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by Disney and Pixar The sophomore slump is an unfortunate thing. It happens to everyone. A hot sports rookie will not meet his standard of excellence in a second season. A student tends to get lower grades in her second year. And while Pixar and Disney have teamed up to make a good movie, it doesn't beat Toy Story. The graphics are, in places, better. But mostly, this is due to an overabundance of lighting and shadow effects. There's light everywhere! I mean, it's true (in real life), that light is a major aspect of our ability to see. But in this film, they just show us ALL the lighting ALL the time. Heck, if it's my biggest flaw, then the film isn't bad. And it is my biggest flaw. The characters are cute, the adventure is fun, and they left enough out of the trailer for me to be somewhat surprised by developments in the story. The voices are enjoyable, ranging from Dave Foley as Flik, the reject ant who saves the day (oops, spoiled the ending) to Kevin Spacey as Hopper, the villainous grasshopper from the other side of the tracks, er, ditch. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the only member of the Seinfeld team who's resurfaced (as Anna, the princess ant), and to be honest, I didn't even recognize her voice. David Hyde Pierce, Madeline Kahn and John Ratzenberger add to the fun as a team of circus bugs trying to make a living the world of the performing arts. Hey, sounds familiar... The animation is really impressive, if you like that sort of thing. The story is thin, but there's enough going on to keep it fun. Not nearly as many inside jokes as Toy Story had, and there's no real nostalgia to A Bug's Life (which was, for me, a big part of my Toy Story admiration -- Speak 'n Spell!). The important thing is, if you go to the movie, stay for the credits. Did I say that clearly enough? STAY FOR THE CREDITS. These are hysterical.
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