Yeah... It's strange for me to say this too. I was ready to poopoo the whole thing, press the "B" button on my XBox360 universal remote, and be done with it but right off the bat the film threw me for a loop and got my attention. The first couple of logos that came up before the movie were pretty strange in my book. Legendary Pictures and PlayTone, Tom Hanks's production company? What on earth? Did I just drink some cool aid I shouldn't have? But it's true. I guess "The Ant Bully", an animated film produced by DNA Productions, the people who brought you Jimmy Neutron, was financed by Legendary Pictures and Play Tone, two companies no one would really connect with children's entertainment let alone animated films. Well, don't let the fact that the people who created Jimmy Neutron handled the production of this animated piece turn you off from watching it. The production value seen in "The Ant Bully" is far superior to anything you might see in Jimmy Neutron. "The Ant Bully" looks and feels like a honest to goodness CG animated film, almost if not right on par with those two bigger companies who are dominating the market place right now. (Come on. You know who they are. Don't make me say their names!)
The story, albeit sorta plain, was... good for what it was, an animated film intended for children. I mean, if I had to nitpick at stuff there were probably too many characters who could have been rolled in to one and would have resulted in more drama between fewer number of central characters but on the whole it wasn't too bad. The movie has many cool moments sprinkled through out. I wouldn't want to give away anything but there is this moment right after the main character is shrunken down to the size of an ant and needs to learn how to be an ant which I thought was quite charming. (It involves a bunch of "young ants" learning to work together.) And then there is this scene where the heroes use these flower petals to para-glide across the living room thanks to these fans and they fly across... Well, you have to see what they did for yourself. Very clever I thought. I also found it interesting that certain characters who are set up as antagonists in the middle of the movie ends up needing to team up with the main characters in order to defeat an even greater "evil" at the end of the movie. Pretty sophisticated story telling stuff for children's fare, definitely something you would not see in product from those "other companies". Quite surprising indeed.
All in all, it had some good "lessons" for kids without being so on the nose. Heck, if I had kids I would definitely make my kids watch it. I think it even crosses the quality threshold where I may even buy it on DVD, and that's a lot coming from me, mister rent everything if I don't have to buy it. Then again, the idea of being able to stream it when ever my kids, if I had some, wanted to watch it appeals to me as well since who ever made this should be gettin' paid for the fine work they did every time I watched it.
Now, don't get me wrong. The movie does have some problems. But in the end there is a certain charm about the whole thing which won me over. If you've got kids and they've worn out every DVD you've bought them of animated movies the "you know who"'s have put out, give this one a try. I think you may find that animated movies don't necessarily have to be from "those people" in order to be good. A definite thumbs up from me. It's really too bad I doubt the people who put this movie together will get another chance to put out something like this again. I think given the chance they really could have made some rather good stuff. Oh, well.
Here is the link:
Enjoy! I did! :D
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