A BUG'S LIFE
**** (out of ****)
Rated G
(starring the vocal talents of) Flik: Dave Foley Hopper: Kevin Spacey Princess Atta: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Dot: Hayden Panettiere Slim: David Hyde Pierce Molt: Richard Kind Heimlich: Joe Ranft Francis: Denis Leary Gypsy: Madeline Kahn Rosie: Bonnie Hunt P.T. Flea: John Ratzenberger Mr. Soil: Roddy McDowall
Directed by John Lasseter. Co-directed by Andrew Stanton. Produced by Darla K. Anderson and Kevin Reher. Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Donald McEnery and Bob Shaw. Original story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Running time: 93 minutes. Release date: November 20, 1998 in NY/LA; November 25th nationwide.
(to read this review complete with pictures from the film, visit Jeffrey Huston's website at: http://www.impactprod.org/people/huston/abugslife.htm )
Great family entertainment is rare nowadays. Many films and TV shows like to present themselves under the guise of being entertaining for the whole family, but most are not. `Family Entertainment' is an abused expression by studio marketers that are trying to peddle films or videos that really only appeal to kids. They say their product is `for the whole family', but as the kids laugh and giggle, Mom and Dad find themselves nodding off.
As I define it, `Family Entertainment' is something that literally everyone in the family can enjoy, no matter how young or old they may be. "A Bug's Life" is family entertainment at its absolute best.
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation collaborated on one of this decade' s most revolutionary films, 1995's "Toy Story". It was the first film to be animated entirely by CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). This holiday season, Disney and Pixar give us their second effort, the energetic and highly entertaining "A Bug's Life". Also animated by CGI technology, "A Bug's Life" is a sumptuous visual treat that takes the look of "Toy Story" to another level. And whereas it may not have quite the level of character depth as its 1995 predecessor, "A Bug's Life" is a smart, fun adventure that is as pleasing to the sense of sight as it is to the sense of humor.
"A Bug's Life" is the story of an ant colony oppressed by a gang of grasshoppers. Using their superior strength, the scary grasshoppers strike fear into the ants, threatening them with their very lives if they do not give the grasshoppers all of the food they have harvested through the summer and fall. Feeling powerless to do anything, the ants hopelessly give into this demand. Except one.
Flik, a simple worker ant with aspirations of being an inventor, is viewed by most of the colony as eccentric, high-minded and foolish. Yearning to redeem himself, Flik ventures out of the ant colony in the hopes of recruiting other insects as defenders of the ant harvest. Through a hilarious sequence of mistaken identity, Flik enlists a group of carnival insects for this battle, believing them to be warrior insects. This alliance-by-misunderstanding evolves into a fable which shows us that belief and faith in oneself and others enables us to achieve feats that reach beyond our perceived limitations. It is a wonderfully affirming morality tale in the grand tradition of Disney's best animated features.
The story for "A Bug's Life" succeeds where so many family-oriented movies fail. It tells an exciting story with interesting characters that is entertaining to adults while being fascinating to children. The story is very well structured; it displays excellent character development and legitimate dramatic tension that challenges the resolve of its characters, all building to an exciting climax. It also employs a sharp wit with quick barbs and observations that are uproariously funny. In today's sex obsessed culture, this is a shining example of truly great humor. It is comedy that makes you laugh out loud without relying on easily concocted sexual innuendoes. This is a smart, funny script with a positive, heartwarming message.
"A Bug's Life" may very well be the most perfectly cast film of the year. Boasting an impressive list of actors, the voices and characterizations simply could not have been better. Actors such as Dave Foley, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, David Hyde Pierce and John Ratzenberger could be classified as `Must See Voiceovers' as they are mostly known for their work on popular NBC sitcoms ("NewsRadio", "Seinfeld", "Frasier" and "Cheers", respectively). As familiar and perfect are the voices of Pierce and Ratzenberger for their characters, Dreyfus does well as Princess Atta in that she is appropriately straight-forward instead of being the overly extroverted Elaine, all the while maintaining her hallmark energy. And while Foley doesn't do anything that is necessarily spectacular, his performance of Flik is both exuberant and tender.
Kevin Spacey has one of the film's juiciest roles as the maniacal Hopper, leader of the oppressive grasshopper clan. While being aggressively angry at the appropriate moments, the greatness that Spacey brings to Hopper is a quiet, calm, but fear-inducing authority. He doesn't always explode with hot rantings. But rather, he pierces each ant with a cold look and a chilling whisper. Spin City's Richard Kind plays Molt, Hopper's hilarious suck-up of a sidekick. Kind's loud brashness provides much of the film's humor.
My favorite performance would have to be that of Joe Ranft. As well as being one of the film's screenwriters, Joe Ranft provides the voice for Heimlich, the shy and naïve chubby caterpillar with the voice of a seven-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger. The combined talents of Ranft and the animators make Heimlich a funny and endearing character.
Kids and adults alike will gaze in awe at the artwork in this film. With its bright colors, three-dimensional textures, and smooth flow of movement, "A Bug's Life" is a visual marvel. There is a great deal of movement in this picture with so many things going on at once. It is a complex orchestration of moving images that is utterly impressive. The colors burst off of the screen with rich greens, blue hues, and even a foreboding sunset.
The array of insects in the story led to vastly different character designs and creations. It is a veritable smorgasbord of creativity, presenting us with little creatures that range from the stout and round to the tall and thin, and virtually everything imaginable in between. Perhaps the best character designs are the grasshoppers. With scaly, rough detail and precise nuances of movement, the grasshoppers really come to life. The multi-legged anatomy is clearly on display as the grasshoppers move around effortlessly. The grasshoppers are, in my opinion, the best creatures I've seen created using CGI technology.
Randy Newman, who delivered one of this year's best film scores with his compositions for "Pleasantville", has broken new personal ground with his work for "A Bug's Life". Newman hasn't broached full-fledged adventure territory before, but proves himself more than up for the task. Newman's score is a rousing one that captures and accentuates the action and excitement of the story. It's so good that I'm willing to forgive him for the annoyingly typical Randy Newman song that plays under the film's end credits.
It's hard to avoid comparisons with the DreamWorks CGI film "Antz" that was released less than two months prior to this movie's release. But I believe it is unfair and pointless to compare the two for it would be an `apples and oranges' scenario. "Antz" is a great film in its own right, as is "A Bug's Life". And although there are a few unavoidable similarities between them, they really are two different films at heart. Whereas "Antz" has an adult sophistication to it, "A Bug's Life" is a childlike magical adventure. In fact, I can't remember the last time a film has genuinely made me feel like a kid again as "A Bug's Life" did. Perhaps it is for this reason that I personally give an edge to "A Bug's Life", but not necessarily because it is (in technical cinematic terms) a better film.
As an added treat, last year's Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film, "Geri's Game", is shown in front of "A Bug's Life". Also made by Pixar Animation Studios, it is the oddly fun story of an old man playing chess-against himself. Thank Disney for this fun bonus, an Oscar winning film unseen by a wide audience until now. And on the other side of the spectrum, there's fun to be had after the conclusion of the film as well. Make sure to stick around for the end credit roll to enjoy some of the film' s funniest moments.
With films like "What Dreams May Come", "Antz", "Dark City", and "Pleasantville", 1998 has been a banner year for breathtaking cinematic imagery. Now you can add "A Bug's Life" to that list. Like those films, it is a true work of art that ultimately comes to life through its hilariously enchanting insects and adventurous story. And if you're not careful, the story may even eventually move you as its brave characters exemplify the story's moral of having faith in oneself and those around you. "A Bug's Life" is pure, unadulterated fun that is also spectacular filmmaking. For great family entertainment, the surefire bet presently in theaters is Disney 's "A Bug's Life", a rousing animated adventure that is destined to become a classic.
If you would like to read more reviews by Jeffrey Huston, please visit film review page "Believe Me" at: http://www.impactprod.org/people/huston/core.htm
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