Antz (1998)

Truly Dreadful Film

Too much of everything

Best movie ever!

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Antz is a film directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson. I decided not to watch or read anything regarding this film before watching the film. After finally watching it, I can say that I enjoyed the whole 87 minutes of this film.Plot: Z, a worker ant decides to impersonate as a soldier ant just to impress the Princess Bala.Story and direction: The film released at a time when CGI animation was just starting. This film is also famous because of its similarities with A BUG'S LIFE. But let me tell you these two films are poles apart in terms of content. This film mainly focuses on the issue of making your own choices rather than just doing the things just because someone told you to. This theme is very relevant in modern times and it has been very clearly justified in the film. There are many adult references in the film which also made it very different considering at the time animated films were aimed for the children. Also, the designs for the characters are amazing. The voice work was aptly chosen. Finally, the music of the film was great and was like sugar to the ears. What I did have a problem with was the animation itself. Three years before this we had a film like Toy Story which is considered as a landmark in terms of animated CGI films. The animation was not impressive with this one, but I laud the effort that the makers went to in order to make this film. Favorite Scene: It would be the first interaction between Bala and Z and then the dance in the scene thereafter. This scene caught on to my mind because this particular scene justifies the basic theme of the film of doing something different than others so that you can be unique. Verdict: Although I won't say that this is one of the best animated films of all time, but I do say that this film deserves a watch. With 87 minutes as the runtime, I did feel entertained for the whole time. I never felt for a moment that the film even diverted my attention, which is a huge credit for any film.I am going with an 8/10.

Z (Zee not Zed; he is American) is a worker ant who is fed up with his lot in life; he wants to be allowed to make some choices but that isn't the way life works in the ant colony. One day as he moans about things to his friend, a soldier ant Weaver, in a bar Princess Bala visits the incognito to see how the lower orders live. She ends up dancing with Z but his individual dancing style leads to trouble and she is rushed to safety; it is only then that Z learns who she was. Determined to see her again he swaps place with Weaver at a military review. He doesn't realise that the assembled soldiers are about to be sent on a certain death mission to attack a termite nest! Somehow he is the sole survivor. He returns to the colony a hero but he soon crosses paths the General Mandible, who has rather drastic plans for the colony. Z escapes with a somewhat unwilling Bala. Outside the colony they make their way to the fabled 'Insectopia'. On the way they face a variety of perils then just as things look good for them Bala is grabbed at taken back to Mandible. Z is determined to see her again and ultimately the two of them will have to save the colony from Mandible's evil plans.1998 saw two animated films about an ant that didn't do what was expected of him and became a hero; this and Disney/Pixar's 'A Bug's Life'; while I slightly preferred the latter this is still a lot of fun and will probably appeal to older children a bit more. There is a greater sense of threat and the villain is more unpleasant. Mandible is clearly meant to be a Nazi with his plans to 'cleanse' the colony of its weaker members… the very workers who built it. The battle against the termites features death and surprisingly for a PG rated film reminded me of a toned down version of the battle scenes in 'Starship Troopers'! There are some funny moments but this is more about the drama than comedy. The cast is almost entirely made up of actors who one wouldn't usually associate with animated films; notable Woody Allen, as Z; Sharon Stone, as Bala; Sylvester Stallone, as Weaver, and Gene Hackman, as General Mandible; they, along with the rest of the cast, do a fine job. The animation is pretty good given that it is almost twenty years old now. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of animated films.

Released in 1998 and produced by DreamWorks, "Antz" is an animated adventure/comedy about a colony of ants where one of the workers named Z (voiced by Woody Allen) feels insignificant in a system of rigid conformity. He meets Bala (Sharon Stone) and they escape the colony to find the mythical "Insectopia," which might not be the paradise they anticipated. Meanwhile, arrogant General Mandible (Gene Hackman) seeks to liquidate the lowly worker ants once they finish a mega-tunnel.This is a solid animated flick with many chuckles, but I found the opening act rather dull. The story really picks up when Z and Bala discover the outside world and the myriad hazards thereof. The end reveal of where the colony is located made me bust out laughing.Part of the fun of animated movies is trying to place the voices of the characters. Hackman was easy to figure out, as are Sylvester Stallone and Christopher Walken. Other actors who contributed include: Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Jane Curtin, Danny Glover, Jennifer Lopez, John Mahoney and Jim Cummings. How does "Antz" compare to Pixar's "A Bug's Life," which was released about the same time in late 1998? Generally speaking, "Antz" is more adult-oriented and darker while "A Bug's Life" is more family-oriented and colorful. When it comes to animated 'bug' films, I much prefer the nigh-genius of DreamWorks' "Bee Movie" from 2007.The film runs 83 minutes. GRADE: C+/B-

I watched this for the first time with my sister as part of our Dreamworks Movie Marathon. Though not even remotely comparable to Pixar's A Bug's Life in terms of quality, Antz is an enjoyable overall experience. The main character was a bit annoying, but at least he was different than I expected. His romantic counterpart was very intolerable, and this resulted in an extremely forced romance between two characters who had no reason to fall in love. That all being said, the movie had teeth, and it was unafraid to kill off characters left and right. The main theme of non-conformity really beat you over the head throughout the film, and could have been a bit more subtle. This basic plot leads me to believe this film is directed at kids, but the innuendo and adult-jokes make me think otherwise. Not sure if it's a good kids movie since I'm not a kid anymore, but Antz is a pretty good film with some problems here and there. I'll be reviewing every Dreamworks film after my sister and I watch it, so Antz is a good start.