Super Disney Flick!

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2012)

"Bugs Life" was blasted by the critics upon release, springing from the bowels of Disney not too long after the almost identical "Antz". However, as a stand-alone movie, it is difficult to fault. The characters and backgrounds are beautifully rendered but still look like computer animations. That might sound stupid but for those who think computer graphics can equal live-action, this film serves to debunk that idea. It does look good, no question, but compare this to the computer wizardry behind Gollum in the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy and you'll see what I'm getting at. This is not much of a criticism though - it would be akin to disliking Scooby Doo (the series) because nobody says "Zoinks!" when they're scared.
I must confess, I rather enjoyed this film. It is imaginative and colourful and full of zest and energy - exactly how a kids film should be. The humour is a little on the basic side (dumb insects falling into walls and references to "poop-poop") but again, this is what you would expect. Another reason that "A Bug's Life" got the cold treatment from critics was because it simply wasn't as entertaining to adults as the "Toy Story" films and I'm afraid I agree. But what the film lacks in cross-generational appeal, it makes up for with enthusiasm and story-telling. It does for bugs what The Flintstones did for neolithic cavemen, fitting outsiders into our own everyday lives. Flick, the rebellious ant at the centre of the story, produces telescopes out of grass and water. Piles of rubbish are portrayed as vast cities and the characters, good and bad, behave as we might. Credit for this must go to the top-notch cast of voice actors including Kevin Spacey, David Hyde Pierce, Denis Leary and the others. Probably the only let-down was John Ratzenberger who sounded exactly like Cliff from "Cheers". Still, nice to know he's getting work after all these years.