Great cartoon  get kids into Woody Allen early!

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2002)

Worker ant Z has issues - he feels insignificant and that he doesn't make a difference - and he's right. As a worker ant he dreams of meeting the beautiful Princess Bala. When he swaps places with Weaver, his military friend he becomes a hero in the termite war and goes on a search with Bala for Insectopia. But with Bala gone, Sinister General Mandible has plans to take over the colony and wipe out all but the strongest ants, can Z be a hero again?
I'm very much a Woody Allen fan, so straight away I'm a fan of this type of comedy. The story is good for a child's comedy and it would stand up by itself. The story is full of movie references (the `Starship Troopers' termite wars being the best), and is interesting enough to keep adults interested. For children there are enough good visuals, action scenes and visual jokes to keep them happy. But what really makes this film stand out is Allen's voice work. He brings his style of humour to the film and is the perfect choice for the ant suffering from feelings of worthlessness and insignificance. So many of the lines will go over the heads of children, but it is great to have this level of wit and humour in a kids film.
The other thing that makes this stand out is the depth of the cast - and the fact that they are all good. Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover, John Mahoney, J-Lo, Sharon Stone (who Allen gave her first role to), and Sylvester Stallone (this is much better than the other Stone/Stallone feature `the Specialist'). The two other main roles are really well cast. Hackman is perfect as General Mandible while Walken is really well cast as Cutter - it's easy to see him in the animation.
Overall this is an excellent film for adults and children. A Bug's Life may be better for children because of it's brighter animation and greater reliance on visual humour, however Antz is by far the superior film.