Antz (1998)
Directed by Eric Darnell and Lawrence Guterman
Written by Todd Alcott and Chris Weitz

Antz was a lot more entertaining than I expected. From the ads, I assumed it would be a whiny, long-winded CG test film in preparation for some later, better project (which doesn't say much about the DreamWorks marketing machine). I was instead treated to a clever film about individuality versus teamwork and democracy versus fascism.

Woody Allen plays our hero Z, whose pursuit of Princess Bala (voiced by Sharon Stone) pits him against General Mandible (Gene Hackman) and his evil plot to "purify" the colony in a sort of ant genocide. Z hates being insignificant, is searching for his meaning, which goes at odds with the team attitude of the colony.

They happily, mindlessly work all day, never questioning why, or what the results of their work will be. Princess Bala is herself grappling with these issues, and when she meets Z while "slumming" in an ant bar, she ignites his passion. Z will do anything to meet her again, including trading places with his buddy Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), who is a soldier ant.

Unbeknownst to Z, the day he switches happens to coincide with a suicide mission Mandible has planned that will wipe out all of the Queen's military support. Z is catapulted into a pitched battle with a termite colony which doesn't turn out well. His return to the colony is a surprise to all, and he is made a hero. Further complications ensue.

Antz is sufficiently intelligent and complex to keep me interested the whole time, and it's also very funny at times. What it isn't is a children's film – false advertising would lead us all to believe that Mom and Dad will be happy to share Antz with Toddler A and B.

In fact, Antz is a violent and sometimes even scary film (I mean for kids) with lots of adult dialogue and jokes that kids simply wouldn't get. There is a surprising amount of death and curse words, and the color scheme – mostly browns and deep reds and golds – is not the eye candy you'd expect for a kid's film.

I noticed the young children sitting nearby were restless and constantly asking questions, which is not a good sign. I, however, did get all the jokes, and wasn't bothered by the language or color scheme.

A somewhat listless late-second act leads into an appropriately suspenseful and ultimately joyous climax as everything turns out OK. It's pretty clear that Z will get laid constantly after fadeout, which is an added bonus.

Performances across the board are good, and Woody Allen is surprisingly appealing as the hero, and thankfully not annoying. Stone is good, Stallone is good, and Jennifer Lopez reeks sexuality even when voicing Z's coworker friend.

Hackman is exactly the villain you'd expect (neither compliment nor insult), while Christopher Walken is excellent as his conflicted right-hand-man. The standout cameos are from Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin as a pair of insanely in-love wasps – very funny stuff, no coneheads in sight.

A Bug's Life is a more traditional kid's film (and a complete piece of crap), but Antz offers a fine meditation on urban life and how to combine individuality with a sense of civic duty, which is more complex and a lot more satisfying.

Review by Crimedog