Bug's Life, A

Dallas Observer Michael Sragow

Lasseter and Stanton and the rest of the animators and gagsmiths use the computer with staggering imaginative freedom.

Newsweek Jeff Giles

All-embracing--funny and silly and tender, full of fun scares and endless sight gags.

Salon.com Janelle Brown

It's impossible not to be utterly blown away by Pixar's animation.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack

One of the great movies -- a triumph of storytelling and character development, and a whole new ballgame for computer animation. Pixar Animation Studios has raised the genre to an astonishing new level.

Time Richard Corliss

At the end, the movie tops itself with comic outtakes, undoubtedly the funniest finale of any cartoon feature. “Antz” may have amused viewers with its sidewise wit, but as a comprehensive vision of computerized moviemaking, Pixar's dream works. And when A Bug's Life hits its stride, it's antastic.

Film Threat Ron Wells

This is a family film. There's a great deal of wackiness.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

What A Bug's Life demonstrates is that when it comes to bugs, the most fun ones to hang out with hang exclusively with the gang at Pixar.

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

Makes jaunty, imaginative use of both extraordinary technology and bold storytelling possibilities within the insect world.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Smashing family entertainment: The whole thing is quick-witted, fast-paced, and loaded with clever sight gags and colorful, engaging supporting characters.

Village Voice Amy Taubin

There are big crowd scenes, intimate close-ups, and lots of bug’s-eye point-of-view shots. Call me gullible: I believed every second of it.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Full of adventure, spectacle, light romance, and the kind of suspense that doesn't require an unpredictable outcome to make your spine tingle.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

A Bug's Life, like “Toy Story,” develops protagonists we can root for, and places them in the midst of a fast-moving, energetic adventure.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The story, about an ant colony that frees itself from slavery to grasshoppers, is similar in some ways to the autumn's other big animated release, "Antz," but it's aimed at a broader audience and lacks the in-jokes.

Austin Chronicle Russell Smith

From the pure entertainment standpoint, ABL's nonstop action helps it avoid the slack moments that marred “Antz”. The dialogue, kiddie-accessible though it is, is plenty intelligent for adult enjoyment.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The story is amusing and the animation is first-rate, but there's less sparkling originality than in "Toy Story."

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

So obsessed with wowing you, in every corner of every frame, that as a movie it doesn't quite breathe.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

In a movie about an ant colony, perhaps it's futile to complain about a superfluity of characters. Yet this need to cover every permutation of cuteness is one major drawback to the cast of A Bug's Life.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Entertaining in a very showbizzy way.

TV Guide Sandra Contreras

The saucy repartee will amuse adults, while the climactic showdowns -- yes, there are more than one -- are gripping entertainment for the whole family.

The New Yorker David Denby

O.K. for children.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

Clever as it is, the film lacks charm. One problem: too many bugs. Second, bigger world for two purposes: to feed birds and to irk humans.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

It's an infusion of zip that's sorely needed, because the chief deficiency of A Bug's Life so far is its blandness….The film's other weakness is the low-octane vocal performances of its leading cast.

LA Weekly Manohla Dargis

The most pleasure to be had from this high-tech bore is to compare the Disney world-view evidenced here (the triumph of collectivism) with that of DreamWorks’ own creepy-crawler animation, “Antz” (the triumph of individualism).