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.

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Plot Keywords:

ant | circus | anthropomorphic insect | grasshopper | queen | 

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Taglines:

An epic of miniature proportions.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

On top of a tin can, you can see a Pizza Planet cup as is seen in Toy Story (1995) that Woody was hiding in when he and Buzz were sneaking into Pizza Planet.

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Goofs

The sun is sufficiently far away that moving the outline of the bird a few feet higher in the air wouldn't appreciably alter the size of the shadow it casts.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ant #1: [gasps] No, no, no, Oh, no. Oh, no.
[a leaf falls in front of one of the worker ants in the food line]
Ant #1: I'm lost! Where's the line? It just went away. What do I do?
Ant #2: Help!
Ant: We'll be stuck here forever!
Mr. Soil: Do not panic, do not panic. We are trained professionals. Now, stay calm. We are going around the leaf.
Ant #1: Around the leaf? I-I-I don't think we can do that.
Mr. Soil: Oh, nonsense. This is nothing compared to the twig of '93.

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Crazy Credits

The film lists "production babies", which are the children born to the staff members of Pixar Animation Studios during the production of the project.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Cars (2006)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Great animation

A Bugs Life is a great film that is not just for kids but for adults too. The story is set around a colony of ants and their struggle against the evil Grasshoppers who come back every year and steal their food ( A Mirror of the Magnifiscent seven). There is some wonderfull computer animation and the voices are great too. You will love it!! 8 out of 10

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

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

Gross USA:

$162,798,565

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$363,258,859

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (Digital DTS Sound) Dolby Digital SDDS Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1