Antz

Rating ****/*****, or 8/10

Delightful early computer animated movie about a lone ant, named Z, who lives in a huge ant colony and tries to get out of the oppressive life style he has endured all his life, while also falling in love with the colony's princess (voiced by Sharon Stone) which gets him on the radar of the society's military leader (performed by Gene Hackman) who is working on a genocidal reform plan to overthrow the colony and make it his. The voice role of the clumsy and neurotic but highly individualistic Z seems tailor made for Woody Allen, who delivers his performance with obvious pleasure. While the animation looks crude by today's standards, it seems appropriate for the film and does in no way detract from the film's enjoyable (though for a family oriented film, somewhat subversive) plot and a number of very funny, witty scenes and gags. It easily beat Pixar's insect film A Bug's Life, suspiciously released almost at the same time, on every level.

Starring: Woody Allen, Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone

Directed by Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson

USA: Dreamworks SKG, 1998