Bichos: Una aventura en miniatura

There is great detail in A Bug's Life. Everything is covered. The film looks great and the animation is sometimes jaw-dropping. The film isn't too terribly orignal, it's basically a modern take on Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, only with bugs. I enjoyed the character interaction however and the bad guys in this film actually seemed bad. It seems that Disney usually makes their bad guys carbon copy cut-outs. The grasshoppers are menacing and Hopper, the lead bad guy, was a brillant creation. Check this one out.

I thought this was the most sophisticated animation I have ever seen, 2-D or 3-D. The bird attack and the rain storm scenes were unbelievable. The bloopers were a riot!

But again Hollywood pumps out a high-gloss, low-impact movie. For all its beauty, it was a pretty ho-hum story. They could have really played up the Seven Samurai angle by offering a more in-depth, poignant view of the life of these oppressed ants. Perhaps tugged on the heart-strings a little more. I found myself almost rooting for the grasshoppers against these simple, whining ants. A little more character development could have made this the greatest animated feature of all time.

This is a FUNNY film. It has all the usual Disney components (music, great range of characters, story, appeal), entwined with superb animation and the excellent voice talents of less well known actors as those in say "Antz" and "Price of Egypt".

The characters work really well, and have a strong appeal, and the humour is aimed at a wide level which overcomes generational barriers. The movie is also presented in superb cinemascope format, which adds to the cinema experience.

Call me crazy, but I have seen the film three times, and I intend on taking more friends to see it this weekend. Many skeptics have seen this film on my recommendation and not been disappointed. I work in a multiplex, and I can honestly say that no-one has ever walked out of this movie without a sense of satisfaction.

See it, and don't be put off because it is animated. You are sure to enjoy this movie, and make sure you stay for the end credits! The bloopers and out-takes at the end are the funniest part of the film, which is packed with laughs throughout.

Critically, people say that Antz is better. Antz is a good film, but I enjoyed Bug's Life a bit more. I can't remember a Pixar animation, other than the two Toy Story films, that I was laughing so hard. The animation is clean, the story is original and doesn't preach. The voice overs are what make this movie. Dave Foley is an earnest ant that gets himself into trouble a lot. Hopper is a superb characterisation by the always wonderful Kevin Spacey, as is Haydn Panettiere as Dot . There is also sterling support from Dennis Leary, David Hyde Pierce and Madeline Kahn, and I could go on and on. The script is fantastic, so funny and sometimes even touching. It lacks the social messages of Antz, but what we have is rock-solid entertainment. 9/10. Bethany Cox

The strongest point of every Pixar movie I've seen is that they all have heart. While the excellent colourful animation has been consistent in quality, it's the soulful stories and memorable characters that we love and return to with each viewing. 'A Bug's Life' has always been on my to-watch list and I finally bought the DVD yesterday. It's already become a favourite after first viewing. The animation is beautifully detailed and the motion is brilliant. Not only are the characters wonderfully illustrated but also the background is given plenty of detail. Moreover these characters are so adorable as they are superbly brought to life that you'll fall in love with them. The voice cast that includes talents like Bonnie Hunt, Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dave Foley and Richard Kind do a great job. Clearly, Pixar does not depend on stars (unlike Dreamworks) and they rather focus on the material by creating it with heart. 'A Bug's Life' is another winner from Pixar that I'll very likely be revisiting again and again.