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| ANTZ (1998) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| MORGAN'S RATING | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| In an anthill with millions of inhabitants, Z4195 is a worker ant. Feeling insignificant in a conformity system, he accidentally meets beautiful Princess Bala, who has a similar problem on the other end of the social scale. In order to meet her again, Z switches sides with his soldier friend Weaver -- only to become a hero in the course of events. By this he unwillingly crosses the sinister plans of ambitious General Mandible (Bala's fiance), who wants to divide the ant society into a superior, strong race (soldiers) and an inferior, to-be eliminated race (the workers). But Z and Bala, both unaware of the dangerous situation, try to leave the oppressive system by heading for Insectopia, a place where food paves the streets. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Woody Allen (Z-4195), Dan Aykroyd (Chip), Anne Bancroft (Queen), Jane Curtin (Muffy), Danny Glover (Barbatus), Gene Hackman (General Mandible), Jennifer Lopez (Azteca), John Mahoney (Grebs), Paul Mazursky (Psychologist), Grant Shaud (Foreman), Sylvester Stallone (Weaver), Sharon Stone (Princess Bala), Christopher Walken (Colonel Cutter), April Winchell, Jim Cummings, Jerry Sroka (all Additional Voices). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EVERY ANT HAS HIS DAY! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PRODUCTION INFORMATION | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| DIRECTORS: Eric Darnett, Tim Johnson and Lawrence Guterman (additional sequences). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WRITERS: Todd Alcott, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PRODUCERS: Brad Lewis, Aron Warner and Patty Wooton. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Penney Finkelman Cox, Sandra Rabins, Carl Rosendahl and Steven Spielberg (uncredited). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ORIGINAL MUSIC: John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams, with additional music by Gavin Greenaway, Steve Jablonsky and Geoff Zanelli. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DISTRIBUTOR: DreamWorks Pictures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| QUOTES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Z-4195: Why'd I have to be born a worker? You soldiers get all the glory. Plus, you get to go out in the world. You know, you meet interesting insects; you get to kill them. Weaver: Yeah, but you get to spend all day with those beautiful worker girls. Z: Weaver, they're career girls. They're obsessed with digging. |
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| FACTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RELEASE DATE: October 2nd, 1998 (USA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOX OFFICE OPENING: $17.1 million (USA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOX OFFICE RESULT: $90.6 million (USA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: $152.3 million | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Z: Will you calm down? You're not going to let a little near-death experience ruin your mood, are you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BUDGET: $60 million (USA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - Woody Allen recorded his part as "Z" in only 5 days. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bala: I've been kidnapped by the village idiot. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bala: Oh, good. Here they come to rescue me...and to kill you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - The song the ants are dancing to in the bar is a Cuban folksong, "Guantanamera." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bala: Don't you get it? I chose you because you were the most pathetic bug in the joint. Z: You know, I was going to let you become a part of my most erotic fantasies, but now you can just write off. |
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| CRITICAL COMMENTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Entertaining computer-animated feature...Clever and enjoyable, but too sophisticated and violent for young kids." -- Leonard Maltin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Azteca: What happened to Z? Weaver: He's...taking a personal day, so I'm filling in. Azteca: You fill in any more and you'll explode. |
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| "The innovative animation is awesome!" -- E! Online | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Z: I think everything must go back tothe fact that I had a very anxious childhood. You know, my--my mother never had time for me. You know, when you're--when you're the middle child in a family of five million, you don't get any attention. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A marvelously crafted, technologically amazing and downright fun tale!" -- Screen It! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Distinctive delightful!" --Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It enters into a microscopic world and makes it into a world so vast and threatening that comparisons with Star Wars are not unjustified!" -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times |
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| Weaver: You da ant! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Z: Wow, the whole colony is here. Hey, that guy owes me money! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ladybug: This tastes just like crap. Beetle: Really? Hey, it is crap! Not bad. |
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| "Antz works best just showing off its prodigious voice talent and playing lightheartedly with the curious possibilities of a buggy world." -- Janet Maslin, New York Times | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| "Visually, it's more impressive than Disney's Toy Story. On a script level, it was developed as much with a mature audience in mind as with the usual pre-pubescent crowd." -- James Berardinelli, Reel Views | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Antz is about the relief felt by star actors freed from the constraints of their physical selves and the egos that go with them." -- Lisa Schwarbaum, Entertainment Weekly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It's fresh, exhilarating, funny, able to tell an old story in a beguiling new way!" -- Jay Carr, Boston Globe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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