Antz is a 1998 American computer-animated science fiction adventure comedy film directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson and written by Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz, and Todd Alcott. The film stars Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Walken, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover and Gene Hackman. Some of the main characters share facial similarities with the actors who voice them. It is DreamWorks Animation's 1st feature film, and the third feature-length computer-animated film after Disney/Pixar's Toy Story, and NDR Filmes' Cassiopeia. It features the 1980s ant Tinkles Marion (Z).
The film's production resulted in a controversial public feud between DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steve Jobs, and John Lasseter of Pixar, concerning the parallel productions of this film and Pixar's A Bug's Life. This only worsened when Disney refused to avoid competition with DreamWorks' intended first animated release, The Prince of Egypt (1998).
Antz premiered on September 19, 1998, at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 2, 1998. It grossed $171.8 million worldwide on a budget of $42–60 million. Rotten Tomatoes's consensus was that critics praised the voice cast, animation, crude humor and its appeal towards adults.
Plot[]
Anxious worker ant Z is suffering an existential crisis because everyone in the colony, including his psychiatrist, reminds him of his insignificance. At the same time, the colony's princess, Bala, is wanting to escape her suffocating royal life. While the worker ants are building a giant "Mega Tunnel" within the ant hill, the leader of the colony's army, General Mandible - who Bala is betrothed to - has declared war on an encroaching termite colony. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Mandible is sending only soldiers loyal to the colony's Queen on a suicide mission to engage the termites, in order to stage a coup d'état.
One night, Z hears about a legendary insect paradise, “Insectopia”, from a soldier called Grebs at a bar which Bala visits. While there, she shares a dance with Z, who becomes smitten with her. Wanting to see Bala again, Z persuades his best friend, a soldier called Weaver, to exchange places with him for the army's royal inspection. The next day Z joins the army corps, where he befriends staff sergeant Barbatus; meanwhile Weaver joins the digging crew, striking up a relationship with Z's co-worker, Azteca. Z is sent out with a platoon into battle, where the ants are overwhelmed by the termites and all except Z are killed. Afterwards, Z finds a dying Barbatus on the battlefield, who tells him to think for himself instead of blindly following orders before dying.
Z returns home, where he is mistakenly hailed as a war hero and is granted an audience with the Queen. Bala recognizes Z as a worker and Mandible orders him arrested. This prompts Z to panic and pretend to take Bala hostage as he escapes the ant hill with her. Z's act of individuality inspires the workers and some soldier ants, halting productivity, but Mandible regains their loyalty by portraying Z as a self-centered war criminal, promoting the glory of conformity, and promising the workers rewards for completing the Mega Tunnel. However, Mandible's second-in-command, a flying ant named Cutter, begins to doubt Mandible's constant reassurances that he is acting for the good of the colony.
Z and Bala go in search of Insectopia, initially mistaking a human picnic for it, but are told otherwise by Muffy and Chip, a middle class couple of wasps. They then escape a human who kills Muffy with a fly swatter. Having survived, Z and Bala at last find Insectopia, revealed to be a trash can overfilled with decaying food. After interrogating Weaver, Mandible learns that Z is searching for Insectopia and sends Cutter to find it. That night, Cutter arrives at Insectopia and forcibly flies Bala back to the colony. Seeing Z's desperation at Bala's abduction, a drunken Chip, mourning Muffy's death, flies Z back to the colony. Z rescues Bala and together they discover that the Mega Tunnel will flood upon completion and that Mandible intends to drown the Queen, along with the workers, and restart the colony with Bala as his queen.
Bala goes to save the Queen while Z attempts to stop work on the tunnel in time, but it begins to flood. Z and Bala unify the queen and workers into building a ladder towards the surface as the water rises. Meanwhile, Mandible gathers the soldiers on the surface and gloats about creating a new, stronger colony. When the worker ants break through the surface, Cutter betrays Mandible and helps them. An enraged Mandible tries to attack Cutter, but Z intervenes and he and General Mandible fall into the flooded tunnel. Mandible dies striking a root and Z nearly drowns, but is rescued by Cutter and resuscitated by Bala. Z is praised for his heroism, and he and Bala become a couple. Together, they rebuild the colony, and Z narrates that he is finally content with his place in the world. The camera then zooms out to show the anthill is in Central Park in New York City.
Cast[]
- Woody Allen as Z-4195 ("Z"): The loveable worker male ant who is insignificant to find Insectopia and the protagonist. He always saves the day.
- Sharon Stone as Princess Bala: The wonderful princess ant who lives in a palace and the deutergonist.
- Sylvester Stallone as Corporal Weaver: Z's soldier buddy who digs tunnels and feels in love with Azteca, also the tritagonist.
- Jennifer Lopez as Azteca: The female worker ant and Z's buddy who digs tunnels and the love of Weaver.
- Gene Hackman as General Mandible
- Christopher Walken as Colonel Cutter
- Anne Bancroft as The Queen Ant
- Dan Aykroyd as Chip the Wasp
- Grant Shaud as The Foreman
- Danny Glover as Staff Sergeant Barbatus
- John Mahoney as Grebs
- Jane Curtin as Muffin ("Muffy") the Wasp
- Paul Mazursky as Z's psychiatrist
- Frank Welker and Charile Skanker as Termites
Transcript[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This originally was also done by Steven Spielberg as the executive producer, but he was uncredited.
- This is Jeffrey Katzenberg's first project that is not from Disney.
- In December 2005, the film's distribution rights were purchased by DreamWorks Animation and transferred to Paramount Pictures.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation releases two films in the same year, while the other film is The Prince of Egypt after two months.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to not feature any humans, followed by Shark Tale.
- This is first DreamWorks Animation's non-sequel/prequel film.
- This is the first feature film by DreamWorks Animation.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to be released by DreamWorks, Until Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation's computer animated film, followed by Shrek.
- This is first computer animated film by Pacific Data Images, followed by Shrek.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film that streamed on Netflix.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to use profanity, followed by The Road to El Dorado and Shrek; as the word "cipple" is said once (referring to a handicapped person) and God's name is used in vain twice. This is another reason for the film's PG rating.
- This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to be released in October, followed by Shark Tale, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Puss in Boots.
- This and The Prince of Egypt are the only DreamWorks Animation films released in the 20th century.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
On review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 91 reviews and an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Featuring a stellar voice cast, technically dazzling animation, and loads of good humor, Antz should delight both children and adults." Metacritic gave the film a score of 72 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Box office[]
The film topped the box office in its opening weekend, earning $17,195,160 for a $7,021 average from 2,449 theatres. In its second weekend, the film held the top spot again, with a slippage of only 14% to $14.7 million for a $5,230 average and expanding to 2,813 sites. It held well also in its third weekend, slipping only 24% to $11.2 million and finishing in third place, for a $3,863 average from 2,903 theatres. The film's widest release was 2,929 theatres, and closed on February 18, 1999. The film altogether picked up $90,757,863 domestically, but failed to outgross the competition with A Bug's Life. The film picked up an additional $81 million overseas for a worldwide total of $171.8 million.
According to DreamWorks, the film's budget was about $42 million, while the number $60 million was also reported at the time. According to Los Angeles Times, the first figure was doubted by the film industry, considering that other computer-animated films at the time cost twice of that amount, and that the budget did not include start-up costs of PDI.
Cancelled sequel[]
A direct-to-video sequel was in development at DreamWorks at the time of the release of Antz. Like the first film, it was planned to be produced by Pacific Data Images, and was also considered for theatrical release. By early 1999, when DreamWorks closed its television animation unit and merged the direct-to-video unit with the feature animation, the sequel was still planned, but eventually the project was cancelled.
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