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Animated by Pixar Studios
This is a charming little piece by Pixar, very simple, but very cute. Basically, an old man in a park, Geri, is playing chess with himself. Well, at least, that's what it seems like. Geri is old, with knotted hands and a shuffling walk, but with a twinkle in his eyes still. He sets up a chess board, dons his glasses, places a pawn, then shuffles around to the other side to play against himself, without the glasses and with a mean light in his eyes. Or, again, so it seems.
As the game progresses, we don't see Geri shuffle to the other side, but we presume that the animators are simply jump-cutting back and forth. But, as the game progresses and more of bespectacled Geri's pieces pile up in the box, the other Geri takes on a meaner, spiteful tone. It was then that it dawned on me that perhaps the other Geri was death. Geri is, after all, very old. It makes sense, doesn't it? Geri will either win or lose, and that will determine his fate.
In a sly move, the bespectacled Geri tricks the other Geri, and therefore wins the game. He smiles a cunning little smile, and the other Geri, frowning, hands Geri--a set of dentures? Yep. I'll leave that ending for you to think about.
Overall Score: A
Starring the voices of:
Dave Foley - Flik
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss - Princess Atta
Hayden Panetierre - Dot
Kevin Spacey - Hopper
Denis Leary - Francis
David Hyde Pierce - Slim
Joe Ranft - Heimlich
Jonathan Harris - Manny
Madeline Kahn - Gypsy
Bonnie Hunt - Rosie
Brad Garrett - Dim
Michael McShane - Tuck/Roll
Animated by Pixar Studios
I have one word for A Bug's Life: charming. The entire way through. Although the characters are cute, they're not sickeningly cute. There's a lot of sly wit that Pixar sneaked in, stuff that will soar over the kiddies' heads but will amuse the grown-ups. As with Toy Story, Pixar's first feature release, A Bug's Life will entertain all ages.
Here's how the plot begins: An ant colony is madly collecting food to feed the oncoming grasshopper hoard, who comes and eats every year in return for "protecting" the hive-minded ants from other predators. After all the food is piled up for the grasshoppers, the one individual in the colony, Flik, accidentally knocks it all into a pond, securing the ants' fate. Hopper, the grasshopper leader, gives the ants until the last day of autumn to get more food for them. And, for his actions, Flik is exiled beyond the comfort of the anthill to find "warrior bugs" to protect the colony, expected never to return. Oh, if only they knew.
Flik finds a bustling bug city under a 50s-style trailer, where a failing flea circus (get it?) is performing to a handful of flies. After their last failed act, P.T. Flea, circus owner (voiced by John Ratzenberger), fires them all. In a bar, they bemoan their fate as Flik enters, trying to find his warriors. When Francis lands them in trouble, they go with Flik to escape, thinking he's a talent scout. Oh, if only they knew.
Once in the colony, the "warriors" are greeted with harsh reality: They are expected to save the colony from the grasshoppers, which would involve fighting, which appeals to none of them. So, Flik, resourceful little bugger that he is, comes up with the idea of a decoy bird to frighten away the grasshoppers, which preoccupies the ants so they can't collect food. The rest has to be seen for yourself.
The visuals alone are stunning. The color is the richest I've ever seen on film, and the animation is impeccable. Never once did I consciously think that I was watching a computer-animated film. There is only one problem with A Bug's Life that really detracts from it, and it was a problem in Toy Story, too: Dragging. In the middle, the story sags for about a good reel or so, and it doesn't recover from that slump until the end, which is a little too contrived for my taste.
The performers, though, never fail. Dave Foley's Flik is hilarious, and the circus performers are just as good. There is a surprising number of celebrities (including the late, great, perennially underrated Roddy McDowall), which was one point that was the source of some competition between A Bug's Life and Antz: Who is the bigger celebrity? My question: Does it matter? To anyone wanting to compare these two insect pictures, don't bother. Just enjoy the movie. Both have good things to offer, but they are aimed at different audiences. I know it's in Hollywood's spirit to compete, but I think it takes away from the cinema as a whole. And, I'll admit, I'm as guilty. I went into A Bug's Life hoping that it would be better than Antz. When I left, I had already forgotten about competition.
Getting back on the subject, I think A Bug's Life was worth the hype. Call me old-fashioned, call me strange, but I like animated films. Don't give up on them, film fans, or you'll exclude a rich part of cinema history.
Overall Score: B+
Soundtrack Score: B
