A bugs life, the next animation created in 1998; directed and written by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton.
Famous voices include Kevin Spacey, Dave Foley and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney it is based on Akira Kurosawa’s film Seven Samurai and Aesops fable, The ant and the grasshopper.
The film tells the tale of a misfit ant, looking for ‘warriors’ to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers.
Flik, our entrepreneur inventor, is unappreciated by his colony and when he accidentally knocks the food they’ve collected for the grasshoppers, both the colony and the grasshoppers get mad. The grasshoppers under the leadership of Hopper (Spacey) give the colony until the end of the season to collect double the food {time usually spent gathering up their own store} The colony ‘agree’ to Fliks plan to search for warriors to help them fight the grasshoppers, just so they’ve peace to work!!
Flick sets off on his own adventure to Insect City [New York] to find his warriors and that he does 😀 tho unbeknown to Flik, they are in fact a troupe of unemployed circus performers; they in turn mistake him for a talent scout, so gladly offer their services.
As with all mistakes, the truth does come out. Flik turns from returning hero to outcast, the ‘warriors’ become actors and Princess Atta is sadly disappointed……. and there’s still not enough grain for Hoppers return!!!!
Cue Fliks most amazing invention yet…….a model bird to scare Hopper and the grasshoppers. This plan is nearly successful, except for the mis-timed ‘help’ from the troupes leader P.T.Flea who thinks they are all being attacked by a real bird and sets the false bird on fire…….cue mayhem and the best rainstorm ever 😀
Hopper grabs Flik and flies off to show the colony he means business, princess Atta comes to the rescue and they lead Hopper into a trap and quite a sticky ending…..
The colony are saved, Atta becomes queen, Flik’s inventions become universal in collecting grain and he and Atta fall in love……Alls well that ends well as they say, even in a bugs life 😀
favourite quote:
HOPPER: It’s a bug eat bug world out there, princess. One of those circle of life kind of things. Now let me tell you how things are supposed to work. The sun grows the food, the ants pick the food, the grasshoppers eat the food…..
MOLT: And the birds eat the grasshopper. Hey like the one that nearly ate you, you remember? you remem- oh you shoulda seen it, okay?
HOPPER: Molt!!
MOLT: This blue jay had him halfway down his throat, okay? And Hopper ‘Hoppers kicking and screaming, okay? And I’m scared, okay? I’m not going anywhere near, okay?-Aw come on! It’s a great story.
[hopper grabs Molt by the antennae]
MOLT: Ow Ow OW
So check out pixars 3rd movie….. fun for adults and children alike. Highly recommended. A Bugs Life.
