A Bug's Life (1998)

Review

This now Pixar classic, only their second full-length film – after Toy Story in 1995, brings us safely down to earth as we take up the role as fly on the wall in an ant colony bullied by a swarm of locusts. If that didn't bug you enough, the opening minutes surely will, because it seems the Pixar guys were overeager to show off as much vivid animation they could as soon as possible, and the result is a myriad of characters, situations and dialogue in the first part of the film that confused me enough to convince me that the age-group this film is aimed at surely must struggle. With that said (and done), the film slowly settles into a more manageable pace, and we can start caring for some of these little buggers – particularly Flik, our protagonist, and an adorable little princess named Dot. The next hour or so is filled with a cheerful combination of hogwash and seriousness, as a host of different species and types eventually unite against the terrorizing locusts. The film has just enough heart to make the stereotypes justifiable, and just enough creativity to make the fun parts fun.