Simple yet astonishing...

Alright, if you all really think this is not for youngsters, well that depends on what they think. I first saw this when I was 8 and this was the type of animated entertainment of action and violence I looked forward to. Besides, you have to find Antz sense of humor and language entertaining and the story is 83 minutes of amusingly menacing action!

Amongst the growing throng of cgi-driven animated films in recent years, this one slots in at the lower end of the entertainment scale. Now it ain't bad by any means, but in all but technical terms (and maybe the voice talent chosen) it is little better than average. The story is a little humdrum, the mood is rarely light and most the characters simply aren't that easy to warm to. It's certainly an amusing romp first time round, mainly to marvel at the admittedly brilliant graphics and animations, but (and here is where it differs the better cgi films) its overall quality seems to diminish with repeat viewings. The plot and script just don't allow any room for revelation. See it once and then forget about it.… Expand

Who knew? Woody Allen leading an ant regime to democracy? Interesting. Also shows how individualism can be beneficial to a community, and the value of choice in your life.

Antz is often compared to, or accused of ripping off another ant-based animation released in the same year. Yes, DreamWorks Animation came into existence when former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg left the House of Mouse to form his own studio, and he might have retained some of the ideas being batted around at Disney for his own use, but no matter who copied who, and who was in the right and wrong, the fact remains that Antz is a far superior film to A Bug's Life. The story is engaging, the characters are likeable (Woody Allen as the neurotic dreamer Z is perhaps the closest he will ever come to being endearing on screen) and the jokes are plentiful, inventive, and more importantly, funny. The animation is first-rate by the standards of 1998, and nearly 15 years on it is only just starting to look its age (the water effects, notably, no longer hold up). Despite some aspects of the animation looking dated, others still look great - the ant crowd scenes and the film's set pieces remain impressive, particularly the sequence where the soldier ants march to war against the termites. Despite the odd cosmetic wrinkle, Antz remains a hugely enjoyable film, with great vocal performances from Allen, Stone, Stallone, Hackman and Walken, great gags, a memorable soundtrack from John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams and some often beautiful visuals. Its also one of the most simply effective films about social class and identity ever made - what better allegory for an oppressive class system and a lack of individuality is there than an ant colony? Not only does it impress on its own terms as an animated film, but it paved the way for the likes of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, all among the best examples of animated filmmaking of the last decade. DreamWorks has been encroaching on Disney's success for a long time, and have occasionally managed to surpass their rivals, something which could never have occurred were it not for this groundbreaking little film about an ant who dreamed of standing out.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In 1995, the very first computer-animated film came out: Toy Story. It got universal acclaim, and was the highest-grossing film of the year. Worldwide. Then in 1998, there's this. In terms of style, Antz is a huge departure from Toy Story. There is an astounding amount of profanity for a CGI film, there's a lot of violence, and it is implied that one of the soilder ants r**** another ant (so says imdb). Toy Story is a fun film for the whole family. This is not. This idea is not original. A former Disney employee, during production of A Bug's Life, left and took the story with him. His name was Jeff Katzenburg. I think that's the guy who almost led Toy Story into ruins. See the Black Friday Reel of Toy Story. Then you'll know what I'm talking about . So the guy who I THINK almost made Toy Story a horrible film went to Dreamworks and created "Antz" a more violent, less family-friendly "A Bug's Life" with termites instead of grasshoppers. And I really think kids should not be hearing the swear words said in the movie , especially the b word. Well, at least the producers knew better then to put the f-bomb. There are good things about this movie. It made CGI water possible. And Woody Allen's in it. That's a good thing. And the ants look more realistic than they do in "A Bug's Life". There are several other good things about this movie, but I don't feel like saying them. This movie is uneven yet watchable. Luckily, Dreamworks redeemed itself in 2001, with the hilarious film called "Shrek".… Expand