Watch Antz

Antz is an animated adventure comedy-drama film from 1998, directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson. It boasts a stellar voice cast, including Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Bancroft, Christopher Walken, and Jennifer Lopez, among others. The movie takes place in an ant colony, where every ant has an assigned role, and conformity is highly valued. However, one ant named Z (Woody Allen) feels like he doesn't fit in and desires to live his own life instead of following the strict rules.

Z is a neurotic worker ant who dreams of a better existence outside of the colony. His best friend is an army ant named Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), who constantly reminds Z of his duty as a citizen of the colony. One day, Z meets a beautiful and rebellious princess named Bala (Sharon Stone). Bala is being pressured to marry her soldier fiance, General Mandible (Gene Hackman), but she is not interested in him. She and Z start to develop a romantic relationship, which fuels Z's desire to break free from the colony.

Meanwhile, General Mandible has a sinister plan to get rid of the weak and useless worker ants and create a utopian colony with only the strongest ants. He orders the soldiers to go to an anthill beyond the colony to gather termites as allies in his war against the weak. However, this mission is just a cover for his real intention, which is to flood the colony and drown all the worker ants, under the guise of getting rid of the termites.

Z, disillusioned with his life in the colony, decides to infiltrate the army and join the mission. He hopes to impress Bala and make a difference. Along the way, he meets an outcast bug named Barbatus (Danny Glover) who introduces him to the Insectopia, a land of freedom, where insects live as they please. Z realizes that there is so much more to life than the rigid hierarchy of his colony, and he hopes to convince other ants to break free as well.

The movie has a lot of smart humor that appeals to children and adults alike. It satirizes conformity, bureaucracy, and dictatorship, and encourages individuality and freedom of choice. Woody Allen brings his trademark sarcasm to his role as Z, and his witty one-liners are sure to make viewers chuckle. Sharon Stone, as Bala, adds a touch of sassiness to her character, and Gene Hackman, as General Mandible, provides a menacing voice that perfectly fits his role as the villain.

The animation is impressive, considering the film was released over 20 years ago. The ants are very detailed and look almost lifelike, with their tiny movements and expressions. The backgrounds of the colony and the surrounding gardens are also beautifully rendered, with vibrant colors and intricate details.

Overall, Antz is a delightful and entertaining movie that combines adventure, comedy, and drama in a way that appeals to all ages. Its subtle message of individuality and breaking free from the constraints of society is timeless and resonates with viewers even today. The voice cast and animation are exceptional, making Antz a must-see movie for all animated film lovers.

Antz is a 1998 kids & family movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 72.