Significantly raising the standard for computer animated films and overall family-based entertainment, Disney/Pixar's "A Bug's Life" is an absolute delight. Certain to entertain kids of all ages, the film is a visual treat like the recent and similarly constructed "Antz," but far exceeds that picture in characterization, story and complete enjoyment. Geared more for kids than the PG rated "Antz" -- but just as easily accessible for fun-loving adults -- this should be one of the big hits of the 1998 holiday movie season.
Like their earlier, groundbreaking, and completely computer generated film, "Toy Story," the wildly imaginative folks at Pixar have delivered another technically amazing picture. Pushing its computers and artists/technicians to the limit -- with the more elaborate scenes reportedly taking more than 100 hours to process per frame -- the picture''s visuals are nothing short of breathtaking.
Compared to "Antz" that was often darkly lit and occasionally foreboding in its mostly subterranean setting, "A Bug's Life" unfolds in a bright, airy, and colorful place. With a great deal of sweeping camera movement through the film's near microscopic world, the visuals not only showcase the massive advances in computer generated imaging, but also make this make believe world even that much more realistic.
Without any substance, however, all of those visual bells and whistles are, well, just attractive bells and whistles, and this film fortunately delivers far more than that. While the individual and collective images are often astounding, after a while you become accustomed to them.
Not only is that a testament to the effects -- good ones don't draw undue attention to themselves for being effects -- but also to the story that's so entertaining and well-told that you soon forget you're watching something spit out by a computer. As such, the film is so perfectly executed that the characters, their world, and the plot in which they find themselves become believably real.
Of course, it's those pesky humans who actually concocted this delight, and kudos should go out to co-directors John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton (they also did "Toy Story") and screenwriters Donald McEnery & Bob Shaw (who cowrote "Hercules"). While the story isn't overly complex, it unfolds in such an entertaining and fast-paced fashion that you won't be able to wipe the resulting grin from your face no matter how hard you try.
Filled with ample amounts of material to amuse and entertain viewers no matter what generation they call their own, the film has that energetic, high quality feel that "Toy Story" similarly and seemingly effortlessly exuded.
What makes both films work so well and be completely entertaining, however, are the familiar, perfectly developed and executed cast of characters. While all kids obviously love toys -- thus the popularity of "Toy Story" and its high number of sales of "action" figures -- they also like bugs.
Whereas "Antz" pretty much limited its cast to such critters, the filmmakers here made sure to populate the story with a cross section of the insect world. Not only does that insure that a greater amount of such "action" figures will end up as kids' gifts this year, but it also gives the film more variety and flavor.
To be truthful, the majority of the characters are ants, and the lead "performer" worker ant, Flik, is somewhat similar to Z (voiced by Woody Allen in the other film) in that he wants to change the way things are done in the colony. As voiced by Dave Foley (from TV's "NewsRadio"), the character is appropriately developed and easily gets the audience to root for his heroic -- if somewhat misguided -- efforts. Additional ant characters -- as voiced by the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Phyllis Diller, and young Hayden Panettiere -- are also well done.
It's the other insect characters, however, who easily steal the show. As voiced by Kevin Spacey ("The Negotiator," "The Usual Suspects"), the character of Hopper, the grasshopper leader, is a perfect villain for a kids movie. Appropriately meanspirited but intellectually disgusted by his underlings, Hopper might scare some kids in the tradition of other Disney bad guys, but is a blast to watch, especially with Spacey's vocals giving his character even more of an edge.
Obviously, the most fun characters are those wacky circus performer bugs, and their characterizations -- and the vocal talents chosen to speak for them -- are as perfectly done as the supporting toy cast in "Toy Story." From David Hyde Pierce (Niles on TV's "Frasier") as the intellectual walking stick who's always tired of playing the broom, to Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith on the old "Lost in Space" show) as the pompous praying mantis, all these characters are as much fun -- and more -- as any of the sidekick characters from Disney's previous animated efforts.
While Tuck & Roll -- the two Hungarian pill bugs who grin all of the time because they don't understand a word anyone's saying -- are delightfully amusing, the characters voiced by Denis Leary ("Wag the Dog," "Judgement Night") -- as the manly ladybug Francis who gets much grief for being what he is -- and Joe Ranft (a Disney/Pixar story man) -- as the always hungry, but often cowardly German caterpillar -- are probably the best.
Equally complex in computer generated visuals and subtle story nuances, the film should probably be seen more than once just to make sure that nothing's missed. From the fun and inventive use of motorcycle-like sounds when the grasshoppers start their wings, to the use of discarded food containers as buildings in the "big city," and an old sombrero as a Mexican "biker" cantina, the film's never short on being inventive.
Finally, to top off this great picture, the filmmakers have even included a host of faux flubs and goofs from the film that play during the end credits where the animated characters mess up their lines and miss their marks just like their human counterparts often due. Like icing on the cake, make sure you stick around for that treat.
Filled with more than enough funny, adventurous and interesting material to keep children and adults alike fully satisfied during its ninety some minute duration, this is easily one of the best family films to come along in years, and it should enjoy as much success as its computer- generated predecessor, "Toy Story." We give this highly imaginative and entertaining film a big 9 out of 10.