Antz (1998)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

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 | Love | Individuality

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:

Woody Allen was offered accompaniment to sing "Almost Like Being In Love", but he refused, preferring to sing it a capella, and did so.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Z would have been in no immediate danger from the water. Ants can survive for days, even weeks, under water.

Quotes:

Azteca: [Azteca strikes him with dirt just as he's about to dig, trying to be "insignificant, but with attitude] Oh, sorry, Z. I didn't see you there.
Z: That's great, Azteca. It's working already. I'm so meaningless I'm invisible.
Azteca: [laughs] Now you're getting it. It's not about you. It's about us - the team - *this*.
[gestures at the whole of the conlony]
Z: Um... a giant hole in the ground?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Flushed Away (2006)

Soundtrack:

Almost Like Being in Love

A straightforward kid's movie? It ain'tz necessarily so...

Okay, so it's not War and Peace, but this film is about as dark and meaningful as you could want a big-budget comedy animation to be. The computer animation itself never ceases to be awe-inspiring and more than compensates for the plot holes - I personally did like the style of the characters themselves, although others have disagreed. The casting is perfect, and Woody Allen as Z-4195 the neurotic worker ant complete with impeccable one-liners is at times hilarious. Although the plot falls into predictability, the communist metaphors combined with the basic boy-meets-girl-above-his-station story make this highly enjoyable, and all you could want as a 3D animation suitable for adults. A strong opening blow in the Disney-Dreamworks rivalry swordfight.