DreamWorks
and Pacific Data Images collaborated on this all computer-animated
comedy-adventure about the ant angst of misfit worker ant, Z (voice of Woody
Allen), who feels trapped by the conformist confines of his totalitarian ant
civilization and eventually sets forth in search of Insectopia. After
DreamWorks began animating Prince of Egypt June 1, 1995, the company
launched Antz in Palo Alto a year later (5/20/96), the same month the
DreamWorks/PDI partnership was announced. The screenplay by Chris and Paul
Weitz and Todd Alcott has uncredited input by Woody Allen (who matched
dialogue to fit his usual style of verbal delivery). The story suggests the
possible influence of Yevgeny Zamatin's classic novel We (1923) and Ayn
Rand's similar-themed Anthem (1936), filmed in the early '70s in a rarely
seen unauthorized film adaptation (which Rand never allowed to be shown
commercially). Following the 1995 Toy Story (1995), Antz is the second fully
computer-animated feature, preceding the release of Disney's all-CGI A Bug's
Life by seven weeks. Antz begins with worker ant Z discussing his feelings
of insignificance with a shrink (voice of Paul Mazursky) before heading off
to his tunnel-digging job, work supervised by General Mandible (Gene Hackman)
and Colonel Cutter (Christopher Walken). Mandible has big dreams of
conquest, and he convinces the Queen (Anne Bancroft) an attack is necessary
to prevent a termite invasion. Her daughter is Princess Bala (Sharon Stone),
who's not overly enchanted by her engagement to Mandible. The Princess goes
slumming, visiting the bar where Z hangs out with his friend Weaver
(Sylvester Stallone). To the tune of "Guantanamera," Bala dances with Z — in
a scene with allusions to the dance in Pulp Fiction (1994). Entranced by the
encounter, Z convinces Weaver to swap places, so a military parade will
allow him to see Bala in the reviewing stand. Befriended by soldier ant
Barbatus (Danny Glover) during the parade, Z nervously realizes he's
actually marching into battle. Attacked by termites, the troops experience
horrors highly reminiscent of the Starship Troopers (1997) bug battles. The
dying Barbatus tells Z, "Don't follow orders all your life." As the only
survivor of the slaughter, Z returns home a war hero. Threatened by
Mandible, Bala and Z are thrown together in a journey into the outside
world, and they travel toward the legendary Insectopia. Major city newspaper
critics were almost unanimous in their praise of Antz. Shown at the 1998
Toronto Film Festival.| Woody Allen | Z [Voice] |
| Sharon Stone | Bala [Voice] |
| Sylvester Stallone | Weaver [Voice] |
| Gene Hackman | Mandible [Voice] |
| Christopher Walken | Cutter [Voice] |
| Danny Glover | Barbatus [Voice] |
| Dan Aykroyd | Chip [Voice] |
| Jennifer Lopez | Azteca [Voice] |
| Jane Curtin | Muffy [Voice] |
| John Mahoney | Drunk Scout [Voice] |
| Paul Mazursky | Psychologist [Voice] |
| Anne Bancroft | Queen [Voice] |
Genre/Type - Comedy, Fantasy, Fantasy Comedy
Produced by - PDI
Release - Oct 2, 1998 (USA)
Released by - DreamWorks
Running time - 83 min.
Santo Bugito Vol.1 (1999)
Robots (2005, Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha)
Shark Tale (2004, Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, Rob Letterman)
Santo Bugito Vol.3 (1999)
Monsters, Inc. (2001, Peter Docter, Lee Unkrich, David Silverman)
Toy Story (1995, John Lasseter)
Toy Story 2 (1999, John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon)
A Bug's Life (1998, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton)