A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 14 wins & 21 nominations total
Kevin Spacey
- Hopper
- (voice)
Dave Foley
- Flik
- (voice)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Atta
- (voice)
Hayden Panettiere
- Dot
- (voice)
Phyllis Diller
- Queen
- (voice)
Richard Kind
- Molt
- (voice)
David Hyde Pierce
- Slim
- (voice)
Denis Leary
- Francis
- (voice)
Jonathan Harris
- Manny
- (voice)
Madeline Kahn
- Gypsy Moth
- (voice)
Bonnie Hunt
- Rosie
- (voice)
Michael McShane
- Tuck
- (voice)
- …
John Ratzenberger
- P.T. Flea
- (voice)
Brad Garrett
- Dim
- (voice)
Roddy McDowall
- Mr. Soil
- (voice)
Edie McClurg
- Dr. Flora
- (voice)
Alex Rocco
- Thorny
- (voice)
Featured reviews
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.
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.
Although consistently entertaining, A Bug's Life fails to deliver on all accounts, by feeling more formulaic overall than its own interesting concepts sprinkled throughout. The film can be very humorous at times, but can also vary on the border of being overly-goofy and in result, some jokes do fall quite flat. The animation, although not as great as its work shortly before, is quite good and full of vibrant color, which makes it very easy on the eyes. The music in the film is really good, with Randy Newman providing a stellar soundtrack, as he always does. The voice work is fairly impressive, with the circus bugs taking the lead in terms of voice work and in character development. The circus bugs are often the best part of the film, and their humor seems rather genuine and their story very engaging, unlike some tropes used earlier with the ants themselves. However, the ant Dot in the film can prove to be quite an adorable change of pace throughout, and stole the show in every scene she was in. In the end, A Bug's Life is far from Pixar's greatest work, but is a mildly enjoyable time. It has a wonderful cast of supporting characters, and is full of vibrant colors, and a score that is very easy to listen to.
My Rating: 8.75/10
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
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.
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.
A Bugs Life is a great film that is not just for kids but for adults too. The story is set around a colony of ants and their struggle against the evil Grasshoppers who come back every year and steal their food ( A Mirror of the Magnifiscent seven). There is some wonderfull computer animation and the voices are great too. You will love it!! 8 out of 10
Did you know
- TriviaDIRECTOR_CAMEO(John LasseterAndrew Stanton): The two mosquitoes trapped in the light of the bugzapper ("Harry, don't go towards the light!" "I can't help it - it's so beautiful!") are the voices of the co-directors.
- GoofsBefore the "royal huddle" decides to send Flik away, if Princess Atta's mouth is watched when she says "He can't mess anything up", the word "screw" is what was animated as opposed to the word "mess".
- Crazy creditsDuring the credits, there are some faked "goofs" during filming such as characters bursting out laughing, accidentally knocking over the camera, etc. One particular highlight is Flik yelling "To infinity, and beyond!"
- Alternate versions"A Bug's Life" was released theatrically in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The full-screen version, found on the VHS & DVD, was digitally re-rendered shot by shot, moving characters and objects closer together where necessary, to reframe and fit them into the 1.33:1 TV screen, According to Pixar more than half the movie was recomputed after changes in the camera's field of view or movement.
- SoundtracksLa Cucaracha
(uncredited)
Written by Pica Pica
Lyrics by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi
Performed by the grasshoppers
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Bichos: Una aventura en miniatura
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $120,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $162,798,565
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $291,121
- Nov 22, 1998
- Gross worldwide
- $363,258,859
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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