MovieChat Forums > Alien Planet (2005) Discussion > Ridiculous aliens...

Ridiculous aliens...

posted 17 years ago by chickenbeaver
13 replies | jump to latest

I know that Alien Planet is supposed to be about fantastical sci-fi speculation, but I found that most of the animals presented were ridiculous.

Why would so many animals evolve to have only 2 legs? And why did that huge alien have 3 legs? Most notably, that antelope-like animal. Absolutely idiotic to suggest that an animal would have at one time had four legs, but then evolved so that the legs joined together. What benefit would that serve? There would be a huge loss of balance and maneuverability. And how would it get up if it fell over? Absolutely preposterous. It seems to me that animals would in no way evolve that way through natural selection.

And what's up with the appendages pointing backwards off of the arrowhead's sides? What purpose do those serve?

And why would the daggerwrist have that retractable feeding tube? Why not eat with its mouth?

And why all the appendages sticking off of the back of the sea strider? What would those do?

I understand that the show wants to be fanciful to catch people's attention, but almost all of the content seems ludicrous to me.

Maybe I need to read the book...

[–] el_pistachio 17 years ago

If you allow me, I think I can answer to that...

Two legs is still like what we see on Earth, with birds and monkeys... I say it's a good locomotion that requires fewer legs... and since there's less gravity the animals need less support

The Groveback had two legs, that thing in the back is just a support... and think about it, all animals evolve their own way, to diversify... like there are insects, fish, mammals and reptiles on Earth... here you have dinosaur like animals, flying animals, four leggers and huge animals, stuff like that.

About the Gyrosprinter, if you go on the official website you'll read that it has horn thingies on its sides that help it balance itself... and again, two legs means less tissue to feed and all... I say it's a good evolution.

The Arrowtongue's appendages, based on its reaction with the probes, may be use to frighten them off: make itself look bigger. I mean they kinda look like Eosapiens, which pretty much feeds on everything on the planet (even the Skewer). It's kinda like the Spinosaurus in the dinosaurs, or a cat

The Daggerwrist doesn't have a mouth, it can only feed that way. No animals on Darwin IV have mouths, not counting the Groveback which simply uses it as communication.

Sea Strider now... according to the book, those are its reproduction devices (you know what I mean). However it could also be used as a balance organ, a tail. I mean hey, they got caught in a storm, not like they wanna tip over like a jenga.

If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. I hope this satisfies ur quest for knowledge ;)

[–] chickenbeaver 16 years ago

Okay, I'll accept your answers for most of my questions, except for one.

However, I still think the gyrosprinter is ridiculous. It would be near impossible for that thing to right itself if it were lying on its side.

[–] Brian11 16 years ago

When we look at possible extra terrestrial life, we cannot and I stress cannot compare it to life on earth. Sure there's the possibility that life can be similar to that on earth, but people...think outside of the box....use your imagination. They did a decent job thinking outside the box and comparing it to earth life in Alien Planet, it definitely gets you thinking! But we don't know what life is, we don't know what life on another planet could be.

[–] kieranricher-1 16 years ago

If Captain Kirk wouldn't have sex with anything on the given planet, I give it a thumbs up for a decent alien ecosystem design.

[–] FiyreFly18 16 years ago

In comparison to the gyrosprinter, turtles can't right themselves if they flip over either so the idea isn't that crazy.

[–] robocat893 12 years ago

In comparison to the gyrosprinter, turtles can't right themselves if they flip over either so the idea isn't that crazy.

I once had a Carolina box turtle and he had no problem whatsoever righting himself if he was on his back. He would dig one of his feet into the ground and flip right over. Same thing with my daughter's water turtles.

Now they know that we know that they know that we know.

[–] spongeboy1985 16 years ago

I watched this a and a similar program which had flying whales I do not remember what it was called but the air was realltthin and the trees were miles high any oneknow the name

[–] albrt_g 16 years ago

Yes, it is from National Geographic and it's called "Extraterrestrial!": http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0885407/

[–] seirus501 16 years ago

the point of them looking wierd is to be different from what is normal to us; if they saw us, they would think we are ridiculas.

[–] Careless5 16 years ago

I know it is kind of a fact that four legs creatures are faster than two legged ones. I dont think getting rid of two legs from the cheetah will make it quicker.

[–] [email protected] 11 years ago

I know it is kind of a fact that four legs creatures are faster than two legged ones. I dont think getting rid of two legs from the cheetah will make it quicker.

So explain velociraptor.

[–] protazek 13 years ago

This thing is like half-duck, half-beaver, there is nothing more ridiculous in this film than what you can see in your zoo.

Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

[–] nyjack 11 years ago

Evolution can move animals along in surprising ways. Just look at the whale. It was originally a land creature whose ancestors somehow moved back into the ocean. The only thing that matters is if a mutation gives a species an ability to survive; if it does it propagates itself further.

However, a mutation can also be neutral; it neither helps nor hinders a species' evolution. Differently placed spots or stripes or some of their color patterns on a species may have no advantage or disadvantage. That gives sci-fi artists a bit of a go-ahead to be fanciful in their designs.