DreamWorks, Rated PG
Directed by Eric Darnell & Tim Johnson
Written by Todd Alcott & Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz
I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed Antz. I thought I would enjoy the animation, but that's about it. But how often is it that the quality of an animated film's writing almost steals the thunder from the animation itself? Such is the case with Antz. The last (and actually first ever) fully computer animated feature film was Disney's Toy Story, a huge hit and truly a landmark for animated films. However, its charms were lost on adults after viewing it for the second or third time (or make that the hundredh time if they were parents who bought their child the video). It was a clever, amusing movie, but all in all, it was kid's stuff. Antz, like DreamWorks' previous Small Soldiers, is anything but.
The film is about Z-4195 (voiced by Woody Allen, in his best role in ages), or Z for short, a worker ant with a severe case of ennui. Every ant has their place in his colony, though unfortunately for those in the same class, it's the same place. Z longs to march to his own beat, and gets some initiative from Bala (Sharon Stone), a similarly bored ant who invites him to dance, leading to a subtle Pulp Fiction parody. Already the film is referencing Annie Hall and Pulp Fiction, so one can tell that kids won't understand half of what they're seeing. Soon Z causes a little too much trouble with Bala's betrothed, the ruthless General Mandible (Gene Hackman), and he escapes from the colony searching for Insectopia, a mythical place where food paves the streets. Back at the colony, Z's example starts to rub off on others who decide that they will rebel against the colony's social system. Once again, pretty heavy stuff for 5-year-olds.
This film is one of the best animated features to come along in years, perhaps since The Nightmare Before Christmas or Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The voice work is superb with such big other big names as Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Lopez, Christopher Walken, Danny Glover, Dan Aykroyd, and Jane Curtin delivering dynamite performances. My only real qualms with the film are little points here in there where the dialogue becomes derivative, but 90% of it is fantastic. If you have yet to see Antz (and according to the box office, you may soon be in the minority), do yourself a favor and head to the theatre. And if they're under eight years old, leave the kids at home.
Back to the main page
