Bug`s Life, A Review

So how does Disney`s A Bug`s Life compare with Antz, the rival Dreamworks production? Both films feature an ant colony in which an `ordinary` worker hero, who loves the ant princess, is at first despised and then saves the colony from it`s enemies. But in A Bug`s Life, the enemies aren`t militaristic ants - they`re bullying grasshoppers, and the plot, believe it or not, seems to have been borrowed from Kurosawa`s Seven Samurai. Every year, the grasshoppers demand food from the ants in tribute; this year, there`s not enough food, so our hero, Flik, goes out into the wide world for help - he returns not with samurai but with a ragtag bunch of circus performers... A Bug`s Life is much less sophisticated than Antz. The rival film`s sharp wit is missing, and the Disney film - actually produced by the Pixar unit responsible for Toy Story- is far more focussed on its young audience. The story it tells is very conventional and VERY American, the humour is very broad. The voice cast isn`t as interesting, either, apart from Kevin Spacey`s villain. On the plus side, the CinemaScope screen is filled with eye-popping visuals and colour, and the computer animation is dazzling. Don`t miss the end credits for the funny fake outtakes.