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Rating- 2 out of 5 drumsticks
Rated- (G) Targeted audience- Young viewers and their family Release date- December 3rd 1998 Sequel- None plot overview- Our main character flick is a clumsy inventor whom is always trying to do his best to assist his troop of ants as they are constantly working to keep a gang of crickets as allies to protect them from dangerous predators , however when he accidentally knocks over there tribute to the guardians he must venture from his home and safe haven where he finds a bunch of unique bugs who promise to assist in the extermination of the crickets disturbance. |
FEATURING
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as- Princess Atta
Bonnie Hunt as-
Rosie |
Joe Ranft as-
Heimlich Denis Leary as-
Francis |
Hayden Panettiere as- Dot
Brad Garrett as-
Dim |
Dave Foley as-
Flik Phyllis Diller as-
The Queen Ant |
Positives on this film-
This childhood classic movie shows amazing acts of determination as we cheer on Flik in his epic adventure, however, he is seen leaving all he has ever known. The audience watches on as he ventures into a new environment, straying from his humble small colony to the diverse city life. This is a brilliant lesson which young children can apply to their own lives as they are able to note how if we decide to be brave and take a step into the unknown we can discover concepts we never would of thought possible. Viewers can see him learn, develop and see that depending on where you live life style can be so different to other people. It is quite funny to see each one of the unique bugs express themselves and give all movie goers a look at multiple different species and their special adaptations. The Bugs can be seen showing excessive amounts of team work as they fight against time to keep their colony and home safe. This film shows examples of sacrifice when we see the ants surrender their food which they worked relentlessly to collect, in order to have prolonged survival. This is a good lesson because in life that we must sacrifice some things in order for the better of those around us. Lastly we can see a large display of learning whether it’s the scenes Flik is seen discovering the speedy city by asking other bugs, the ants being taught to trust tuff bugs or Princess Atta going through training in order to be a mighty queen. This shows there is always a opportunity learn even if you make a mistake or feel lost in a tricky situation
Negative parts of this film-
This film sadly has many mistakes or problems. We begin with the fact that all of Fliks mates they can be seen bullying this little creative ant by telling him his ideas will never work out are constantly reminding him that it would be better if he acted more like all the others. Now if we reflect of that it can be interpreted as bullying when with Fliks dreams and ideas constantly being crushed or beaten down. In today’s society we should be encouraging the younger generation to pursue their hopes and ambitions instead of showing them that others will think they are foolish or have ridiculous dreams. Another problem is we see the main villain Hopper grab a young ant (Dot) in a very violent manner before using her to get what he wants from the on looking ants ,that can only proceed to watch as their child is placed in danger. This is a very serious problem as it is thought to be related to the hidden message of child abuse. This topic can be a extremely touchy area with some people who have witnessed of experienced forms of this dreadful abuse. When their heroic Flik decides to take a stand in order to protect the little girl he is threatened and intimidated into stepping away with no success of rescuing the terrified child. Sadly this shows in an abusive relationship one may step forward to try and help yet feel pressured into watching with no hope of helping the victim for they begin to fear for their own live. This situation has been seen many times in the real world with many cases having major effects on loved ones and even resulting in the death of a young family member.
My opinion-
Personally I found this movie was neither good or bad. I did like how the Circus animals broke common stereotypes like when the lady bug wasn’t depicted as pretty, dainty or girly. I enjoyed watching the mighty determination of Flik as he persisted and never gave up on his goals or dreams. I love the human like twist added to the bugs, for example the bar scene when Larry the mosquito orders blood as a drink and later is seen acting drunk in the background. Along with things I like I found small things that just annoyed me, with the main thing being the typical story line of which I have seen in many movies before this. With the quirky underestimated hero going to help his family and ending up saving them and being well known for his brave actions. I think they could have majorly improved this movie if they added more unexpected twists in the general plot, this would keep the audience on their toes. I recommend they add more detail to the environment which the movie is based in and have more examples of trust due to the bugs always seeming to have doubt in all actions them or their allies take.
BY TEHYA EVANS