Antz (1998)
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An anxious worker ant must find his inner strength to save his colony from a ruthless military leader.
The story
In a Central Park anthill, neurotic 16-year-old worker ant Z suffers from an existential crisis while the colony's princess, Bala, seeks to escape her royal life. The two meet in a worker bar where Z hears of the legendary 'Insectopia.' When the ambitious and arrogant General Mandible attempts to seize control of the colony by declaring war on a nearby termite colony, Z must navigate the dangers of the battlefield and the complexities of his own identity. After a series of events leads him to flee the anthill with Bala, Z must find his purpose while facing the consequences of his actions in a world that values conformity above all else.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a Central Park anthill, neurotic worker ant Z suffers an existential crisis while Princess Bala seeks to escape her royal life. They meet in a worker bar where Z hears of 'Insectopia.' Meanwhile, General Mandible declares war on termites to stage a coup. Z convinces his friend Weaver to swap places with him for a royal inspection. Z is sent to battle, where he is the sole survivor of a slaughter. He is hailed as a hero but is arrested by Mandible after he and Bala flee the anthill together. As they search for Insectopia, Z's actions inspire other workers, leading Mandible to brand him a criminal. They eventually discover Mandible's plan to flood the colony and kill the Queen. During a final confrontation as the tunnels flood, Z and Bala unite the workers to build a ladder to the surface. Cutter, Mandible's advisor, betrays the general. Z and Mandible fall into the water; Mandible dies, and Z is rescued and resuscitated by Bala. Z is hailed as a hero, and the couple finds contentment in a colony no longer ruled by Mandible's strict rules.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 83
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Eric Darnell; Tim Johnson
- Writers
- Todd Alcott · screenplay; Chris Weitz · screenplay; Paul Weitz · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Woody Allen · Z; Gene Hackman · General Mandible; Sharon Stone · Princess Bala; Sylvester Stallone · Corporal Weaver; Christopher Walken · Colonel Cutter; Anne Bancroft · the Queen Ant; Jennifer Lopez · Azteca; Danny Glover · Staff Sergeant Barbatus; Dan Aykroyd · Chip; Jane Curtin · Muffin "Muffy"
- Genres
- animated; comedy; adventure
- Themes
- individuality vs. conformity; identity; leadership
- Tone and mood
- satirical; serious; humorous
- Setting
- A Central Park anthill and the surrounding urban environment.
- Premise and plot tags
- anthropomorphic; social commentary; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Army Ants
- Content notes
- violence; sexual innuendo
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics who praised the voice cast, animation, humor, and its appeal to adults, though it was commercially overshadowed by A Bug's Life.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 91; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 26
- Production trivia
- The film was the first feature-length CGI-animated film to be available on DVD.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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