Overall Rating:
Score: 5.5/10
Grade: C-
Family-Friendliness Scale: Level 2 (Mediocre)
Kids ages 9+
Being an insignificant ant is exactly who Z is. He's one of millions of worker ants hoping to help provide bigger spaces for the ant colony. However, thats' not what he wants...
Antz tells that clearly from the beginning. Z (Woody Allen) is hoping to break out of insignificant and see new things outside the anthill. Upon meeting Princess Bala (Sharon Stone) at a dance, he swaps places with his best friend and soldier Weaver (Sylvester Stallone) in order to see her. But, it only leads him into a worse place... battle. Being the only survivor in a grueling battle between ants and giant termites, it gives him the popularity he wants, and starts a rebellion for the worker ants. However, things only get worse when Princess Bala figures out who he is and exposes his true identity as a worker. In trouble, Z accidentally kidnaps the princess and they fly to the outside of the anthill, only to find themselves in a whole new mess of danger.
Positive Notes
Antz boasts some really good animation considering it was released back in 1998 (it was only the second computer-animated film ever released at the time). We literally do see the world from a different perspective, and at times it looks very realistic.
The films' prominent positive lesson is on how we are significant in our own special way. But we see other examples on friendship, self-sacrifice, and teamwork. The celebrity voice cast does a fine job, and the music by Harry-Gregson Williams and John Powell is well-composed.
Negative Notes
One of the PG rating's reasons, "menacing action" may not sound all that bad, but there are a few disturbing scenes. There's a brief battle between ants and giant, monster-like termites that spray acid. A minute later, just when Z escapes, we see a battlefield full of stabbed and dead termites and ants (though its' not bloody). Probably the most disturbing moment is when Z talks to and tries to pick up a fellow soldier's head, claiming that he's going to find the rest of his body (and why would the soldier be still alive anyway?). But some other various characters are also killed, two ants are disintegrated by a magnifying glass' fire effect, and a wasp is squished by a fly-swatter. Ants are stepped on, punched in the face, and nearly drown on a couple of occasions as well.
The movie's language is also something else that might be considered disturbing. There are at least 10 mild profanities (4 uses each of the d-word and h-word and one use each of the a-word and b-word), along with two or three uses of "crap" and "jeez", and two misuses of God's name.
There are a few suggestive and gross-out jokes, and one ant appears to be inebriated briefly. The ants hang out at a bar, and drink "aphid beers". On a good note, the romance is mostly innocent, and is limited to some flirting and a few kisses.
Even though he changes the colony for the better by the films' end, Z still gives negative examples on lying and rebelling against authority.
Conclusion
Being one of the first of its' kind is one thing. And what makes sense about Antz is that it certainly treats viewers with nice animation that gives us a look at our backyard from a whole new perspective. Each detail is given at least a dash of realism, and the characters are expertly designed for its' time.
What doesn't make sense is that the directors and staff thought it was OK to put in an assortment of crude language that usually isn't heard in today's animated films, as well as possibly disturbing action scenes and a few unnecessary jokes. Now some of these things probably will go over kids' heads, but its' still opening the door to stuff that really is more for adults than children.
Now if you are able to put all that aside, you actually do have a decent story that has a nice message about how we are all significant in our own special way. But, sadly, while it tries to be family-friendly, it just doesn't try its' best to focus on the kids in the audience.
