A Bug's Life

1995 gave the World ‘Toy Story’, 1998 gave us ‘A Bug’s Life’;

A Bug’s Life

Date watched- 17th July 2010

Genre; Children’s, Animation
Year; 1998
Running Time; 93 Mins
Directors; John Lassester and Andrew Stanton (co-director)
Written By; John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft (Story), Andrew Stanton, Dan McEnery and Bob Shaw (Screenplay).
Actors; Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Phyllis Diller, Richard Kind, David Hyde Pierce, Joe Ranft, Denis Leary, Bonnie Hunt….. The list goes on.
Music By; Randy Newman

Acting 3/5
Keeping my attention 3/4
Visuals/Direction 3/5
Story/Plot 3/6
Total 12/20

Plot

Disney Pixar brings the life of ants to life. This movie follows the trials of a colony of ants following from the mishap of an ant called Flik where the entire offering of food for the menacing grasshoppers is destroyed. The grasshoppers (lead by ‘Hopper’- Kevin Spacey!) allow for a second offering to be gathered before the last leaf falls from the trees. Flik is then sent on a mission to find “warrior bugs” to help fight off the grasshoppers when they return, in his quest he mistakes some circus performer bugs for warriors and invites them but to the colony (the circus bugs believing it is for their performing abilities). Will the ants pull together to fight off the grasshoppers or will they be squished? Over dramatise that much did I?


My Personal Views

When Toy Story originally came out on VHS (remember those?) I watched it at my best friend’s house, I moved house (some 260 miles away) around the same time and I wonder if somewhere at the back of my mind that maybe I watch this also to cling on to a bit of that part of me (the 9 year old without a care in the world), where I was happy to be watching the amazing revolution of Pixar animation. Also my childhood best friend (who I still speak to and see whenever I can) was the one who gave me the love for films I have. We would watch so many whenever I went to her house (before and after the move). When I would sleep over we would watch films until we fell asleep, good times.

This movie is full of, “I know that voice”, including Kevin Spacey,
David Hyde Pierce (Niles in Frasier), Bonnie Hunt, Denis Leary
(CSI: Miami), a very young Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) and John
Ratzenberger (who maybe many of you don’t know, but if you
watch Disney Pixar movies as much as I do you will, it actually
becomes a little bit of an obsession waiting to see where he ‘pops’
up in Pixar movies when you watch them for the first time).

Note; the end credits include a blooper reel, and even now this still brings a smile to my face, despite the fact of, “wait a minute how do they have bloopers for some computer animated insects?”

Outcome

So very staying in my collection until I grow up and no longer have the urge to watch children’s movies. I’m only 24 so you never know, it could happen any day now. I hope not though.