Lively Winner

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 1998)

Yes, as you've probably heard A Bug's Life is heaps more entertaining than its rival Antz.
A Bug's Life is themed in a similar way to Antz with a misfit ant saving the colony from threat but Antz is a self conscious Manhattan political whinge whereas A Bug's Life is bright and just funny, in the full Disney tradition. A Bug's Life is a great film to take the children to, or perhaps to even attend by yourself, without having to leave half way through to take the tyke to the toilet or to get the little bugger more popcorn.
A Bug's Life was made by the same mob who brought us the amazing Toy Story; amazing from a technical point of view anyway. I'm no expert on animation but it appears that matt, painted backgrounds were often used in A Bug's Life, whereas all of the backgrounds were digitally produced in Toy Story, which must have been hellishly expensive.
Antz also has a glossier, more exquisite look to it than A Bug's Life, but we all know that some of the funniest stuff on film has been pretty roughly produced. Remember those great old Chaplin or Keaton films. Technology can't compensate for poor actors or a lousy script. And slapstick will win out more often than more sophisticated humour.
Our hero ant in A Bug's Life is a crazy inventor who heads off to bug city to get some help to fight off some stand over grasshoppers. In the tradition of The Seven Samurai or The Magnificent Seven he brings back warriors to help the folks back home out but he's unfortunately picked a no hope band of travelling entertainer bugs, thinking that they are the bee's knees at fighting. And yes that is Phyllis Diller's voicing the Queen.
Of course the good blokes and sheilas win out, the colony is saved from the grasshoppers and it's a lot of fun along the way. A Bug's Life is inventive, lively and often downright funny. It's a top notch Disney cartoon comedy.