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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Bug's Life, A
Buena Vista Pictures / Walt Disney Pictures


8.2

based on 23 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: G for General Audiences

Starring Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Phyllis Diller, David Hyde Pierce, Denis Leary, Madeline Kahn, and Bonnie Hunt

The story of an ant named Flik who is searching for better ways to be a bug.

GENRE(S):	Animation \| Comedy \| Family/Kids
WRITTEN BY:	Andrew Stanton (also story) Don McEnery Bob Shaw John Lasseter (story) and Joe Ranft (story)
DIRECTED BY:	John Lasseter Andrew Stanton
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: May 27, 2003 Video: August 1, 2000 Theatrical: November 25, 1998
RUNNING TIME:	96 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Dallas Observer Michael Sragow

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

100

Newsweek Jeff Giles

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

100

Salon.com Janelle Brown

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

100

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.

100

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).

The average user rating for this movie is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jack B. gave it a10:
Excellent movie.

Sophie gave it a9:
I honestly don't get why this movie didn't get as good reviews as the other Pixars. In my opinion this is a fantastic movie. Maybe not as great as Toy Story, but definitely something worth watching again and again.

Nicholas D gave it a9:
Great.

Phillip T. gave it a2:
This film fales as a childrens strory and dissapoints adults as a sweet comedy. It comes together as a hardly descent picture with bad acting and an annoying plot.

Lord F. gave it a3:
a film nothing more than descent and somewhat annoying. forgettable and quite terrible at times

Kitty C. gave it a 10:
A highly imaginative and enjoyable movie which will entertain adults as well as children, with a charming cast of characters, a good plot and good gags.

Bug's Life, A Buena Vista Pictures / Walt Disney Pictures

Bug's Life, A
Buena Vista Pictures / Walt Disney Pictures