With Pixar being one of the biggest franchises my family loves to quote and the fact that this one, like Toy Story, is near and dear to my childhood, I didn't think I could leave this one alone. Sure, nobody, even Pixar themselves, really recalls this movie off the top of their heads, but it is still memorable in my mind. It may not have or ever be getting a sequel/prequel like every other Pixar film up until Cars, though I still believe it has and should get some recognition in today's world even almost twenty years after its release. So, without further adieu, here's my thoughts on why I think Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life is a brilliantly endearing animated flick that, despite having some flaws, still holds up relatively well today.
*This movie's plot is rather basic and familiar, so I won't tag SPOILERS, but will still encourage cautious reading for those who haven't seen it*
The plot of this movie, while familiar in a number of areas, doesn't truly bother me. It's a basic story about an awkward, outcast ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) who tirelessly tries his utmost to bring new ideas and inventions to his colony who, year after year, gathers all the food on their island for an offering to a gang of bully grasshoppers keeping them in line. When Flik screws up big time by accidentally getting rid of the food offering, the grasshoppers's leader, Hopper (voiced by Kevin Spacey), demands they double down on their end of the bargain before the summer ends. Despite his huge mistake that has the colony endangered, Flik is granted permission by the colony's leader in training, Princess Atta (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), to go out and find a bunch of "warrior bugs" to forever rid them of Hopper and his gang. Just when the princess and the other ants believe they had gotten rid of Flik to prevent any further mishaps from him, Flik surprisingly returns home with a troupe of circus bugs whom he mistakes for warriors when they put on an act in the city. Misunderstandings awry, Flik desperately tries to cover up their acting as warrior bugs in hopes to finally prove that he can make a difference.
Although the story itself is full of tired, predictable tropes, I've never actually been bothered by it so much. As a kid, this movie was my introduction to such a stock story format so I was never sour about Flik being the dweeb protagonist who later becomes the respected hero, his "liar reveal" that gets him banished permanently, and the fact that the ants in the colony don't get much development (but I wouldn't say they're all completely forgettable either). In fact, I found back then as I do now that what made it enjoyable, despite the predictable story beats, was the character interactions and I still believe this holds true. This is more apparent in the actions and personalities of the circus bugs themselves; you have Heimlich (voiced by Joe Ranft), a caterpillar with a German accent and a huge appetite, Francis (voiced by Dennis Leary), a ladybug who often gets mistaken for a girl, and Slim (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), a stick bug who is cast in shows as nothing but stick-like objects. Their fun, silly interactions are the highlights of the story and they, alone, keep things fresh for those big moviegoers who are tired of seeing the same story time and again. Plus, as a Pixar film, it allows for subtle adult humor with enough innocent fun mixed in to keep the kids entertained.
Aesthetically, A Bug's Life is one of those animated flicks (no pun intended) that just pops! Everyone who's aware of the history of the history between Disney, DreamWorks, and their competition to see whose movie about bugs would turn out better (Antz vs. A Bug's Life) would be pleased to find that, when compared to Antz, A Bug's Life is the brighter, more colorful movie. Sure, the ants mostly look the same, but the circus bugs come in all types, shapes, and sizes to a point where you'd immediately recognize who was who based on personality and looks. Similar to the ants, the grasshoppers mostly look alike, but Hopper and Molt (voiced by Richard Kind) look different enough from the rest to where you can at least tell who they are -- which is especially saying something for me since Molt is actually my favorite character with his humorous one liners and his reformation at the end. And the one thing that nobody ever talks about is the "city" under the trailer; to me, it's an interesting, somewhat engaging set up for a city made for bugs (buildings made of discarded trash, bigger bugs transporting smaller bugs, etc.) that could have been interesting to explore more in a sequel. Of course, this movie never warranted a sequel despite Flik and Heimlich talking about it in the Toy Story 2 outtakes and I've never been desperate for one, but I'm getting off topic. All in all, I'd say I'm satisfied with the movie's presentation and the fact that it remains a standalone.
To say that the sound design of this movie was great would be an understatement... it's brilliant! One of the most engaging parts for me and my family is, without a doubt, the voice delivery that makes the lines so appealing to all of us. Many of the voice actors from Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Princess Atta to Richard Kind as Molt is so comically engaging that, even if the lines themselves sound generic on paper, the actor's delivery of the line is what makes it so memorable and easy to quote for us (i.e.: when Molt says, "Yeah! Where's the food?"). The sound effects themselves are well done too; while the scenes with the grasshoppers may seem a bit violent for an animated kids movie, you can really feel the impact of them breaking into the ant hill at the start as well as Thumper and Hopper beating Flik around toward the end. And, of course, the music! The music of this film was a standout moment for Randy Newman (known also for his work in Toy Story) and the orchestral score throughout definitely has an impact with the scenes they go along with -- the music by itself doesn't really stick with you, but it still works as music. The ending theme, "The Time of Your Life", may not give the same feeling of long time remembrance as Toy Story's "You've Got A Friend in Me", though Newman's voice is still just as distinct as ever and it wraps up the film nicely.
So, overall, as the second Pixar film, and the one I've probably seen most after Toy Story, A Bug's Life may not be perfect, but it's still had a lasting impression on me. Despite somewhat forgettable main characters and a story full of tired tropes, it's easy to remember the comedic side characters, the aesthetic designs, the Foley artistry, and music that went into it. For what it is, I say that if you're a Pixar fan or are looking for something entertaining for your kids to watch to go ahead and give this one a watch if you, yourself, can get past some of the less than memorable, overused elements. All things considered, I give this film an A- and will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good fix in their appetite for animated films.
*This movie's plot is rather basic and familiar, so I won't tag SPOILERS, but will still encourage cautious reading for those who haven't seen it*
The plot of this movie, while familiar in a number of areas, doesn't truly bother me. It's a basic story about an awkward, outcast ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) who tirelessly tries his utmost to bring new ideas and inventions to his colony who, year after year, gathers all the food on their island for an offering to a gang of bully grasshoppers keeping them in line. When Flik screws up big time by accidentally getting rid of the food offering, the grasshoppers's leader, Hopper (voiced by Kevin Spacey), demands they double down on their end of the bargain before the summer ends. Despite his huge mistake that has the colony endangered, Flik is granted permission by the colony's leader in training, Princess Atta (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), to go out and find a bunch of "warrior bugs" to forever rid them of Hopper and his gang. Just when the princess and the other ants believe they had gotten rid of Flik to prevent any further mishaps from him, Flik surprisingly returns home with a troupe of circus bugs whom he mistakes for warriors when they put on an act in the city. Misunderstandings awry, Flik desperately tries to cover up their acting as warrior bugs in hopes to finally prove that he can make a difference.
Although the story itself is full of tired, predictable tropes, I've never actually been bothered by it so much. As a kid, this movie was my introduction to such a stock story format so I was never sour about Flik being the dweeb protagonist who later becomes the respected hero, his "liar reveal" that gets him banished permanently, and the fact that the ants in the colony don't get much development (but I wouldn't say they're all completely forgettable either). In fact, I found back then as I do now that what made it enjoyable, despite the predictable story beats, was the character interactions and I still believe this holds true. This is more apparent in the actions and personalities of the circus bugs themselves; you have Heimlich (voiced by Joe Ranft), a caterpillar with a German accent and a huge appetite, Francis (voiced by Dennis Leary), a ladybug who often gets mistaken for a girl, and Slim (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), a stick bug who is cast in shows as nothing but stick-like objects. Their fun, silly interactions are the highlights of the story and they, alone, keep things fresh for those big moviegoers who are tired of seeing the same story time and again. Plus, as a Pixar film, it allows for subtle adult humor with enough innocent fun mixed in to keep the kids entertained.
Aesthetically, A Bug's Life is one of those animated flicks (no pun intended) that just pops! Everyone who's aware of the history of the history between Disney, DreamWorks, and their competition to see whose movie about bugs would turn out better (Antz vs. A Bug's Life) would be pleased to find that, when compared to Antz, A Bug's Life is the brighter, more colorful movie. Sure, the ants mostly look the same, but the circus bugs come in all types, shapes, and sizes to a point where you'd immediately recognize who was who based on personality and looks. Similar to the ants, the grasshoppers mostly look alike, but Hopper and Molt (voiced by Richard Kind) look different enough from the rest to where you can at least tell who they are -- which is especially saying something for me since Molt is actually my favorite character with his humorous one liners and his reformation at the end. And the one thing that nobody ever talks about is the "city" under the trailer; to me, it's an interesting, somewhat engaging set up for a city made for bugs (buildings made of discarded trash, bigger bugs transporting smaller bugs, etc.) that could have been interesting to explore more in a sequel. Of course, this movie never warranted a sequel despite Flik and Heimlich talking about it in the Toy Story 2 outtakes and I've never been desperate for one, but I'm getting off topic. All in all, I'd say I'm satisfied with the movie's presentation and the fact that it remains a standalone.
To say that the sound design of this movie was great would be an understatement... it's brilliant! One of the most engaging parts for me and my family is, without a doubt, the voice delivery that makes the lines so appealing to all of us. Many of the voice actors from Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Princess Atta to Richard Kind as Molt is so comically engaging that, even if the lines themselves sound generic on paper, the actor's delivery of the line is what makes it so memorable and easy to quote for us (i.e.: when Molt says, "Yeah! Where's the food?"). The sound effects themselves are well done too; while the scenes with the grasshoppers may seem a bit violent for an animated kids movie, you can really feel the impact of them breaking into the ant hill at the start as well as Thumper and Hopper beating Flik around toward the end. And, of course, the music! The music of this film was a standout moment for Randy Newman (known also for his work in Toy Story) and the orchestral score throughout definitely has an impact with the scenes they go along with -- the music by itself doesn't really stick with you, but it still works as music. The ending theme, "The Time of Your Life", may not give the same feeling of long time remembrance as Toy Story's "You've Got A Friend in Me", though Newman's voice is still just as distinct as ever and it wraps up the film nicely.
So, overall, as the second Pixar film, and the one I've probably seen most after Toy Story, A Bug's Life may not be perfect, but it's still had a lasting impression on me. Despite somewhat forgettable main characters and a story full of tired tropes, it's easy to remember the comedic side characters, the aesthetic designs, the Foley artistry, and music that went into it. For what it is, I say that if you're a Pixar fan or are looking for something entertaining for your kids to watch to go ahead and give this one a watch if you, yourself, can get past some of the less than memorable, overused elements. All things considered, I give this film an A- and will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good fix in their appetite for animated films.
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
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