1998 | Dir. John Lasseter | 96 Minutes
"Now, now do you see our tree? Everything that made that giant tree is already contained inside this tiny little seed. All it needs is some time, a little bit of sunshine and rain, and voilá!"
Mistaking them for a band of fierce warriors, a forward-thinking inventor ant named Flik recruits a troupe of circus bugs to protect his colony from a gang of vicious food-stealing grasshoppers. When faced with the reality of the situation, the entertainers become the heroes they were mistaken for, and Flik saves his colony with his ingenuity.
Taking inspiration from Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and the comedy classic Three Amigos, Pixar Animation Studios' second feature-length film is a crowd-pleasing adventure on a small yet epic scale. Centered on the parallel stories of Princess Atta's insecurity about becoming the next queen of the ant colony coupled with Flik and the circus bugs' becoming the heroes they never thought they could be, the film carries a positive message about fulfilling the expectations individuals put on themselves and the expectations of others. Visually stunning, the Pixar animators continue to improve upon their craft, especially evident in the finale of the film that involves a mechanical bird made from sticks and leaves and an epic rainstorm.
Dave Foley of Canadian comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall lends his voice to Flik, bringing the ostracized ant to life with manic energy. Julia Louis-Dreyfus gives a fun performance as the insecure Princess Atta. Kevin Spacey is excellent as the cold diabolical leader of the grasshopper gang. The circus bugs are made by Denis Leary as the short-tempered ladybug Francis, Bonnie Hunt black widow spider Rosie, David Hyde Pierce as under-appreciated stick bug Slim, Brad Garrett as the kind rhinoceros beetle Dim, Mike McShane as twin Hungarian pill bugs Tuck and Roll, legendary character actor Jonathan Harris as the praying mantis magician Manny with Madeline Kahn as his gypsy moth assistant and wife, and storyboard artist Joe Ranft who steals the show as the plump German-accented caterpillar Heimlich. Rounded out the supporting cast are character actor Richard Kind as Hopper's dull brother Molt, and Roddy McDowall in his final film role as royal advisor Mr. Soil.
A Bug's Life is a solid, visually stunning film, continuing Pixar's legacy of crafting touching, technologically advanced animated features.
JOHN RATZENBERGER AS...
- P.T. Flea
A113
- Seen printed on the side of a cereal box behind Flik as he enters Bug City
PIXAR INTERCONNECTIVITY
- The Pizza Planet delivery truck from Toy Story is parked next to the trailer above Bug City
MCU CONNECTION
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in Black Widow and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in Black Widow and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
