The Ant Bully – a.k.a The Destroyer
Image courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
In somewhat the reverse of how I saw a preview of Cars, last Saturday found me in a packed theater in San Francisco for a sneak preview of The Ant Bully. There were kids of all ages, teens (and tweens), parents, grandparents and a few adults there just for the free movie. Oh, and throw in a dozen or so members of the press just for good measure. A pretty diverse crowd.
Now I have read some of the comments JHM readers posted after the interviews with the folks from DNA and it would be fair to say that I had some of the same reservations before I saw the finished product in 2D. Yes, one can draw inevitable comparisons to other insect films, as well as any number of other animated productions. How many people called out that the Lion King had Shakespearean influences? If that’s all you’re going to see the film for, save the bucks and buy yourself a couple of large triple espresso lattes instead.
Let’s face it. We are not talking the Citizen Kane of animated films here. (I’m sure that someone else already has that in mind, if not in production…) But if you’re looking to see a film that provides simple entertainment for a good portion of it’s 88 minutes, then The Ant Bully might be what you’re looking for. Call it a light comedy adventure, if it makes you happy. But I think that the creation of another magnum opus of entertainment was never what Tom Hanks and John Davis had in mind when they started the project. And no one at DNA Productions sees the studio as the all-new and improved version of Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks. It’s just a nice little company making entertaining movies.
Sure, the story is predictable. Based on a children’s book, you have to expect that. And even the story concept as a whole is found in another animated film we have seen this summer. There’s the whole line of how an individual has to learn to work as a part of a team. Sounds familiar? Should be, as it was a part of the Cars story line. But again, you can draw comparisons in any story told to other similar stories. Recall the old plot? Buy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again? (Hey, wait… Isn’t that one of the plot lines of Pirates? Wonder why that was so popular being such an old worn out story cliché… Never mind.)
Boy gets Girl or Ant gets Ant… Zoc and Hova in a romantic moment
Image courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
From my perspective here’s what we got: Lucas Nickle is a character we can all see something familiar in. At some time in our lives, we probably found ourselves on the receiving end of unwanted attention from a bully – school, work, the grocery store… you know what it was like. So when Lucas tries to show how big he is by doling out cruelty to the anthill, we all understand that feeling. With a little bit of imagination, an audience can find themselves in Lucas’ place without too much effort.
Once can also relate to the intensity of Zoc, the wizard ant of the colony. The drive he has to keep his world safe is completely understandable and easy to identify with. We all have a passion of one kind or another in our lives that tends to blind us to other things around us. So with a couple of characters like this, you know they will be in conflict soon enough.
Zoc tries to impart wisdom to a sleepy Lucas
Image courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Then we’re off as Zoc develops a potion that will reduce “The Destroyer” to the size of an ant. And with that accomplished, Lucas is captured and taken off to the colony to receive justice and learn a lesson along the way.
What does that entail? Well, you’ll have to find out for your selves. But while watching it with the audience I described above I made a few observations. The biggest laughs? They came during the quietest moments in the film. The soundtrack by John Debney mixes themes that take the audience from suburbia to the jungle of the lawn and back again and has it’s own feel of adventure. The voice casting, while not ground-breaking, does have some fun in store for audiences. Bruce Campbell as Fugax, the scout, brings the swagger and bravado of other roles you may remember him from to the character. And while Nicholas Cage, Julia Roberts and Paul Giamatti may be big names for older audiences, for the younger crowd they are friendly without being sappy. And Lily Tomlin as Mommo gets plenty of laughs from everyone.
Lucas signs the contract to spray the lawn
Image courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Like any family film, this one has moments where the children in the audience were a bit bored and fidgety. One scene in the middle of the film may seem to drag a bit, but it gives the audience a chance to relax with a quiet bit. And like any adventure film, it also has noisy and busy moments. At 88 minutes long, the film is just about right in length.
Overall, the film reminded me of a number of pictures from the past that were simply fun. You know, the Saturday afternoon at the movies kind of fun. The artistic style of the film is not as cartoony as Jimmy Neutron or maybe as stylized as others, but for a small budget production compared to some of those others, I think it comes off rather well. Ants are ants and no matter who designs them, you have to expect they will look alike. The attention to the details of film making bring the project a solid platform for a simple story that entertains. With a crew that included many veterans of Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and other animated studios, they produced a good product for the screen. (I am looking forward to seeing their Imax 3D version for more of that.)
The ants and wasps ready for attack
Image courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Sure, there is a message too, but I didn’t feel it was overly preachy. It came from the lessons Lucas learns along his way, not like some films where everything skids to an abrupt halt so we can be told the message again and again. And yes, the bullies do get theirs; something we all wish that our own bullies could have experienced.
Looking over the crop of animated films so far this year, I think this one is above average. Nothing earth-shattering, but just a nice family film. If that’s what you are looking for, then try the Ant Bully. Don’t go in with grandiose expectations and you’ll have a good time. And isn’t that what going to the movies is supposed to be all about anyway?
Now, if after having seen the film, you might have any questions, drop me an e-mail and I’ll pass them along to the folks at DNA. Often when a picture like this is released, all we get is the initial opening press and that’s it. Now is your chance to participate and get feedback. So don’t be shy… ask away. I’ll share the questions and the answers in the coming weeks.