Antz (1998)

Directors:

Eric Darnell
Tim Johnson

Writers:

Todd Alcott (writer) &
Chris Weitz (writer) ...

Release Date:

2 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Every ant has his day.

Plot:

A rather neurotic ant tries to break from his totalitarian society while trying to win the affection of the princess he loves.

Plot Keywords:

Ant | Princess | Worker | Individuality | Love

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Z (voice)
Dan Aykroyd	...	Chip (voice)
Anne Bancroft	...	Queen (voice)
Jane Curtin	...	Muffy (voice)
Danny Glover	...	Barbatus (voice)
Gene Hackman	...	General Mandible (voice)
Jennifer Lopez	...	Azteca (voice)
John Mahoney	...	Grebs / Drunk Scout / Additional Voices (voice)
Paul Mazursky	...	Psychologist (voice)
Grant Shaud	...	Foreman (voice)
Sylvester Stallone	...	Weaver (voice)
Sharon Stone	...	Princess Bala (voice)
Christopher Walken	...	Colonel Cutter (voice)
Jim Cummings	...	Additional Voices (voice)
April Winchell	...	Additional Voices (voice)

Also Known As:

Ants (USA) (working title)
Fourmiz (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Antz (Austria) (Germany) [de]
'Z' la formica (Italy) [it]
Ants Work (Israel: English title) [en]
Antz (Denmark) [da]
Antz (Greece) [el]
Antz (Argentina) [es]
Antz - Was krabbelt da? (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Avodut Nemalim (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Chianchvelebi (Georgia) [ka]
Formiga Z (Portugal) [pt]
Formigaz (Brazil) [pt]
Formiguinhaz (Brazil) [pt]
Furnicutze (Romania) [ro]
Hormigaz (Spain) [es]
Hormiguitaz (Venezuela) [es]
Karinca Z (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Mravec Z (Slovakia) [sk]
Mravenec Z (Czech Republic) [cs]
Mravljinec Z (Slovenia) [sl]
Mrowka Z (Poland) [pl]
Muurahaizet (Finland) [fi]
Z, a hangya (Hungary) [hu]

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language and menacing action.

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Norway:7 | Canada:G (Alberta/Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Iceland:L | Ireland:PG | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #36210)

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally offered the part of Weaver. When Schwarzenegger wanted to be paid for the role, it went to Sylvester Stallone who was willing to do it for free.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In real life, the situation between ants and termites is reversed from their roles in the movie. Ants prey on termites, which are much smaller - and ants are the ones who secrete acid to kill them.

Quotes:

Z: There you have it: your average boy-meets-girl, boy-likes-girl, boy-changes-the-underlying-social-order story.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 17 sta 18 (2000)

Soundtrack:

Give Peace a Chance

so lifelike, so didactic

It's probably the first time Woody Allen is so much like himself when he isn't at all. Ant Z, a neurotic, fatalistic, depressive, sorry ant with a record low level of self-esteem transforms into a (part-time) content, revolutionary hero of his utterly totalitarian and fascistic colony ever imaginable. Apart from the incredibly precise animation and "logical" fantasy, one feels a bit distracted with the subliminal messages the picture tries to impose. While it would be easy to reduce the moral to the frequently recited motto: "think for yourself once!", there are too many of them to ignore. This definitely is not a kid's flick, it is meant for and appreciated by adults, with many philosophical, psychological and social references and conflicts. One big "bravo!" to Dreamworks. I think they have achieved the point where adults can actually enjoy animation movies while believing the whole stuff. These insects are surely going to bite some Disney bugs.