Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious kid- adult flick.
Review: Can you imagine in Woody Allen in a kid flick, I couldn't. But then I viewed "Antz" and saw that it was far from a kiddie flick. Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken, Danny Glover, and Jane Curtain are just a few of the voices in this light hearted animated comedy. Woody Allen is "Z" a depressed ant who wants something better with life. Z falls in love with the princess (Stone) which sets them off on a hilarious adventure. Yes, it sounds like a kiddie flick...well it is...kind of. But this is one of those movies adults can laugh at, as well as kids. This is an all around family great.
Rating: 
Summary: You won't find these Antz in yer Pantz!
Review: The Film: [Rating: 84%] Dreamworks challenger to the Disney ant favourite A Bug's Life arrives on a feature packed DVD complete with a truly sumptuous transfer. Ok, so it's a cartoon - but don't be put off since this one is loaded with far more wit and style than your average kiddie flick (isn't he in a A Bug's Life?) and features the vocal talents of Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Dan Aykroyd, Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Walken, Anne Bancroft and a shed load more fine actors. Imagine this many actors in a live-action film, the fees, the makeup, the trailer size contests - I guess doing animation must be a welcome bit of fun, allowing dress-down days too!The story follows loner ant Z (pronounced zee, not zed!) who feels there should be more to life than his lot as a worker ant. Allen plays the lead, supported well be his best friend and soldier ant Weaver (Stallone). Z's path crosses that of the bored Princess Bala (Stone) whom he desperately wants to see again. Following a little persuasion, Z manages to trade places with Weaver for a place in the soldier's parade - held in front of the royalty! I don't want to give too much of the plot away since you're better off watching but Z's adventures to win the heart of the Princess, battle fierce termites Starship Troopers style, and his all round save-the-day antics are a treat for young and old alike. Kids will love this great cartoon but only adults will catch all of the humour and admire the truly stunning computer animation. It's a pity this was released only one month before Disney's ant based film and the subsequent press scrutiny they both received in the 'Ant Wars'. They are very different films, just both animated and about ants. Personally I rate Antz slightly higher but I also think that from a kid's point of view the adult nature of much of it's humour may put A Bug's Life out in front as a point decision winner. Take the easy route and give both pride of place in your DVD collection! The Picture: [Rating: 93%] Gob smacking! Awesome! Breath-taking! What more can be said about this 1.85:1 original aspect ratio transfer from an all digital source. Colours are to die for - see the Trash-topia sequence to see what I mean, black levels are spot on, detail is truly amazing, and there's not a single imperfection noticeable anywhere. There was some reported moans that the film was based underground too much, resulting in a too dark, earthy look - maybe an issue with a VHS copy but not here. This is what DVD and widescreen were made for! The Sound: [Rating: 82%] Again, absolutely awesome (do I have to add the word DUDE to truly convince?). Some have mentioned the drowning out of vocals during some of the terrifically loud action sequences but this didn't affect me, even on (or maybe because of) my 'pantz' audio set up. The Extras: [Rating: 70%] Directors Tim Johnson and Eric Darnel feature on an informative full-length audio commentary. There's a production featurette running under 5 minutes that is more interview soundbites than anything else. Much more revealing is the 11 minutes on The Basics of Computer Animation - focusing on the dance sequence and the water droplet, showing build up from storyboards to the finished, lighted & shaded animation. Brief but nice is the one minute on the Antz Facial System. Last of the documentaries is 10 minutes 26 seconds worth of wonderful hand-drawn art work showing the development of the Antz Character Design. There are four TV spots, along with the theatrical trailer, but the usual filmo's are blown away by a simple cast list. Finally there's also eight pages worth of production notes. Packaging the whole thing together is a fantastic menu system, fully animated with great transitions from one selection to another and all fully scored. Selecting the scene index from the front page (by moving the giant magnifying class!) will drop the 'camera' through the earth, taking you down to the Antz homeworld before displaying the four individually animated clips that represent four of the twenty six scenes available - top stuff! And Finally... [Overall Rating: 86%] Superb presentation - more meat on the extras would have been nice, but this is nit-picking since everything here is gold-plated!
Rating: 
Summary: It's an ants world
Review: Woody Allen never looked better. It's enjoyable entertainment for adults and young teenagers. Little ones might find it not as appealing as "A Bug's Life" but it sure is worth a try. The language context maybe too much for youngsters under ten. Story is really simplistic, but who would want a complex story with ants? Overall I'd recommend this film to fans of animation. This movie shows that a whole scope of different films using this technology has yet to be made.
Rating: 
Summary: Simply laughable!
Review: In the sentiments of the review below, this movie is for neither children nor adults. I first saw it with a couple of friends in the theater, thinking that another computer graphics movie would be pretty interesting to see. I liked "Toy Story" very much, but this is literally the complete opposite. Throughout the movie I sat with my popcorn untouched, mouth open in disbelief. Some of the visuals are a little much for kids, and also there is some profanity along with a few scant sexual remarks (which makes absoultely NO senses whatsoever since we're talking about ants in this film, and not humans.) As I walked out of the theater, I made a be-line for the nearest restroom and promptly threw up. I was completely disgusted with how Dreamworks had "produced" the film. The only good aspect of it was some of the music, which was pretty good. Think about it: a romance involving ANTS? Do yourself and your kids a favore and skip this one. Although I didn't see it, "A Bug's Life" might be somewhat better.
Rating:
Summary: Not a children's movie, not an adult's movie
Review: Dreamworks seems absolutely determined to expose young children to blatent violence, salacious themes, and consistent use of language any responsible parent would cringe at. Woody Allen and Sharon Stone, two of the moral-bending champions of our generation starring in a Children's movie?...and this movie was heavily marketed to children. For adults, the plot is banal. This is really one to avoid, as a matter of fact, I would skip all of the Dreamworks animated films.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: I saw this on a bus! This was a great movie. The same plot as 'A Bug's Life'. Good Movie.
Rating:
Summary: It's a Small World
Review: DreamWorks explores the world of an unlikely hero in the imaginative animated adventure "Antz". A neurotic worker ant named Z (Woody Allen) questions his place in the colony and tries to gain the attention of the rebellious princess Bala (Sharon Stone). After a series of mishaps and misadventures, Z becomes an inspirational figure and creates uproar within the colony. "Antz" is a smart and entertaining animated tale of one person making a difference. The story is surprisingly clever, funny and appealing to both kids and adults. Woody Allen delivers a fine comic performance and provides much of the film's witty humor. The all-star voice cast also includes Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Lopez, Danny Glover, Christopher Walken and Gene Hackman. The computer animation and character designs are quite amazing. The scenes within the ant colony and the fierce battle against the termites are stunning visual achievements. DreamWorks manages to pull a real winner. The animated feature is presented in its 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a stunning picture quality with striking color detail. Its 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is well balanced and fairly aggressive. The animated menus are colorful and wonderfully done. Its supplemental material features an audio commentary by directors Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson, multiple behind-the-scenes and CGI featurettes, trailers and TV spots. With its lively presentation, "Antz" gets a pleasing "B+".
Rating:
Summary: Please stop comparing the two...
Review: Antz and Bug's Life are two entirely different movies. Saying that Antz is a children's movie is like saying that Contact was about aliens. It just doesn't work that way. I enjoy Bug's Life much more, but I think Antz is the better movie. Why? Because it deals with something other than the tired old "I'm happy" formula. And for the record, Antz ripped nothing off: it came before Bug's Life.
Rating:
Summary: Intellegent,funny,a visual feast.
Review: Fisrt,let me say that ANTZ is an adult animated film.Please parents,stop your whining about the content of this film and read the reviews before you rent or buy this for your kids.Any film fan knows that anything with Woody Allens input is going to be satarical,and use language and political ideaology that requires the viewer to have a concept of thought and reasoning,rather then the mindless dribble that Hollywood tends to dish out. If you had schooling past the highschool level,college,or actually READ thought provoking novels......Youll love the wit and humor in this film!..Also,if you have a great home theater set-up,the DTS decoding offers a more enveloping experience then the standard D-Digital. So,call up some of your intellegent friends,pour some wine and prepare to laugh!
Rating:
Summary: Why does it have to be a childrens film?
Review: Does it bother anyone else that everyone clasifies any animated movie as a children's film, and every live action as "adult"? I mean Everyone: critics, parents, Blockbuster. If you are looking for a good movie for young kids, try "The Little Princess," "Fly Away Home," or the Disney marketing machine. This is an adult film that young minds are not likely to find entertaining or amusing, and may find frightening. As an adult film, it is a decent comedy presented with the most cutting edge technology of the moviemaking industry. This is the best special effects outside of B-grade sci-fi and horror.
|
