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Zee the Zorilla - Ice Age: The Adventures of Buck Wild
After watching Ice Age: The Adventures of Buck Wild, I immediately knew I had to draw this skunky gal. But this is no skunk, she's a zorilla, you dork :P
Looking like a lemur mixed with a skunk, this agile gal kicked butt in the movie and stole my heart along the way.
She's quirky.
She's kind.
She's Zee.
Alt version with Buck included
Looking like a lemur mixed with a skunk, this agile gal kicked butt in the movie and stole my heart along the way.
She's quirky.
She's kind.
She's Zee.
Alt version with Buck included
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fanart
Species Skunk
Size 1920 x 1700px
File Size 2.1 MB
Listed in Folders
I watched that movie too. And I'll be honest, Zee is literally the only aspect in that movie that I actually genuinely liked. Everything else equaled one of the most half-baked franchise movies I've ever seen, period.
All of the characters either have no charm to them or feel like shadows of what they once were (sadly even Buck), the villain is an unintimidating dork with a big gross tumor for a brain and a very idiotic plan, the script is lazy and mostly forgetful of the past films it's related to (aside from Crash and Eddie's backstory with how they first met Ellie, which even that felt lacklustre because it was already established well in the second movie anyway), the animation feels like it was made for a low-budget CGI TV show from a decade ago and the movie itself just had no genuine clever reason to justify its existence.
Zee however, is perhaps the only worthwhile thing to have come out of the film. Her backstory of her friendship with Buck was quite interesting, and I'm glad they don't make her a generic love interest but instead a sidekick reunited with her former boss. She's a rare example of a character I actually enjoyed in a movie that I didn't. I'd actually quite like seeing more of this gal myself. She looks especially adorable in your style btw! Great job! ^^
All of the characters either have no charm to them or feel like shadows of what they once were (sadly even Buck), the villain is an unintimidating dork with a big gross tumor for a brain and a very idiotic plan, the script is lazy and mostly forgetful of the past films it's related to (aside from Crash and Eddie's backstory with how they first met Ellie, which even that felt lacklustre because it was already established well in the second movie anyway), the animation feels like it was made for a low-budget CGI TV show from a decade ago and the movie itself just had no genuine clever reason to justify its existence.
Zee however, is perhaps the only worthwhile thing to have come out of the film. Her backstory of her friendship with Buck was quite interesting, and I'm glad they don't make her a generic love interest but instead a sidekick reunited with her former boss. She's a rare example of a character I actually enjoyed in a movie that I didn't. I'd actually quite like seeing more of this gal myself. She looks especially adorable in your style btw! Great job! ^^
The movie is in a weird spot where I love it but at the same time I know it wasn't good.
I've been thinking about it more than I should, so I could rant about various aspects. I'll try to keep it short.
iirc it was going to be a TV show, but at some point they re-worked it into a movie.
I think a just a little bit more care in the art could have avoided the unfortunate look of some of the shots. It wouldn't be groundbreaking, but it wouldn't look so shoddy either.
(what comes to mind is the textures in some of the shots. Some of them are scaled or applied oddly.)
I think I liked buck in this one a bit more than in Collision course, though it's probably because in this one he's the other half of the story rather than just thrown in.
While it's cool to have a story about Crash and Eddie, it suffers the problem of taking characters who mostly did goofy stuff in the background and making occasional quips, and instead giving them way too much to say.
I think the non-focal characters suffered from being thrown in for the set up, but not having their actual personalities be the core of the story like it is in the other movies, which lead to them being "lite" versions when they do appear, and lacked charm. The conflict between them worked in the movies where you had the whole movie of them learning to get along, and their backstories + previous adventures made how they respond to new situations interesting. Trying to show them fighting without that context, they're just kind of awful to each other for a few minutes and then a handful of the characters go off and get the real adventure. I understand why they put most of the focus where the action's happening (and I'm actually glad they didn't just have the main cast come in and solve everything- it let the 4 characters have room to breathe and achieve victory)
Splitting the party can be done because they pulled it off in Continental Drift. Each side of the divide had enough going on emotionally to keep going. In this one, most of the characters don't have much to do (or are just plain missing). Suggestions could be made for a fitting plot for them, but I think stuff like including a separate villain or some other challenge might make the movie too overloaded and clunky. (This movie is a break from the "heaviness" of the previous ones in that regard, but it comes with challenges like that.)
As much as I think it's cool to see another story set in the "lost world", I think they needed just a little bit more explanation. There are things that they got "wrong" that I think would work ok as a premise for a short movie or a TV series if there was even a moment of explanation rather than treating it as though it's always been that way.
I think if there's one thing that really really should be changed, it would be that. Replace the part with Ellie explaining why she's writing down their history and that she's afraid of change, because it really doesn't affect the story. It's a weird way of framing the whole thing as a lesson Ellie learned rather than what Crash & Edie + Buck & Zee learned.
(Well, that and the voice actors but maybe as with some other things they didn't have much choice so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt there)
The villain...meh. While I don't think they necessarily need to spend more time on his backstory, they bring up a bunch of things that raise questions. As basic as they were already, it might have been better if they saved on explaining. Rudy was menacing with just the information that he and Buck were rivals. "When offered to join us he instead destroyed our land, killed our team, then got sent to dino-prison and escaped" would preserve a lot of the back story relevant to the conflict without making it about his weird brain. By doing that they'd save themselves from doing stuff like writing that only dinos with weird brains can talk.
Oddly there are a few things I liked about how some things were handled, whether intentional or a side effect of things.
I liked that the film suggests Buck has always been eccentric and didn't just get that way due to isolation and constant danger, and how Zee does things differently while still being understanding on things like when it's worth arguing (and yet avoiding being a pushover). She compliments Buck rather than stepping on his niche, even when they learn to share their styles. It's a character that's smart, capable, and yet able to experience growth through their adventure.
I agree that it's good they didn't make her a generic love interest. It looked like that was where it was going when they were playing with the themes of loneliness earlier in the movie (and with the whole "past acquaintances reunite to face a common danger" plot), but fortunately they found a way for them to be together without being a forced solution.
It leaves them in a wholesome situation where they compliment each other without being limited to just being there to fulfill that archetype. It's one of those parts of the movie where they have things both ways and it works imo.
I was concerned she wouldn't get as much fan attention because too many would (understandably) overlook/dismiss the movie.
I've been thinking about it more than I should, so I could rant about various aspects. I'll try to keep it short.
iirc it was going to be a TV show, but at some point they re-worked it into a movie.
I think a just a little bit more care in the art could have avoided the unfortunate look of some of the shots. It wouldn't be groundbreaking, but it wouldn't look so shoddy either.
(what comes to mind is the textures in some of the shots. Some of them are scaled or applied oddly.)
I think I liked buck in this one a bit more than in Collision course, though it's probably because in this one he's the other half of the story rather than just thrown in.
While it's cool to have a story about Crash and Eddie, it suffers the problem of taking characters who mostly did goofy stuff in the background and making occasional quips, and instead giving them way too much to say.
I think the non-focal characters suffered from being thrown in for the set up, but not having their actual personalities be the core of the story like it is in the other movies, which lead to them being "lite" versions when they do appear, and lacked charm. The conflict between them worked in the movies where you had the whole movie of them learning to get along, and their backstories + previous adventures made how they respond to new situations interesting. Trying to show them fighting without that context, they're just kind of awful to each other for a few minutes and then a handful of the characters go off and get the real adventure. I understand why they put most of the focus where the action's happening (and I'm actually glad they didn't just have the main cast come in and solve everything- it let the 4 characters have room to breathe and achieve victory)
Splitting the party can be done because they pulled it off in Continental Drift. Each side of the divide had enough going on emotionally to keep going. In this one, most of the characters don't have much to do (or are just plain missing). Suggestions could be made for a fitting plot for them, but I think stuff like including a separate villain or some other challenge might make the movie too overloaded and clunky. (This movie is a break from the "heaviness" of the previous ones in that regard, but it comes with challenges like that.)
As much as I think it's cool to see another story set in the "lost world", I think they needed just a little bit more explanation. There are things that they got "wrong" that I think would work ok as a premise for a short movie or a TV series if there was even a moment of explanation rather than treating it as though it's always been that way.
I think if there's one thing that really really should be changed, it would be that. Replace the part with Ellie explaining why she's writing down their history and that she's afraid of change, because it really doesn't affect the story. It's a weird way of framing the whole thing as a lesson Ellie learned rather than what Crash & Edie + Buck & Zee learned.
(Well, that and the voice actors but maybe as with some other things they didn't have much choice so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt there)
The villain...meh. While I don't think they necessarily need to spend more time on his backstory, they bring up a bunch of things that raise questions. As basic as they were already, it might have been better if they saved on explaining. Rudy was menacing with just the information that he and Buck were rivals. "When offered to join us he instead destroyed our land, killed our team, then got sent to dino-prison and escaped" would preserve a lot of the back story relevant to the conflict without making it about his weird brain. By doing that they'd save themselves from doing stuff like writing that only dinos with weird brains can talk.
Oddly there are a few things I liked about how some things were handled, whether intentional or a side effect of things.
I liked that the film suggests Buck has always been eccentric and didn't just get that way due to isolation and constant danger, and how Zee does things differently while still being understanding on things like when it's worth arguing (and yet avoiding being a pushover). She compliments Buck rather than stepping on his niche, even when they learn to share their styles. It's a character that's smart, capable, and yet able to experience growth through their adventure.
I agree that it's good they didn't make her a generic love interest. It looked like that was where it was going when they were playing with the themes of loneliness earlier in the movie (and with the whole "past acquaintances reunite to face a common danger" plot), but fortunately they found a way for them to be together without being a forced solution.
It leaves them in a wholesome situation where they compliment each other without being limited to just being there to fulfill that archetype. It's one of those parts of the movie where they have things both ways and it works imo.
I was concerned she wouldn't get as much fan attention because too many would (understandably) overlook/dismiss the movie.
I really like Zee, but... well her movie... How would I put it best. I think it's inoffensive myself, but it's not really GOOD. And there's a few problems that come to mind.
First off, Ice Age has a hatedom, especially so since the fourth and the fifth movie, so those people already where like "Argh! Not more of THIS!" Second off, Ice Age also has a fandom, and many of them where like "Hey! Where's Shira!" (Also possibly Brooke, Peaches etc.) Some of them were like "Wait, did this movie actually acknowledge those humans from the first movie?" But that was the main positive thing they had to say (And the absence of Scrat doesn't help either. (And kind of surprises me. Why would you NOT at least have Scrat cameo?)
Actually Scrat-wise it'd been quite easy to have an amusing moment where he runs into Zee after his latest pratfall, and seeing as how Zee's actually nice, she gives him his acorn, kind of 'there you go little guy'. And then of course Scrat'll fumble it and Zee could do comedic winces as you'd hear amusing sound effects and note that "That's one unlucky squirrel." And maybe Buck'd have a quip about Zee having a soft spot for hopeless cases or that he's seen someone even less likely to survive then the possums. But... moot point. Scrat's not IN it.
And then... well this was originally made, as you mention, as a TV series and it shows not only visually, but also writing wise. Orson actually would be a fine villain for a TV shows (Optimally as part of a rogues gallery (That I'd think would at least once have to include an appearance by Rudy.) It's just... for a movie, yeah... he doesn't feel that epic. If anything I'm actually surprised Buck and Zee don't have much more of a hate on for Mojo Jojosaurus. Considering he... well killed the rest of their team! You'd think Buck wouldn't do that whole 'We need eachother!' spiel and let Orson beat him up in the process. Buck also seems quite jovial to Orson when we first see them meet, almost as though he's more of a pesky rival he doesn't consider a real match for him, then... well the guy who killed half his team.
Now general consensus of people not just tearing an easy target a new one seems to boil down to 'The movie's not very good, but Zee's neat'. Which ranges from people being like "It'd be nice if Zee'd had a better movie to be in." To one reviewer seeming to be so crazy about Zee he was all like "She really should have a prequel about her!"
Honestly, much as I like Zee, I think we'll probably never see her again. There IS another ice age movie in the works, yes. But I don't think Zee will be in it, even as a cameo. In fact I kind of expect said movie to ignore any of the previous movies as suits it. Or if not that, to ignore this spinoff movie at least. It's not like Zee COULDN'T be in it, but don't expect her to be. And I certainly don't expect Zee to get a prequel or anything like that either.
Best case scenario for our Noxious Ninja, is that enough of the young audience likes the movie, plays it over and over again, and Disney decides to do a TV show based around Buck Wild after all. But don't expect that either even if the young audience DID really love the movie (And they might well not.) I mean if Disney capitalized on everything they had that was popular we'd have had a decent Zootopia series by now. (Instead of an upcoming series of shorts about side characters six or seven years later.) If anything Disney only really cares about it's Princess line nowadays, trying hopelessly to milk Star Wars and being increasingly preachy.
I guess in that sense, Zee's one of those 'be glad we got her at all', kind of characters. (And it's neat to see a Zorilla (Though oddly Zee's design seems to have been based on a taxidermied zorilla (That had brown fur, possible, but not the most common colour for a zorilla to be.) The picture for which is as of writing, on wikipedia under their zorilla article. Which also explains Zee's needlenose. (Though honestly I think her somewhat unusual design for a zorilla could easily be handwaved by her being a prehistoric ancestor of a zorilla anyway.)
So yeah, Zee's cool! I really like her. But she never stood to much of a chance. And while I'm sure she'll get a bit more furry art, don't expect a flood of it. I mean, even the Scratazons only get so much, and they were clearly from before the war on boobs in animations. (In fact there seems to be a new 'war on thicc thighs' budding. And since feminine eyelashes will probably seen as to girly, and we've seen Tumblr approved She-Ra, expect future animated characters to all look like dudes. Or specifically they'll all look like teenage boys. (The men too, because overtly masculine is not necessarily approved either.)
Long story short, Zee the Zorilla, who's name may or may not be Zsa Zsa will just have to be an obscure gem. And an interesting use of an obscure mustelid. (Fun fact, zorilla's are not closely related to skunks (Even if they look like skunks and have the same abilities.) It's convergent evolution! Basically a ferret that evolved independently into a skunk too.) Zee is only the second instance of a zorilla I've seen in animation. And I doubt there will ever be a third.
First off, Ice Age has a hatedom, especially so since the fourth and the fifth movie, so those people already where like "Argh! Not more of THIS!" Second off, Ice Age also has a fandom, and many of them where like "Hey! Where's Shira!" (Also possibly Brooke, Peaches etc.) Some of them were like "Wait, did this movie actually acknowledge those humans from the first movie?" But that was the main positive thing they had to say (And the absence of Scrat doesn't help either. (And kind of surprises me. Why would you NOT at least have Scrat cameo?)
Actually Scrat-wise it'd been quite easy to have an amusing moment where he runs into Zee after his latest pratfall, and seeing as how Zee's actually nice, she gives him his acorn, kind of 'there you go little guy'. And then of course Scrat'll fumble it and Zee could do comedic winces as you'd hear amusing sound effects and note that "That's one unlucky squirrel." And maybe Buck'd have a quip about Zee having a soft spot for hopeless cases or that he's seen someone even less likely to survive then the possums. But... moot point. Scrat's not IN it.
And then... well this was originally made, as you mention, as a TV series and it shows not only visually, but also writing wise. Orson actually would be a fine villain for a TV shows (Optimally as part of a rogues gallery (That I'd think would at least once have to include an appearance by Rudy.) It's just... for a movie, yeah... he doesn't feel that epic. If anything I'm actually surprised Buck and Zee don't have much more of a hate on for Mojo Jojosaurus. Considering he... well killed the rest of their team! You'd think Buck wouldn't do that whole 'We need eachother!' spiel and let Orson beat him up in the process. Buck also seems quite jovial to Orson when we first see them meet, almost as though he's more of a pesky rival he doesn't consider a real match for him, then... well the guy who killed half his team.
Now general consensus of people not just tearing an easy target a new one seems to boil down to 'The movie's not very good, but Zee's neat'. Which ranges from people being like "It'd be nice if Zee'd had a better movie to be in." To one reviewer seeming to be so crazy about Zee he was all like "She really should have a prequel about her!"
Honestly, much as I like Zee, I think we'll probably never see her again. There IS another ice age movie in the works, yes. But I don't think Zee will be in it, even as a cameo. In fact I kind of expect said movie to ignore any of the previous movies as suits it. Or if not that, to ignore this spinoff movie at least. It's not like Zee COULDN'T be in it, but don't expect her to be. And I certainly don't expect Zee to get a prequel or anything like that either.
Best case scenario for our Noxious Ninja, is that enough of the young audience likes the movie, plays it over and over again, and Disney decides to do a TV show based around Buck Wild after all. But don't expect that either even if the young audience DID really love the movie (And they might well not.) I mean if Disney capitalized on everything they had that was popular we'd have had a decent Zootopia series by now. (Instead of an upcoming series of shorts about side characters six or seven years later.) If anything Disney only really cares about it's Princess line nowadays, trying hopelessly to milk Star Wars and being increasingly preachy.
I guess in that sense, Zee's one of those 'be glad we got her at all', kind of characters. (And it's neat to see a Zorilla (Though oddly Zee's design seems to have been based on a taxidermied zorilla (That had brown fur, possible, but not the most common colour for a zorilla to be.) The picture for which is as of writing, on wikipedia under their zorilla article. Which also explains Zee's needlenose. (Though honestly I think her somewhat unusual design for a zorilla could easily be handwaved by her being a prehistoric ancestor of a zorilla anyway.)
So yeah, Zee's cool! I really like her. But she never stood to much of a chance. And while I'm sure she'll get a bit more furry art, don't expect a flood of it. I mean, even the Scratazons only get so much, and they were clearly from before the war on boobs in animations. (In fact there seems to be a new 'war on thicc thighs' budding. And since feminine eyelashes will probably seen as to girly, and we've seen Tumblr approved She-Ra, expect future animated characters to all look like dudes. Or specifically they'll all look like teenage boys. (The men too, because overtly masculine is not necessarily approved either.)
Long story short, Zee the Zorilla, who's name may or may not be Zsa Zsa will just have to be an obscure gem. And an interesting use of an obscure mustelid. (Fun fact, zorilla's are not closely related to skunks (Even if they look like skunks and have the same abilities.) It's convergent evolution! Basically a ferret that evolved independently into a skunk too.) Zee is only the second instance of a zorilla I've seen in animation. And I doubt there will ever be a third.
Ummm, I don't mean to be rude here... but did you guys really have to write up whole essays under my comment?? Couldn't you have just left your thoughts on the film to a journal post or two instead of taking it up with my comment on this little innocent bit of fanart? I'm just saying.
I mean both you and The BigCat. I care because you're getting me involved, when I don't have time for long text discussions. I just felt like talking a bit about the movie itself on my comment for a bit of context. Not to get a few unnecessary paragraphs worth of replies. What I'm trying to say as politely as I can is, can you just please take this conversation somewhere else?
Who's dragging you into a discussion? Sure as hell not ME.
In fact since I DO find both of your comments rude, condescending and obnoxious on account of your bossiness (which'd be one thing if you drew this pic, and it'd be assholish even then to bite someone's head off for commenting on it.), overblown sense of importance (but muh comment!) and your disingenious delusion (that you may or may not sincerely believe) that you aren't being rude. (Which you are, and have been twice. And if you think I'm rude it's a direct response to your own condescending behaviour.) I'd think it's fair to say that I don't want to talk to you at ALL at this point in fact! And I wasn't talking to you to BEGIN with! (Nor were you talking to TheBigCat, who left the original comment.)
So how about you save your precious time and not comment to this comment. I didn't like either of your previous comments and don't want to talk to you. So that should make both of us happy.
Seriously, don't comment further. I don't want to talk to you and I don't like you. Leave me alone.
In fact since I DO find both of your comments rude, condescending and obnoxious on account of your bossiness (which'd be one thing if you drew this pic, and it'd be assholish even then to bite someone's head off for commenting on it.), overblown sense of importance (but muh comment!) and your disingenious delusion (that you may or may not sincerely believe) that you aren't being rude. (Which you are, and have been twice. And if you think I'm rude it's a direct response to your own condescending behaviour.) I'd think it's fair to say that I don't want to talk to you at ALL at this point in fact! And I wasn't talking to you to BEGIN with! (Nor were you talking to TheBigCat, who left the original comment.)
So how about you save your precious time and not comment to this comment. I didn't like either of your previous comments and don't want to talk to you. So that should make both of us happy.
Seriously, don't comment further. I don't want to talk to you and I don't like you. Leave me alone.
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