion of water that instantly floods the former waterpark and ''half'' of the movie's settings. We cut back to the boat, where the animals all feel the rumbling caused by the biblical flood and realize what has happened - they promptly begin stampeding up the mountain to hurry onto the boat.

** "Do not leave your child unattended. All unattended children ''will'' be eaten." Jesus, birdie, could you really not avoid to say that?!?
* The film continues to regularly cut back to the deteriorating dam, with an ominous rumbling growing louder and louder with each time. When the dam finally does burst, it's with an almighty explosion of water that instantly floods the former waterpark and ''half'' of the movie's settings. We cut back to the boat, where the animals all feel the rumbling caused by the biblical flood and realize what has happened - they promptly begin stampeding up the mountain to hurry onto the boat.

* The introduction of Cretaceous and Maelstrom in ''The Meltdown''. Just a simple closeup on one of them frozen in the ice, the music builds, then…[[EyeAwaken THOOM]]. Seriously freaky.

** After Ellie is trapped, we cut to the approaching floodwaters again, and see Cretaceous and Maelstrom surging with the floodwaters, ready to pick off whatever mammals didn't escape in time. Now the mammals are in ''their'' element.

* The Geyser Field near the climax. It's the equivalent of walking through a minefield, except in addition to being blown apart, you suffer a CruelAndUnusualDeath via being ''broiled alive'' (as the film is [[BlackComedy all too happy to show us with]] [[ButtMonkey a Dodo]]). Every step has the potential to be fatal, the places where the steam erupts from are ever changing - and to cap it all off, ''there's no other way to go'': it's either through the broiling, desolate hell of the Geyser Field, or death by drowning when the Dam finally bursts.
** FridgeHorror: It stands to reason that not every animal could avoid the geysers, smarter than a Dodo or not. How many of them weren't as lucky as the Herd?

-->'''Vulture''': There is good news: The more of you die, the better I eat. I didn't say it was good news for ''you''.

** Also considering the fact [[spoiler: glyptodon shells are living parts of the body (much like turtles, the shells are fused to the spine), the fact poor Stu was ''ripped clean out of his'' paints a [[BodyHorror VERY]] disturbing picture of what his death [[NothingIsScarier must've been like]]...

** Not helping matters is that anytime Cretaceous and Maelstrom enter the picture, the score audibly transitions to a rather haunting {{leitmotif}} of eerie, high-toned xylophone notes. It feels right at home with the music you would hear in a SlasherMovie.

** Also considering the fact [[spoiler: glyptodon shells are living parts of the body (much like turtles, the shells are fused to the spine), the fact poor Stu was ''ripped clean out of his'' paints a [[BodyHorror VERY]] disturbing picture of what his death must've been like...]]

** "Do not leave your child unattended. All unattended children ''will'' be eaten." Jesus, birdie, could you really not avoid to say that?!

** Also considering that Cretaceous and Maelstrom don't speak and they look and act realistically, [[KnightOfCerebus they are very dark antagonists]]. All they utter are ferocious, growling and hissing sounds.

** Also considering the fact [[spoiler: glyptodon shells are living parts of the body, the fact poor Stu was ''ripped clean out of his'' paints a [[BodyHorror VERY]] disturbing picture of what his death must've been like...]]

** A special thing to note about their introduction is how it's a startlingly effective twist on the EyeAwaken trope--both of the animals are shown to have been frozen with their eyes ''open'', rather than being closed first so they can be opened for dramatic effect. So how is the one shown in closeup revealed to be awake? [[spoiler: Its eyes shift from staring off-center to (as seen in the page image) ''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou looking directly at the viewer!]]'']]

** A special thing to note about their introduction is how it's a startlingly effective twist on the EyeAwaken trope--both of the animals are shown to have been frozen with their eyes ''open'', rather than being closed first so they can be opened for dramatic effect. So how is the one shown in closeup revealed to be awake? [[spoiler: Its eyes shift from staring off-center to ''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou looking directly at the viewer!]]'']]

-->'''Vulture''': The more of you die, the better I eat.

** When Manny rushes to go save Ellie, he pauses when he notices something on the horizon - it's the gigantic tsunami caused by the flood, barreling towards them. Manny is appropriately terrified.

** Also considering that Cretaceous and Maelstrom don't speak and they look and act realistically, [[KnightOfCerebus they are very dark antagonists]].
** The director does a great job in [[ParanoiaFuel making the viewers expect the beasts to strike anytime]]. The young aardvark that is left behind and looks into the lake looks very much like a potential victim and... splash! [[spoiler:It was just Fast Tony's glyptodon lackey Stu scaring him senseless into leaving, and then while he swims carefree, it comes as no surprise that the snorkel gets dragged down and Stu gets [[EatenAlive consumed alive]]. And his remains, the shell, gets used by his boss (the aforementioned [[SnakeOilSalesman Fast Tony]]) as a boat.]]

** The director does a great job in [[ParanoiaFuel making the viewers expect the beasts to strike anytime]]. The young aardvark that is left behind and looks into the lake looks very much like a potential victim and... splash! [[spoiler:It was just Fast Tony's glyptodon lackey Stu scaring him senseless into leaving, and then while he swims carefree, it comes as no surprise that the snorkel gets dragged down and Stu gets [[EatenAlive consumed alive]]. And his remains, the shell, gets used by his boss (the aforementioned [[SnakeOilSalesman Fast Tony]]) as a boat.]]

** The director does a great job in [[ParanoiaFuel making the viewers expect the beasts to strike anytime]]. The young animal that is left behind and looks into the lake looks very much like a potential victim and... splash! [[spoiler:It was just Fast Eddie's glyptodon lackey scaring him senseless into leaving, and then while he swims carefreely it comes as no surprise that the snorkel gets dragged down and the glyptodon gets [[EatenAlive consumed alive]]. And his remains, the shell, gets used by his boss (the aforementioned [[SnakeOilSalesman Fast Tony]]) as a boat.]]