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Movies / On DVD / The Ant Bully
The Ant Bully

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The Ant Bully (2006)

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Reviews Counted:111

Fresh:70

Rotten:41

Average Rating:6.2/10

Consensus: Sometimes inventive and witty, this animated adventure into an ant-sized world is a pleasant diversion.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some mild rude humor and action

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:Jul 28, 2006 Wide

Box Office: $28,133,159

Synopsis: A young boy learns the importance of teamwork and gains self-confidence in this animated feature written and directed by John A. Davis (JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS), and based on the book by John... A young boy learns the importance of teamwork and gains self-confidence in this animated feature written and directed by John A. Davis (JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS), and based on the book by John Nickle. Misfit Lucas (Zach Taylor Eisen) doesn't have any friends and suffers daily at the hands of the neighborhood bully. Lucas's mother (Cheri Oterie) might call her 10-year-old "Peanut," but to the ants inhabiting the colony in his front yard, Lucas is "the Destroyer." Lonely and frustrated by his small stature, Lucas repeatedly takes his aggressions out on the colony, leaving the ants running for their lives. Tired of the unprovoked attacks, Zok (Nicolas Cage), an ant wizard, devises a potion that will shrink the Destroyer down to their size so that he can stand trial for his actions. Soon, Lucas is ant-sized and sentenced to live among the ants where he has to learn their ways in order to earn his freedom. Zok's ever cheerful girlfriend, Hova (Julia Roberts), becomes Lucas's mentor, teaching him the ways of the ant world and helping him gain a whole new perspective. He begins to understand the meaning of teamwork and how working with others can help an individual accomplish great things. He also learns that danger lurks everywhere for an ant: killer wasps, hungry frogs, even sunlight reflected off a mirror can mean certain death. Even worse, before being shrunk, Lucas was tricked into signing a contract with a slimy exterminator, Stan Beals (Paul Giamatti), who will soon be returning to destroy the colony unless Lucas can find a way to stop him. An amusing, smart script and likeable characters are hallmarks of this pleasant romp through a secret underground world. Meryl Streep voices the ant Queen, while Lily Tomlin is Mommo, Lucas's grandmother, and Ricardo Montalban is the Head of the Ant Council. [More]

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Bruce Campbell, Paul Giamatti, Allison Mack

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Bruce Campbell, Paul Giamatti, Allison Mack, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri

Director: John A. Davis

Director: John A. Davis
Producer: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, John A. Davis
Composer: John Debney
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Release:

Oct 2, 2007

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Reviews for The Ant Bully

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1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
08/12/06
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
09/29/06
Sydney Morning Herald
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Tom Meek
Tom Meek
Boston Phoenix

The Ant Bully, the latest computer-animated plea for interspecies understanding, provides a few moments of inventiveness and wit.

comment Comment
07/27/06
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With Monster House already being presented in 3-D at theaters worldwide, there isn't a single reason to recommend The Ant Bully.

Full Review Source: Juicy Cerebellum | comment Comment
07/27/06
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

Kiddie-friendly toilet humour, a whiff of suspense and familiar voice actors make it passably entertaining, but there’s little warmth or emotional satisfaction to be had from its cynical characters.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
08/12/06
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Time Out

The Ant Bully, in trying to match Antz or A Bug's Life, just digs itself into a big hole.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
07/27/06
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Brian Marder
Brian Marder
Hollywood.com

Isn't clever or inventive enough to make up for its repetitive and lackluster storytelling.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

If your kids bully you into seeing this movie, do yourself a favor and check it out in 3D. The movie gets extra points when seen through those glasses.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
07/28/06
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

The Ant Bully is never less than colorful and high-energy. But it's hard to shake the feeling that we've all gone up this hill before.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
07/26/06
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Ant Bully has enough poop jokes and dopey inspirational moments to win over young children for a while, but it does nothing to set itself apart.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/27/06
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

It all seems very workaday.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
08/12/06
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Pleasant, but not dynamic, it's old-fashioned feel and narrative deficiencies bound to leave most audiences cold.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
07/27/06
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

If you see [it] in IMAX-3D, the sheer visual extravagance may make up for its storytelling defects and acute lack of charm. Otherwise, you'll reach for the insecticide.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
07/27/06
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

The Ant Bully is a sore disappointment to anyone hoping for a turnaround to the recent downward quality spiral of animated films. In fact, this movie may represent a new nadir for 3D animation.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
07/26/06
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The whole thing is so mean-spirited, cruel and crude that all the funny jokes in the world couldn't make up for it.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
07/28/06
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

If we have to use insects to teach the value of cooperation, how about switching to bees for a change?

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
07/27/06
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

The film's heavyhanded lessons turn it from a fun romp through a cartoonish insect world to a predictable and preachy snoozefest.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
07/27/06
Jeffrey E. McCants
Jeffrey E. McCants
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Bruce Campbell provides a hint of carefree wiggle room when the rest of the production is controlled to within an inch of its life.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
07/28/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
 
 
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