1998 Seven Samurai remakeRating: 16/20 (Abbey: 19/20)
Plot: Mean grasshoppers threaten a colony of ants after clumsy Flik dumps the food they collected to keep the bullies happy. The lead grasshopper, the cleverly-named Hopper, doubles the order and gives the ants until the last leaf falls to collect. Flik is sent away to find some warrior bugs, but he brings back circus bugs instead. Together, they come up with a plan to rid themselves of their grasshopper enemies.
I love the nod to Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven here although if you count the inarticulate Tuck and Roll, you've actually got nine bugs that come to help the ants. This movie has a little trouble getting started since few of the ants really have any character. The exception would be the protagonist voiced by Kid in the Hall Dave Foley, but even Flik has to grow on you a little bit. Once Flik gets to the big city, the story, as well as the animation and the action, picks up. The circus bugs and P.T. Flea (The Empire Strikes Back's John Ratzenberger, Pixar regular) give the film funk and flavor, and as soon as they're introduced, the puns, some of them very bad, start flying so rapidly that you'll wish you had a fly swatter. There are three terrific action sequences in this although the climactic battle scene that takes place at night might be a little too intense. A Bug's Life is a funny movie, but, uncharacteristically for Pixar movies, a few of the jokes are a little on the cheap side. Still, A Bug's Life is stuffed with creative ideas, fun characters (Kevin Spacey's Hopper is a great villain), lively Randy Newman (of "Short People" fame) music, and terrific animation. I also really appreciate the messages behind the cute little bug story. There are lessons about noncomformity, the power of the imagination, facing up to bullies, and reaching goals despite your size. I'll always have enough of a sweet spot for Toy Story to love it a little more than this one, but it's hard to watch this and not think of it as a step up for Pixar.
4 comments:
I always liked A Bugs Life.......its an average to slightly above average Pixar movie. Hmmmm..that sounds like a reason to list all the Pixar movies in order of my personal preference for them. Lucky, lucky you.
1-The Incredibles
2-Toy Story
3-Toy Story 2
4-Finding Nemo
5-A Bugs Life
6-Ratatouille
7-Monsters Inc
8-Up
9-Wall-E
10-Cars
There is a decent gap for me between 7 and 8.........I really did not enjoy the bottom three films enough to ever want to watch them again. They were, of course, okay, but for me they all 3 rang pretty hollow.
Surprise, surprise. We don't agree on this...my list would look like this:
1) Finding Nemo
2) Ratatouille
3-4) Toy Story/Up
5) A Bug's Life
6-7) The Incredibles/Toy Story 2
8) Wall-E
9) Monsters Inc.
10) Cars
I wouldn't write that in pen though. And as I've said, the first half of Wall-E would be right up there with my top 3. The second half is terrible. The top 7 would all get 16's from me though. And I think I might have given Wall-E a 16 on this blog, but I've only watched it once and really wanted to forget that second half. It's probably more like a 14. Monsters Inc. is a weird one for me. I just don't like its look, but the ending makes me cry like a woman. The only Pixar movie I wouldn't mind falling off the face of the earth never to be heard from again is Cars. And they're making a freakin' sequel! Speaking of sequels, I'm more than a little worried about Toy Story 3.
Actually, looking at that list again, I'm not confident in the placement of any of them but Cars. I probably shouldn't even hit the "Publish Your Comment" button.
We did a tier thing once on these.
1. Toy Story -20 revolutionary, great buddy film, funny and exciting, almost perfect, blew me away when I saw it
2. The Incredibles -19 should add this near the top of superhero movies we were talking about, love it
3. Finding Nemo -18 great original story, terrific voice-work and animation, lots of heart
4. A Bug's Life -18 balance between characters and action, exciting and sweet, great bad guy gets what he deserves
2nd tier
5. Toy Story 2 -17 Jesse annoys and The Prospector is a very unpleasant bag guy, slightly tired follow-up to original, love Zurg and the 3-eyed aliens
6. Ratatoullie -17 love Ego, solid, very original
3rd tier
7. Wall-E -16 great 1st half, very flawed action second half, tries to be too many things
8. Up -16 see above, second verse same as the first
4th tier
9. Cars -15 characters grate (not great) but animation of races is freakin' awesome, like it more than you guys, it seems
10. Monsters Inc. -15 incredibly gentle, sweet ending at odds with what is often a vicious children's film, door-chase scene goes on FOREVER, still lots of good moments though
'Toy Story' is so far from perfect that it's not even funny. That came out when Dylan was 2-ish, and I watched it about fifteen thousand times. There are so many continuity errors in that thing. Andy's bedroom has a window on each wall at some point in that movie. It's easy to see that Pixar was just cuttin' teeth when they made 'Toy Story'...don't get me wrong. It's revolutionary, a great buddy film, funny and exciting just like you say. It's really flawed though.
We're not far off though, Cory. I don't like 'The Incredibles' as much as everybody I've talked to about it. I really don't think the characters are all that interesting. And we don't really need to mention 'Up' ever again. I also think I'd put 'Ratatouille' at the tip-top of the list if you asked me on the right day. In fact, let me revise my list:
1a) Nemo
1b) Rat
2) Up
3) Toy 1
4) Bug
5) Incredibles
6) Toy 2
7) Wall-E
8) Monsters
14) Cars
'Wall-E' is the only one I haven't seen more than once. It's incredible first half almost puts it ahead of 'Toy Story 2' for me.
I do like all of these movies, including 'Cars,' more than I like 'Shrek'...and all of them except for 'Cars' better than 'Beauty and the Beast'. No, I'm not trying to start a fight.
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