Title: A Bug's Life (1998)
Review by Arnold Kim
It seems that these days a lot of films are dependent on visuals and filmmaking technology to "ooh" and "aah" the audience enough to occupy them for two hours. Story is often a mere second to visual effects in movies like "Godzilla" or "Armageddon". What a refreshment it is, then, to see a film like "A Bug's Life" where visuals are used to aid and add to the story rather than take its place. That is one of the reasons why I found "A Bug's Life" to be one of the more enjoyable films I've seen this year.
The story of "A Bug's Life" is probably one of its greatest assets. The tale of a worker ant named Flik (Dave Foley) and his attempt to save his colony from the bullyish grasshoppers led by Hopper (Kevin Spacey) by recruiting insects who turn out to be circus rejects is absolutely charming and unique. I've never seen this "Seven Samurai-ish" told the way "A Bug's Life" tells it, partly because it couldn't have been done before. Much of the plot, especially in the second half, came as a pleasant surprise. Just when you think it might be over, a new twist is added to keep you in your seats.
The story also allows for some excellent characters and character development as well. Flik, one of my favorites in the film, grows from a naive, optimistic ant to an ant who stands up for what he believes in and can be taken seriously by the end. The members of the circus group is probably one of the most eclectic and lovable bunch of riffraff I've seen in film in a while. They range from Slim (David Hyde Pierce), the sticklike thespian wannabe to Francis (Denis Leary), the unladylike male ladybug with an attitude. All the different and unique personalities of the circus crew add quite a bit of color to the cast. Their development as a whole, finally finding a place and an audience that accepts them, should be noted as well. The littlest ant, Dot, is absolutely adorable and grows from being a runt with low self esteem to a confident leader of sorts and princess. And of course, the entire colony of ants go from being the bullied to the ones who take charge and revolt towards the end. (Oh, and for this film you really want to stay till the very end, as you'll catch some amusing "outtakes" from the film.)
Largely responsible for the characters is the wonderful voice cast behind them. Dave Foley is perfectly optimistic and full of hope and charm as Flik, while Kevin Spacey is quite menacing as the villainous Hopper. Julia Louis-Dreyfus seems to somewhat reprise her "Elaine" role on "Seinfeld" fairly effectively as Princess Atta, Flik's love interest of sorts and next in line to head the colony. Denis Leary is perfectly cast as the sarcasm and attitude-laden Francis. Overall, a solid performance by the voice cast.
In addition, a solid performance by the animators is put into this story as well. An extremely engaging film visually, it seems to use the most vibrant color palettes that are possible, with bright greens, deep blues, and solid reds, and everything in between. Also remarkable is the incredible detail in the animation, not glossing over any single nook or cranny. It is both of these aspects of the animation that come together to form the film's top artistic achievement- a beautiful orange-red bird, the fearsome predator that all the insects fear, even the grasshoppers. The stunningly lifelike nature of that figure had me doing double takes.
Of course, this film has drawn a bit of attention as a result of the similarities between it and another computer animated insect film, the recently released "Antz". However, it is at that point that the similarities between the films stop. While Antz is an adult oriented anti-socialist Woody Allen story about the importance of the individual, "A Bug's Life" is a fable for all ages about believing in yourself. Between the two of them, "A Bug's Life" is the superior film, with a better and more cohesive story that isn't quite so dark. The characters are more colorful likable in "Bugs", especially in the two leads. However, the voice actors may have fared a bit better in "Antz", as I found Woody Allen, Sly Stallone, and co. perfectly suited to their roles. However, "Antz" also loses out in the visual department, choosing to be drably realistic with the excessive use of browns over the use of more varied and lively colors. "Antz" also seems to be a bit confused in its audience, as it tries to be an "adult" film while also using humor that would appeal to the younger audiences. "A Bug's Life" clearly lacks that problem.
Three years ago, the same team, Pixar and Disney, brought to theaters the first completely computer animated movie, "Toy Story", and that film set the standard for films of its genre with its wonderful characters and story. In 1998, Pixar and Disney keep up to those standards with the release of "A Bug's Life", one of the more endearing films of the year. My score, out of 10: 8
Arnold Kim
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