Harry here, and I can't wait to see a finished version of A BUG'S LIFE. I've been contemplating buying the big Flic doll that blinks and has moving antennae (not an entymologist) (wow can I misspell stuff or what!) Anyway, turns out this morning they had a screening of the final print of A BUG'S LIFE with finished tunes and toons. Cool. And the results from these two is nothing short of orgasmic. They loved the film in every definition of the word. As I said in my review, music still had a large portion to fill, and the scenes left undone were key scenes, so I'm still pulling for PIXAR to knock my front teeth out. Plus seeing it with a big audience will be very important. But enough of me, gosh if I go on praising Pixar some of you may think I'm not on Dreamworks' payroll and I'd hate to crush that delusion. BTW the check bounced I think, because when I went to fix my car... I found no money in the coffers. Shock gasp choke! Here are the Aussies...
I hope I'm the first person to write to you about this screening. Today (22/10) I got to see 'A Bug's Life'. It was introduced by an executive from the Australian distributor (Village Roadshow), who said that besides a few BVI executives, this was the world's first screening. Now for someone like me who loves movies, this is just the greatest thrill.
By now you probably know the plot so I won't bore you with those details. The film can be summed up in one word: Brilliant!
For years now I have been a fan of animated films. I've loved all forms of animation, especially stop-motion. At the moment, for me, there is a bit of a lull and the two ant movies have made believe that computer generated animation is a new format that will rejuvenate the medium.
The first thing that struck me about this film was the fact that it was in cinemascope. Any film, especially animated, that's in cinemascope earns bonus points from me. And with 'Bugs' they fill the extra screen space so well.
The animation was just superb. Pixar have really excelled themselves and made the characters so life-like, you'll just be amazed. There is a scene where the bugs encounter a bird and the way that bird moves you would think it was real.
The film is very funny and the characters are very well developed. A couple of times I thought the story was going to stray into shmaltzy Disney territory, but just at the last minute they avoid it. The voices are fantastic. The stand-out is Dennis Leary as a male Ladybug.
To make the obvious connections to 'Antz', it is allot more colourful. 'Antz' was very green and brown, but 'Bugs' is just brimming with colour (the ants are blue to begin with). I also enjoyed 'Bugs' more. Anyone going to see this movie MUST stay for the end credit. This is THE best ends credit sequence every devised. I wept with joy.
The only negative point is the music. It sounded exactly like the music from 'Toy Story' and 'James and the Giant Peach'. Randy Newman must be recycling his music from previous animated films. Luckily though there were no songs, except in the end credits.
I hope this makes it onto your site as I love to see my words in 'print'.
Signed The Moose.
And here's the second review from Australia...
Heya Harry. Got a look at A Bug's Life today in Sydney Australia. Supposedly the first screening outside of inside execs, not sure about the validity of that, but it's what the big knobs were saying.
Anyhoo, I enclose my review below, which you can feel free to post, I only request you give my site a plug (Hollywood Bitchslap - http://hollywoodbitchslap.com) in return for what is hopefully a scoop of merit.
On with the review.
So you thought Antz was good? Oh, baby. You're gonna know real soon what good is. For there is only one bug movie this summer, and Woody Allen has no part in it. A Bug's Life kicks the holy living shit out of Antz in every facet of filmmaking. With Antz you have A-list celebrity voices filling every available slot and generally detracting from the events on film. In A Bug's Life the actors are all TV actors (with the exception of the awesome Kevin Spacey) and their voices fit their roles to perfection. They don't overpower their alter-ego's, they compliment them wonderfully.
In Antz the humor comes almost soley from Woody Allen's monologues. In A Bug's Life the humor comes from everywhere. The story, the cast, the characters, the superb direction and script.
But most importantly in this battle of animated insect features, A Bug's Life demonstrates vastly superior animation not only to Antz but also to Pixar's previous hit, Toy Story.
And there's no annoying musical numbers!!! Yay Disney!!
Here's the story. Flik (Foley) is an ant. He's kind of a thinker. The creative type. When he inadvertantly causes the evil Hopper (Spacey), leader of the grasshoppers, to get pissed at Flik's colony, Flik is sent away to find some warrior insects to help fight the evil grasshopper hordes and restore freedom to his colony.
He thinks he's found the answer to his prayers in a bunch of bugs he meets in a bar, but Flik is mistaken. These bugs aren't warriors, they're performers in a flea circus.
I won't give any more of the film away, but suffice it to say that there is not a dull moment. The characters have infinitely more personality than those in Antz, the jokes are neither forced, nor flat, nor aimed at a low IQ, and the voiceovers don't detract form the story in any way.
You don't see Elaine behind Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character, you don't feel like you're in an episode of Newsradio with Dave Foley's.
The cast, including Foley, Spacey, Louis-Dreyfus, Denis Leary, Phyllis Diller, Bonnie Hunt and Dr Smith from the original Lost In Space, are all superb. In fact, the movie has no downside as far as I'm concerned. As I left I overheard words such as "brilliant" and "awesome film" from adults and children alike.
For what it is, A Bug's Life is as good as it's likely to get. The animation technology has hit the point where it can look no better, the jokes are genuinely funny, the story is well paced and fun.
If you enjoyed Antz, you'll adore this. If you disliked Antz, you'll still adore this.
Be warned. Do not leave this movie early. The credits are quite possibly the funniest part of this movie.
This get's my highest recommendation. Don't be fooled by rushed immiations. A Bug's Life is a damn masterpiece. Pixar has done it again, only better.
This get's my highest recommendation. Don't be fooled by rushed immiations. A Bug's Life is a damn masterpiece. Pixar has done it again. Antz was smart to get in early, because A Bug's Life will wipe the floor with it. Five big ol' fat stars.
