A Bug's Life (1998)

A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers, recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.

Directors:

John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton (co-director)

Writers:

John Lasseter (original story by), Andrew Stanton (original story by)

Stars:

Kevin Spacey, Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dave Foley	...	Flik (voice)
Kevin Spacey	...	Hopper (voice)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Atta (voice)
Hayden Panettiere	...	Dot (voice)
Phyllis Diller	...	Queen (voice)
Richard Kind	...	Molt (voice)
David Hyde Pierce	...	Slim (voice)
Joe Ranft	...	Heimlich (voice)
Denis Leary	...	Francis (voice)
Jonathan Harris	...	Manny (voice)
Madeline Kahn	...	Gypsy Moth (voice)
Bonnie Hunt	...	Rosie (voice)
Michael McShane	...	Tuck / Roll (voice)
John Ratzenberger	...	P.T. Flea (voice)
Brad Garrett	...	Dim (voice)

Storyline

At an annual pace, a huge colony of ants is forced to collect every piece of food that grows on their island for a group of menacing grasshoppers. But that all changes when a misfit inventor ant named Flik accidentally knocks over the offering pile thus forcing the grasshoppers' devious leader Hopper to force the ants to redo their gathering of food. Despite the fact that his friends don't believe him and desperate to help save the colony, Flik volunteers to go out into the world and search for a group of 'warrior' bugs. Instead, what he got was a talented group of circus performers. But when the grasshoppers return and take control of the island, Flik must prove himself a true hero before it's too late.

---

Plot Keywords:

traveller | texas mexico border | ant | grasshopper | circus | 

---

Taglines:

An epic of miniature proportions.

---

Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bugs

Filming Locations:

Pixar Animation Studios - 1200 Park Avenue, Emeryville, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$120,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$291,121, 22 November 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$162,798,565

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$363,398,565

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (Digital DTS Sound) Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alex Rocco (Thorny) and David Hyde Pierce (Slim) both had roles as Minor Recurring Characters in the Fox Animated Sitcom The Simpsons (1989). Rocco voiced Roger Meyers Jr., and Pierce voiced Cecil Tewiligger.

---

Goofs

The insects other than the flies don't have arthropod eyes which insects have in reality.

---

Quotes

Slim: [whispers] Francis, your boyfriends from the circus are here!

---

Crazy Credits

During the credits, there are some faked "goofs" during filming such as characters bursting out laughing, accidentally knocking over the camera, etc. One particular highlight is Flik yelling "To infinity, and beyond!"

---

Alternate Versions

"A Bug's Life" was released theatrically in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The full-screen version, found on the VHS & DVD, was digitally re-rendered shot by shot, moving characters and objects closer together where necessary, to reframe and fit them into the 1.33:1 TV screen, According to Pixar more than half the movie was recomputed after changes in the camera's field of view or movement.

---

Connections

Referenced in Animation Lookback: The Best of Stop Motion - Ray Harryhausen 1/2 (2014)

---

Soundtracks

La Cucaracha
(uncredited)
Lyrics by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi
Sung by the grasshoppers

User Reviews

Wow.

There is great detail in A Bug's Life. Everything is covered. The film looks great and the animation is sometimes jaw-dropping. The film isn't too terribly orignal, it's basically a modern take on Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, only with bugs. I enjoyed the character interaction however and the bad guys in this film actually seemed bad. It seems that Disney usually makes their bad guys carbon copy cut-outs. The grasshoppers are menacing and Hopper, the lead bad guy, was a brillant creation. Check this one out.