Dreamworks #1: Antz

Here we go with Round 2. These are going to be a little different from the write-ups of the Disney films, owing chiefly to the fact that Dreamworks is not Disney and (with a few exceptions) doesn't try to be. The films themselves are different and the write-ups will reflect that accordingly. The other major difference is that the vast majority of these films I have seen either recently, multiple times, or both. It's kind of different that reviewing a bunch of films I mostly saw for the first time as a child.

With all that being said, let's get this self-aggrandizing pomp underway with...

Antz - 8.1/10

It’s a Woody Allen movie. With bugs. 

I could stop there and you’d pretty much know everything you needed to know about this movie. There is, however, a whole other layer underneath that’s truly fascinating, and it explores concepts like collectivism, individualism and dogmatic adherence to authority in a way that a movie about human characters just couldn’t pull off.

I think what I like best about this movie’s approach is that it’s just that: an exploration. Collectivism vs. Individualism is the major theme, it’s true, but the movie does not declare which is superior, or even if there is a better option between the two. Personally, I interpreted it as saying that a balance between the two is most ideal, though that’s likely just me projecting as that’s my own philosophy already anyway. 

The strengths and pitfalls of a collectivist society are both laid out pretty straightforwardly. Likewise, the benefits and dangers of a self-oriented mindset are clearly shown as well. The two leads, Z and Bala, are both incredibly selfish people when we meet them, though in different ways and for different reasons. And of course they live in a society that is by definition a collective. Their escape from and eventual return to this society and the way they change both it and themselves is the central pillar the movie is based upon.

And the society itself grows as well. The corrupted version of collectivism we see at the beginning – really just a totalitarian state with a rigid class structure – is reformed during the climax of the film when all parties involved finally realize that though the collective as a whole is the priority, every individual within that collective has value. Ironically, the villain made this point best when giving a speech to rally people behind him (and of course it was all BS as far as he was concerned). I could go on about this crap for ten more pages, but as I'm not trying to impress any professors, let's move on.

Toning down the pretentious ramblings a bit, there was some good humor in here as well. A lot of the jokes were actually pretty passive, and took their humor from the vastly different view of the world insects have. A mound of garbage is the most beautiful place they’ve ever seen, magnifying glasses and sneakers with gum on them are cosmic horrors, and crap is delicious. There’s also a hippie commune at the garbage heap, which is funny and ties into the central theme. And they had some good jokes with the collective concept as well, such as everyone at a bar dancing in unison at a pre-specified time.

The stunt casting of various celebrity voices was a little distracting – most notably Jennifer Lopez and Sylvester Stallone, but others like Gene Hackman (and of course Allen) fit their characters perfectly. And I loved the music. When I first saw it as a kid and still today, the main theme for this movie is one of the catchiest I’ve ever heard.

If you like Woody Allen, you’ll probably enjoy this at least a little. If you don’t, it’s likely going to be hit or miss. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that because it’s animated it’s for kids. I mean, I saw it when I was a kid, but the dialogue and various other aspects are only partially toned down from Allen’s live action films. I for one welcome that. It signaled a change in the role of animated films – that they could be anything we wanted them to be and didn’t have to choose between weird cult hit or kiddie movie. The fact that it came out at the same time as the not-nearly-as-interesting A Bug’s Life only served to drive home just what a different turn they were taking.