The Animation is Occasionally Superb but the Story is Stupid

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2007)

This is another in a long line of Hollywood efforts where the gimmick is everything and the substance is sadly lacking. A schmaltzy cartoon, it is too frequently annoying and occasionally aggravating, yet there are moments where it rises to near-perfection. We can do without the ants, for there is nothing special about them, reflecting Hollywood's view of people as mindless, fear-driven conformists. The lead character is supposed to be imaginative and different, but he's written as a screw-up whose silly, mind-numbing antics are just plain foolish. Only a kid wouldn't be bored by him, while in contrast, it takes an intelligent, focused adult to truly appreciate the subtlety of the grasshoppers. The animation, personalities, and dialog are so effective and convincing that it is nothing less than phenomenal. Too bad so much of the script is contrived, predictable, and unoriginal, taking the wonderful parts down with it into a chasm of mediocrity. Those responsible for spoiling what otherwise might have been a first-rate animated classic ought to be horsewhipped.