Antz [1998] - DVD (Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, Dan Aykroyd - Dir: Eric Darnell)

Woody Allen as a worker ant with an inferiority complex? Sylvester Stallone as an affable soldier ant who discovers that digging tunnels is cool? The animation playground we all knew so well is turning into a theme park full of in-jokes for grownups. Antz explores age-old topics (one person--err, insect--can make a difference, individuality and social responsibility must exist side by side, war is hell) with comic asides and Woody Allen's funniest quips this side of PG (adults will chuckle at the socialist slogans bandied about as he campaigns for workers' rights). Sharon Stone voices the rebellious princess with a fun-loving streak that doesn't quite overcome her royal bearing and court training, but she can learn. Gene Hackman is all teeth (ants have teeth?) and menacing grins as the Army general plotting insect-icide. This bug's-eye view of life on Earth gives Allen's neurotic nonconformist an epic adventure of microscopic proportions: a devastating war with a termite colony, an odyssey to the fabled land of plenty (a picnic ground), and a race to save his fellow workers from certain death. Other voices include Anne Bancroft as the Queen, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Lopez, Danny Glover, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin and John Mahoney. The computer animation isn't exactly realistic but feels as solid and contoured as puppet animation with the smoothness and slickness of traditional cell cartoons, and the character designs and animation offer a marvellous range of expressions. The PG rating includes a gritty battle sequence that may frighten youngsters. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews of Antz [1998]

Mariam Zahedi
London - UK
18th August 2008

Deserves More Recognition!
I loved this film as a kid, and am glad that it hasn't lost any of it's magic now that I've grown up a bit! I'd assume this film gets many comparison's with Pixar's 'A Bug's Life', well, don't tell them I told you so, but I actually think Antz has the edge over that film. The animation is faultless, the story line suitable for both a younger and older audience, theres characters you love, and others you love to hate, and a feel good message at the end of it all - don't be afraid to dream, and if we all stick together, we can achieve anything. Great film!

The Amazon Reviewer
Mauritius
24th June 2007

Cartoon yes, kiddies movie..NOT !!!
Despite how it was promoted, this is not a children's movie. First of all, the swearing is a little too much for a child, and there are some pretty graphic sequences. Secondly, though this is nothing against the movie, the themes are too deep for a child to truly comprehend. A better kid's film about insects is "A Bug's Life" (which is also a fantastic movie). The anti-communistic motives and themes of individuality are well presented, and the voice acting is superb (Allen as the puny Z presents a perfectly whiny voice, that fits his character to a tee.) The menacing General Mandibly and his henchman, Cutter, are perfectly crafted by their respective voice actors. The overall plot is also terrific, and for what was to be a children's film, the termite v. ant battle is spectacularly done- very exciting. The overall idea of a lowly worker becoming a leader of his people has been done many times, and "Antz" sticks with a tried and true notion. If you can see the true ideas behind the cutesy insect animation, you wont be disappointed with "Antz."

Christine Patschull
Hamburg
5th February 2007

Woody Allen Antz at its best
This is an American Film, a novel equal to an eatern-german novel called "Effi Briest", about a girl which rans insane because society doesn't allow her to marry the one she wants.

Antz can be seen as an update to this 200 years old novel: a workers-ant (spoken by woody allen) makes a therapy because he wants more. he fells in love with the beautiful daughter of the antz-queen and rescues the whole antz-society from an overflow arranged by the mean general.

The film is not only super-great, but the finish opens this computer animated film up to the small human mind, so that people can understand, that the kind of antz-war is possible everywhere and allways and to every single human being who just is brave and trustful enough to make targets and go for it.

Max
England, Milton Keynes
30th September 2005

Not as good as Madagascar, Shrek Or Shark Tale But Good!!!
As my title said before, "Not as good as Madagascar, Shrek Or Shark Tale But Good!!!" it is very true. All the movies I mentioned Madagascar, Shrek and Shark tale are created by the people who made the dark-minded movie, "Antz". Antz is about a worker called Z who is a ant and is destined to find a happy home, until he hears about the mythical "Insectopia" then him and Princess Bala go off to find Insectopia to see if it real or not... It is a good movie, clever dialouge and excellent animation but still not as good as Shrek and so on and so forth. It is fun, and it has some very witty lines like this one:
"Hey dude, this tastes like crap!"
"Hey! It is crap!"
LOL! It is a wonderous film so buy it!

no1filmaddict
UK
6th August 2005

A Star Studded Cast!
'Antz' is the first 'bug movie' to arrive on the big screen; rivaled a year later by Dreamworks, Disney/Pixar in the form of 'A Bugs Life', a brighter and more colourful film, arguably the better of the two. However, 'Antz' is the first, and with a mind blowing cast to provide the voices including: Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Woody Allen, and Gene Hackman, to name but a few, it really is somthing special.

It follows the story of Z, a worker ant who wants a better way of life, to be totally free, and who unlike his fellow worker ants, is not content to dig tunnels for the rest of his life. One night he meets Princess Bala in the bar until a huge bar brawl starts up and the two are split up. However Z is determined to see the princess again, and switches places with his best mate Weaver, a soldier ant, so that he can get close to her.

What he does not realise however is that they are at war with a termite colony and that he is now on the front line. By a minor miricle, Z survives the battle, and returns home as the only surviver, istantly becoming a war hero. This allows him to meet the Princess, and getting desperate, he resorts to kidnapping her and off they go in search of a better place - insectopia. Meanwhile things are happening at the colony that are putting the lives of his friends in great danger.

As i have already said, the cast of this movie, really is amazing - so many superstars in the same movie. There isn't really any member of the cast that is not worth mentioning. The comedy genius Woody Allen voices the lead role of Z. Sylvester Stallone (who worked with Allen in Bananas) voices the role of Weaver the soldier ant, Z's best mate. Sharon Stone (who worked with Stallone in 'The Specialist') provides the voice of Princess Bala. Gene Hackman gives the evil General Mandible some life with his voice. Dan Akroyd vocies the role of Chip. Other voices include those of Danny Glover, Jennifer Lopez, Anne Bancroft, Jane Curtin, and Christopher Walken.

As regards the DVD, that also is very good, with plenty of extras to please even the most die-hard fans. These include: a behind the scenes featurette, a look at how the actually make an animated film such as this, an audio commentary, a look at the process of character design, and a theatrical trailer, to name but a few.

Overall, 'Antz' really is a wonderful movie that both children and adults can enjoy in their own different way, as there are comic moments for both. With such a star-studded cast, a nice storyline dealing with an age old theme, and good animations alround, 'Antz' really is a winner. If you enjoy it then also try 'A Bugs Life' which is similar but still very good.