42 out of 56 people found the following comment useful :- Well Worth Viewing, 30 July 2006
Author:
pjh0704 from United States
I really don't get the negative reviews for this movie. I'm in my
forties, so is my husband. Our children are three and eleven. We all
loved this movie. I'll buy the DVD.
I liked this movie as well as A Bug's Life, if not better. Why? The
message that it's okay to be yourself and that you don't have to simply
accept bullying is delivered in a more laid-back way. A Bug's Life and
Toy Story, by comparison, are frenetic.
The actors voices and characterization are terrific. All in all, I
think the visuals at the end of the film - sort of a funky,
hieroglyphic narrative - help to sum up this film's appeal or lack of
appeal, depending on the nature of the viewer. If you genuinely prefer
faster-paced, more "in-your-face" type of movies (and I realize that
most American film viewers do these days), then you will have to
acclimate a little to this film. But not much. It's plenty busy.
What it also is, however, is charming. Toy Story was charming. So was
the first Shrek, in its own quirky, slightly perverse way. The Ant
Bully, in my family's opinion (and we go to a lot of movies), was just
what we needed for a Friday night of family entertainment. We had some
really good laughs, enjoyed being together, and left feeling upbeat.
The audience seemed to enjoy this movie very much. There was a lot of
laughter and many people stayed to watch the colorful visuals at the
end.
If you don't like this movie, then perhaps you need to learn to kick
back and relax a little more often. We found it to be well worth
viewing and it will certainly receive a lot of travel time viewing in
our car once it's released on DVD. I saw that Tom Hanks was an
Executive Producer. Thanks, Tom.
55 out of 88 people found the following comment useful :- Ant Bully = FUN FUN FUN!!!!!, 22 July 2006
Author:
Brian Henderson from Seattle
Wildly entertaining for kids and bits of off the wall humor for adults
make The Ant Bully my top choice for cartoons and animated films this
year! Tom Hanks' production group assembled a fantastic line up of
voice actors for this movie. My favorite all-star was Julia Roberts,
who I believe is best playing in fun roles for children as she did in
Hook as Tinkerbell.
Nicolas Cage added a hint of familiarity and also added to the
entertainment level for adults (i.e. imagining the "Lord of War" as a
tiny ant!) Above that, my favorite part about the Ant Bully were the
vivid scenes and camera angles between the world of the human and the
world of the ant. The animators had brilliant use of switching the
perspective at different times for example - *mini-spoiler* a fire
cracker goes off and makes a gigantic BOOM in the underground for the
ants, but the camera zooms out and it is a tiny pop for the world of
humans.
The variety of entertainment and different levels of humor make The Ant
Bully this Summer's top choice for family fun!
30 out of 46 people found the following comment useful :- Fun family film that reaches all ages, 22 July 2006
Author:
Nicholas Lukosik (twistedweather@hotmail.com) from United States
I was able to attend a early screening of this movie by chance. Finding
the free pass discarded on the ground at a busy bus stop here in
downtown Seattle. Lucky I was!
I really enjoyed this movie, it was a great improvement over the past
"Antz" movie it preceded not too long ago. The film was well rounded
being able to capture the attention of late twenty somethings to
preteens with its clever comedy and playful characters. Kinda like a
Honey I shrunk the kids minus the moldy cheese.
There were a few jokes aimed @ an older audience but this helped keep
more mature viewers feeling they had spent their 9 bucks on a
delightful film.
15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :- It's a Fun movie for the whole family., 9 October 2006
Author:
mixmaxx from London
I really enjoyed this movie. I would recommend this film for the whole
family. The message was simple and straightforward. It is your basic
good vs. evil. I had really good laughs, enjoyed being there. The
audience seemed to enjoy this movie very much. There was a lot of
laughter and many people stayed to watch the colorful visuals at the
end. Also I think it's better than "CARS" which is seem to be very
boring to me!!! ........... ............. ...............
By the way, there are comments from other viewers complaining about
hidden meanings and may feel the script was taken from the book of Karl
Marx which is outrage and misjudge for the film. Also Marx's book is
all about capitalism!!! I really don't get the negative reviews for
this movie!!!!!
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :- Another great animated film, 28 November 2006
Author:
Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois
I don't understand why some of the better animated films have semi-low
ratings, I think because people were comparing this movie to the film
"Antz", I'm not quite sure if it was a sequel, but I thought on it's
own "The Ant Bully" was a very fun movie for all ages. The animation
and the story were fun and great to watch, I honestly think that The
Ant Bully is one of the best animated films I have seen in a while.
Lucas is a boy who is constantly picked on and he ends up taking his
anger out on the ants in his front yard by smashing their colony and
drowning them with the hose. The ants are fed up and decide to shrink
Lucas and give him a taste of what they go through when he drowns and
destroys their city. He now has to work as an ant and become one of
them, he slowly realizes how important the ants are and how wrong he
was. But things get more difficult when he forgets that he hired an
exterminator to get rid of the ants.
The Ant Bully was a very touching and wonderful story that I felt is
important for kids to watch. I loved how it showed the moral of "What
goes around comes around", kids need to learn that more now a days,
because it's very true. Not to mention that The Ant Bully in general is
just a great animated film that the whole family could get a kick out
of. A great cast and a fun filled story made this film work, so don't
be so harsh.
7/10
13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :- funny for kids and adults, 22 July 2006
Author:
fastchef from Canada
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I went to see this film today with my 8 year old daughter, really with
out knowing too much about it. My daughter and i were pleasantly
surprised at how funny it was. Nick Cage was pretty good as the wizard
ant, Bruce Campbell was funny too but the highlight was Paul Giamatti
as Stan the exterminator.
*Spoiler*
There is a scene later in the film that might be disturbing to younger
viewers, in the frog's stomach there's a floating bug head. my 8 year
old could handle it OK but it might scare a younger child. I would
recommend this film for the whole family, apart from the usual main
character learns a lesson in the end.( do they always have to learn a
lesson?)funny bits enough to over look the "message" at the end. 7/10
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Cute Animated Film with Ants, 8 January 2008
Author:
The_Discolored_Chameleon from Fraggle Rock
'Ant Bully' is another cute animated film with ants. Many might compare
it to Dreamworks's 'Antz' and if I'm told to pick one, then 'Ant Bully'
is the better one. Of course the story isn't anything new per se but it
moves at a steady pace and the characters are very likable. Besides,
there's no harm in enjoying some laugh-out-loud moments. For me it was
a good 90 minutes spent laughing as I was watching it with my mom and
little sister (who enjoyed it too). Voice talents include names like
Nicolas Cage, Lily Tomlin, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti
and many more. All of them do fairly well, though Cage appears to sound
a little theatrical urban. The animation is brilliant. I especially
like how the aunt 'colonization' was created with vibrant colours and
attention to detail. Watch out for some cute shorts of the ants. All in
all, this is a cute film to enjoy with the family.
9 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :- Don't Step on It., 30 September 2006
Author:
tfrizzell from United States
Elements from several recent computer-generated pictures are truly
evident in this animated feature that focuses on a young boy who takes
his frustrations out on defenseless ants after being bullied himself by
his peers. After he magically gets turned to the size of an ant, the
youngster learns how the other half lives and survives. Under-rated
picture that has good messages for the kiddies and will keep them
occupied on rainy afternoons. A bit slow-moving and old hat for
hardened adults, but still more upside nonetheless. Julia Roberts and
Nicolas Cage are the two biggest names in a strong cast that lends
their voices to their cartoonish alter egos. 4 stars out of 5.
11 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :- Ant theme should be retired., 27 November 2006
Author:
aisa_etinu from US
I love CG and am not tired of it yet. To me, the medium of the story is
not as important as the quality of the plot, and in The Ant Bully, the
story was just too overdone to be satisfying. The graphics and sounds
were nice, and it's a shame they were not paired with a more unique
storyline.
Pros: The voices were expressive, and there's a different take on ants
in this movie than in the previous ones. These follow the laws of
nature in some respects but don't in others, so their world may not be
as familiar or believable to viewers as those in A Bug's Life or Antz
might have been. The CG is great, with nice details where they're
needed, and there are different species of wildlife involved. Now if
they could just move on to a new subject. No one's done a big CG movie
about cockroaches yet...
Cons: The message of the movie is pushed a bit too hard. In many ways,
it's exactly the same message as the one in the previous two ant
movies. Ant Bully might be pretty interesting for anyone who hasn't
already seen A Bug's Life and Antz, but you'll probably still yawn a
little and say the magician ant's catch-phrase along with him when it's
repeated for the third time.
11 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :- Great animation, 2 August 2006
Author:
billsanders from United States
I thought the animation was excellent. The story was apropos for the
intended audience--mostly families. I'm not sure why there are comments
from other viewers complaining about hidden meanings--as best as I can
tell, that says more about the viewer than it does about the movie.
Ants behaved in the movie like we imagine ants to behave when
personified. It is unreasonable to attach any hidden meaning to it. The
message was simple and straightforward. It is your basic good vs. evil,
little guy vs. bully. It is a great family film. I recommend it for any
child, and any adult who wants to forget about life for a while and
think like a child.
Watch it at Amazon
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42 out of 56 people found the following comment useful :-

Well Worth Viewing, 30 July 2006
Author: pjh0704 from United States
I really don't get the negative reviews for this movie. I'm in my forties, so is my husband. Our children are three and eleven. We all loved this movie. I'll buy the DVD.
I liked this movie as well as A Bug's Life, if not better. Why? The message that it's okay to be yourself and that you don't have to simply accept bullying is delivered in a more laid-back way. A Bug's Life and Toy Story, by comparison, are frenetic.
The actors voices and characterization are terrific. All in all, I think the visuals at the end of the film - sort of a funky, hieroglyphic narrative - help to sum up this film's appeal or lack of appeal, depending on the nature of the viewer. If you genuinely prefer faster-paced, more "in-your-face" type of movies (and I realize that most American film viewers do these days), then you will have to acclimate a little to this film. But not much. It's plenty busy.
What it also is, however, is charming. Toy Story was charming. So was the first Shrek, in its own quirky, slightly perverse way. The Ant Bully, in my family's opinion (and we go to a lot of movies), was just what we needed for a Friday night of family entertainment. We had some really good laughs, enjoyed being together, and left feeling upbeat. The audience seemed to enjoy this movie very much. There was a lot of laughter and many people stayed to watch the colorful visuals at the end.
If you don't like this movie, then perhaps you need to learn to kick back and relax a little more often. We found it to be well worth viewing and it will certainly receive a lot of travel time viewing in our car once it's released on DVD. I saw that Tom Hanks was an Executive Producer. Thanks, Tom.
55 out of 88 people found the following comment useful :-

Ant Bully = FUN FUN FUN!!!!!, 22 July 2006
Author: Brian Henderson from Seattle
Wildly entertaining for kids and bits of off the wall humor for adults make The Ant Bully my top choice for cartoons and animated films this year! Tom Hanks' production group assembled a fantastic line up of voice actors for this movie. My favorite all-star was Julia Roberts, who I believe is best playing in fun roles for children as she did in Hook as Tinkerbell.
Nicolas Cage added a hint of familiarity and also added to the entertainment level for adults (i.e. imagining the "Lord of War" as a tiny ant!) Above that, my favorite part about the Ant Bully were the vivid scenes and camera angles between the world of the human and the world of the ant. The animators had brilliant use of switching the perspective at different times for example - *mini-spoiler* a fire cracker goes off and makes a gigantic BOOM in the underground for the ants, but the camera zooms out and it is a tiny pop for the world of humans.
The variety of entertainment and different levels of humor make The Ant Bully this Summer's top choice for family fun!
30 out of 46 people found the following comment useful :-

Fun family film that reaches all ages, 22 July 2006
Author: Nicholas Lukosik (twistedweather@hotmail.com) from United States
I was able to attend a early screening of this movie by chance. Finding the free pass discarded on the ground at a busy bus stop here in downtown Seattle. Lucky I was!
I really enjoyed this movie, it was a great improvement over the past "Antz" movie it preceded not too long ago. The film was well rounded being able to capture the attention of late twenty somethings to preteens with its clever comedy and playful characters. Kinda like a Honey I shrunk the kids minus the moldy cheese.
There were a few jokes aimed @ an older audience but this helped keep more mature viewers feeling they had spent their 9 bucks on a delightful film.
15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-

It's a Fun movie for the whole family., 9 October 2006
Author: mixmaxx from London
I really enjoyed this movie. I would recommend this film for the whole family. The message was simple and straightforward. It is your basic good vs. evil. I had really good laughs, enjoyed being there. The audience seemed to enjoy this movie very much. There was a lot of laughter and many people stayed to watch the colorful visuals at the end. Also I think it's better than "CARS" which is seem to be very boring to me!!! ........... ............. ...............
By the way, there are comments from other viewers complaining about hidden meanings and may feel the script was taken from the book of Karl Marx which is outrage and misjudge for the film. Also Marx's book is all about capitalism!!! I really don't get the negative reviews for this movie!!!!!
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-

Another great animated film, 28 November 2006
Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois
I don't understand why some of the better animated films have semi-low ratings, I think because people were comparing this movie to the film "Antz", I'm not quite sure if it was a sequel, but I thought on it's own "The Ant Bully" was a very fun movie for all ages. The animation and the story were fun and great to watch, I honestly think that The Ant Bully is one of the best animated films I have seen in a while.
Lucas is a boy who is constantly picked on and he ends up taking his anger out on the ants in his front yard by smashing their colony and drowning them with the hose. The ants are fed up and decide to shrink Lucas and give him a taste of what they go through when he drowns and destroys their city. He now has to work as an ant and become one of them, he slowly realizes how important the ants are and how wrong he was. But things get more difficult when he forgets that he hired an exterminator to get rid of the ants.
The Ant Bully was a very touching and wonderful story that I felt is important for kids to watch. I loved how it showed the moral of "What goes around comes around", kids need to learn that more now a days, because it's very true. Not to mention that The Ant Bully in general is just a great animated film that the whole family could get a kick out of. A great cast and a fun filled story made this film work, so don't be so harsh.
7/10
13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-

funny for kids and adults, 22 July 2006
Author: fastchef from Canada
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I went to see this film today with my 8 year old daughter, really with out knowing too much about it. My daughter and i were pleasantly surprised at how funny it was. Nick Cage was pretty good as the wizard ant, Bruce Campbell was funny too but the highlight was Paul Giamatti as Stan the exterminator.
*Spoiler*
There is a scene later in the film that might be disturbing to younger viewers, in the frog's stomach there's a floating bug head. my 8 year old could handle it OK but it might scare a younger child. I would recommend this film for the whole family, apart from the usual main character learns a lesson in the end.( do they always have to learn a lesson?)funny bits enough to over look the "message" at the end. 7/10
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Cute Animated Film with Ants, 8 January 2008
Author: The_Discolored_Chameleon from Fraggle Rock
'Ant Bully' is another cute animated film with ants. Many might compare it to Dreamworks's 'Antz' and if I'm told to pick one, then 'Ant Bully' is the better one. Of course the story isn't anything new per se but it moves at a steady pace and the characters are very likable. Besides, there's no harm in enjoying some laugh-out-loud moments. For me it was a good 90 minutes spent laughing as I was watching it with my mom and little sister (who enjoyed it too). Voice talents include names like Nicolas Cage, Lily Tomlin, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti and many more. All of them do fairly well, though Cage appears to sound a little theatrical urban. The animation is brilliant. I especially like how the aunt 'colonization' was created with vibrant colours and attention to detail. Watch out for some cute shorts of the ants. All in all, this is a cute film to enjoy with the family.
9 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Don't Step on It., 30 September 2006
Author: tfrizzell from United States
Elements from several recent computer-generated pictures are truly evident in this animated feature that focuses on a young boy who takes his frustrations out on defenseless ants after being bullied himself by his peers. After he magically gets turned to the size of an ant, the youngster learns how the other half lives and survives. Under-rated picture that has good messages for the kiddies and will keep them occupied on rainy afternoons. A bit slow-moving and old hat for hardened adults, but still more upside nonetheless. Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage are the two biggest names in a strong cast that lends their voices to their cartoonish alter egos. 4 stars out of 5.
11 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-

Ant theme should be retired., 27 November 2006
Author: aisa_etinu from US
I love CG and am not tired of it yet. To me, the medium of the story is not as important as the quality of the plot, and in The Ant Bully, the story was just too overdone to be satisfying. The graphics and sounds were nice, and it's a shame they were not paired with a more unique storyline.
Pros: The voices were expressive, and there's a different take on ants in this movie than in the previous ones. These follow the laws of nature in some respects but don't in others, so their world may not be as familiar or believable to viewers as those in A Bug's Life or Antz might have been. The CG is great, with nice details where they're needed, and there are different species of wildlife involved. Now if they could just move on to a new subject. No one's done a big CG movie about cockroaches yet...
Cons: The message of the movie is pushed a bit too hard. In many ways, it's exactly the same message as the one in the previous two ant movies. Ant Bully might be pretty interesting for anyone who hasn't already seen A Bug's Life and Antz, but you'll probably still yawn a little and say the magician ant's catch-phrase along with him when it's repeated for the third time.
11 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-

Great animation, 2 August 2006
Author: billsanders from United States
I thought the animation was excellent. The story was apropos for the intended audience--mostly families. I'm not sure why there are comments from other viewers complaining about hidden meanings--as best as I can tell, that says more about the viewer than it does about the movie. Ants behaved in the movie like we imagine ants to behave when personified. It is unreasonable to attach any hidden meaning to it. The message was simple and straightforward. It is your basic good vs. evil, little guy vs. bully. It is a great family film. I recommend it for any child, and any adult who wants to forget about life for a while and think like a child.
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