THE BUGS HAVE GOT THE LIFE!

by Jason R. Hewlett

Pixar knows what they are doing. Three years ago they cranked-out a highly entertaining animated epic called "Toy Story" which did what few animated films were able to do before: told an amusing, witty, and smart story that was appealing to adults and children alike and they did it without chucking in a bunch of lame songs that dragged down the narrative. Pretty clever bunch of guys!

Now we've got "A Bug's Life" which does exactly the same thing. Here we've got another amusing, witty, and smart story that doesn't chuck in a bunch of lame songs to drag down the narrative. Again, a pretty clever bunch of guys. The film details the adventures of a likeable little ant named Flik (voiced by David Foley of "News Radio" fame) who brings together a bunch of circus bugs to protect his colony from a group of evil grasshoppers lead by the wonderfully nasty Hopper (voiced by actor-genius Kevin Spacey). It's kind of like "The Magnificent Seven" for the pre-teen set but its got enough humor in it aimed at adults that it's impossible to be bored. Actually, I found the whole things pretty darn funny and the characters, particularly Francis (a lady bug with Denis Leary's bad attitude) and Heimlich (voiced by Joe Ranft), to be quite well-rounded and likeable. You don't get that very often in any kind of movie now a days...particularly most kiddy flicks.

Oh yah, "A Bug's Life" does sound a bit like the earlier animated film "Antz" but then "Armageddon" bore more than a slight resemblance to "Deep Impact" and "Volcano" did seem a bit like that other volcano movie but most of the original ideas have all been used up in Hollywood so it doesn't matter how new the story is just as long as it is done well and "Bug's Life" is done very well...and I don't just mean the dazzling computer rendered animation. Like "Toy Story" this is a work of art from the sound design right through to the script. If, after you sit through the film, you still don't believe me just sit back and enjoy the end credits. You'll love the "bloopers!" Any movie that creates its' own bloopers is a winner in my book!

9 out of 10!