# Bug's Life, A (1998)

### reviewed by
Bob Bloom

     A Bug's Life (1998) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Featuring voices of Dave Foley,
    Kevin Spacey and David Hyde Pierce.

Seeing A Bug's Life, to paraphrase the great Yogi Berra, won't be déjà vu all over again.

Sure, like Antz, it's a computer-animated feature about bugs. But that is where the similarity ends.

For while Antz was a story about striving to be an individual in a society built on conformity, A Bug's Life is a story about learning self-reliance, self-confidence and self-worth.

This production from Pixar, the same people who brought you the enjoyable Toy Story, is a '90s adaptation of the old Aesop fable about the grasshopper and the ants.

In this case, the grasshopper isn't lazy, he's a big, mean bully who heads a gang of good-for-nothing hoppers who force a colony of ants to work all summer to gather food for them.

Eventually one ant, a dreamer named Flik, rebels, and hits upon the idea of getting bigger bugs to protect the colony from the snarly grasshoppers. Of course Flik, who is also somewhat of a bungler, hires a company of circus bugs whom he mistakes for warrior bugs.

However, everything works out fine. Flik redeems himself, the ants learn self-respect, the circus bugs learn self-worth and the grasshoppers get their just desserts.

Whereas Antz offered so many easily recognizable voices - Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman, Danny Glover and, principally, Woody Allen - A Bug's Life works as more of an ensemble piece. As good and as witty as Antz was, at times it felt like an animated Woody Allen movie.

No such problem with A Bug's Life. Featuring the vocal talents of, among others, Dave Foley (TV's NewsRadio), Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, Frasier's David Hyde Pierce and, most charmingly, original Lost in Space icon Jonathan Harris, the audience is freer to concentrate more on the story than play the "who's voice is that?" guessing game.

The computer-generated animation is superb, bringing the bugs' world to life. The colors are vivid, the characters are distinctive.

Adding to the pleasure is a wonderful Randy Newman score, one of this solid composer's best.

A Bug's Life is witty, warm and charming - perfect holiday fare for the entire family. Just because you've seen Antz, don't pass up A Bug's Life. After seeing it, you may decide insects aren't so ikky after all.

Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at cbloom@iquest.net

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