Big Laughs, Big Stars
Antz Stands Out in the Crowd

When I first saw the previews for Antz, I thought the ant in the preview was doing a pretty good impression of Woody Allen. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Allen really provides the voice for Z, the neurotic anonymous ant who is unable to come to terms with his lowly position in the colony.

In Antz, a lowly worker ant (Allen) begins to question his role in the colony. Despite therapy, he can't seem to fit in. He always wants to march to his own drummer, and for an ant in a colony that just isn't allowed.

Along the way, he meets Princess Bala (Sharon Stone) and falls in love. He changes places with his best friend, a soldier ant named Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), and gets involved in a giant war against termites. Despite the massacre, Z comes home a hero, much to the disgust of General Mandible (Gene Hackman) and his aide Colonel Cutter (Christopher Walken).

While the story of Antz could easily be dismissed as a light-hearted animated comedy, there are moments which could be allegories of America. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to see Z's participation in the termite massacre as a parallel to the Vietnam war. As the ants rally around their new freedom, inspired by Z's decision to be a soldier, they begin singing John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance." A glimpse of the '60s counter-culture? Of course, there are much less subtle mirrors of our world, as when the ants begin their revolt and one (obviously the insect equivalent of Karl Marx) yells, "The workers control the means of production!"

Although the computer rendered images in Antz have been the subject of the majority of the hype, there is a wealth of top-notch actors starring in this animated comedy. Each star seems perfectly cast for their role, from Weaver (Stallone), to the power-hungry General Mandible (Hackman), each voice is a treat and nearly worth the price of admission alone.

The most delightful casting choice, in my opinion, is Walken as Colonel Cutter, a flying ant. To hear Walken's trademark tones rise and fall with a seemingly indifferent quality, gives to Cutter a deep interesting character. As odd as it may be, this is one of my favorite performances by the quirky actor.

There are some wonderful lessons in Antz, as well. It encourages individuality and free-thinking, but also shows the rewards of teamwork. It teaches that dreams are obtainable, and sometimes the biggest difference between a good life and a bad one is being given the choice to decide.

MY RATING: 6 out of 10.

RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 77 min.