A Bug's Life

This animated feature about ants, grasshoppers, and various other bugs is an inspirational testament of never giving up despite the odds stacked against you.

The story begins as Flick, voiced by Dave Foley, the ant who always invents things one right after the other. After the grasshoppers come to invade the food supply, Flick comes up with the idea of getting warrior bugs to fight the grasshoppers. Not only will this idea give Flick respect it will allow him to get redemption as he has messed his prior invention up. This epic journey starts as Flick goes in search of the warrior bugs; he finds them in Circus bugs. Consumed for Princess Atta, voiced by Julia Louis Dreyfuss, and her approval, Flick hides the fact that these "warriors" are in fact circus bugs.

I was smiling throughout this film because it was the one of the best animated features I've seen. Furthermore "A Bug's Life" far eclipses "ANTZ" because this film has a point, storyline, and direction.

The ending is no surprise as far as the typical ending goes, but this is definitely a delight worth seeing on the big screen. I recommend this movie because it allows the mind to sit down and relax and without tension watch the movie in peace.

There is great detail in A Bug's Life. Everything is covered. The film looks great and the animation is sometimes jaw-dropping. The film isn't too terribly orignal, it's basically a modern take on Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, only with bugs. I enjoyed the character interaction however and the bad guys in this film actually seemed bad. It seems that Disney usually makes their bad guys carbon copy cut-outs. The grasshoppers are menacing and Hopper, the lead bad guy, was a brillant creation. Check this one out.

Although consistently entertaining, A Bug's Life fails to deliver on all accounts, by feeling more formulaic overall than its own interesting concepts sprinkled throughout. The film can be very humorous at times, but can also vary on the border of being overly-goofy and in result, some jokes do fall quite flat. The animation, although not as great as its work shortly before, is quite good and full of vibrant color, which makes it very easy on the eyes. The music in the film is really good, with Randy Newman providing a stellar soundtrack, as he always does. The voice work is fairly impressive, with the circus bugs taking the lead in terms of voice work and in character development. The circus bugs are often the best part of the film, and their humor seems rather genuine and their story very engaging, unlike some tropes used earlier with the ants themselves. However, the ant Dot in the film can prove to be quite an adorable change of pace throughout, and stole the show in every scene she was in. In the end, A Bug's Life is far from Pixar's greatest work, but is a mildly enjoyable time. It has a wonderful cast of supporting characters, and is full of vibrant colors, and a score that is very easy to listen to. My Rating: 8.75/10

After dazzling everyone with its unforgettable debut that revolutionised the entire animation industry in the long run, Pixar Animation Studios' follow up to their highly revered Toy Story is another wonderful piece of imagination, innovation & animation that once again presents a unique take on life but this time from a bug's point of view.

The story of A Bug's Life follows a misfit ant who thinks differently yet only ends up causing more trouble for his colony so when his latest escapade wastes away all the food ants had gathered to offer to the greedy grasshoppers, he decides to make up for it by finding & recruiting tough warrior bugs to save the entire colony from its oppressors.

Directed by John Lasseter, A Bug's Life marks Pixar's second consecutive home-run & just like their previous feature, brims with so much creativity & passion that the narrative it puts on the silver screen remains finely balanced in storytelling department and is then taken to the next level by further refinement & advancement in their state-of-the-art animation.

There are wide range of bugs to be found in this fable and the animators have done a fab job in envisioning, designing & rendering all of them. While none of its characters manage to be memorable, it's the sum of the parts that makes it click. The themes it deals with are nicely addressed, humour is effectively used, score is lightweight but fitting & it never loses its sense of fun.

On an overall scale, A Bug's Life is definitely one of Pixar's most underrated films that may not have anything as memorable as the studio's best works but it nonetheless scores high marks in all filmmaking aspects to make up for an enjoyable & entertaining ride that viewers of all ages can benefit from plus delivers its message of 'strength in unity' with remarkable simplicity & effectiveness.

In many ways, I find it to be a reflection of Pixar's very own modus operandi for it offers an interesting insight into the way these talented minds come together under one roof for the sole purpose of envisioning, creating & stringently refining stories that are fun & entertaining but also not devoid of heart, soul & emotions, with an added incentive to be able to do that without compromising with the art or quality of its medium.

This is a FUNNY film. It has all the usual Disney components (music, great range of characters, story, appeal), entwined with superb animation and the excellent voice talents of less well known actors as those in say "Antz" and "Price of Egypt".

The characters work really well, and have a strong appeal, and the humour is aimed at a wide level which overcomes generational barriers. The movie is also presented in superb cinemascope format, which adds to the cinema experience.

Call me crazy, but I have seen the film three times, and I intend on taking more friends to see it this weekend. Many skeptics have seen this film on my recommendation and not been disappointed. I work in a multiplex, and I can honestly say that no-one has ever walked out of this movie without a sense of satisfaction.

See it, and don't be put off because it is animated. You are sure to enjoy this movie, and make sure you stay for the end credits! The bloopers and out-takes at the end are the funniest part of the film, which is packed with laughs throughout.