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No consensus yet.
All Critics (34) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (3)
What an original and distinctive film this is. Jun 30, 2011 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
What an original and distinctive film this is.
Peter Bradshaw
No, not a Toho creature feature, but a diverting, slightly meandering, mini- DV-shot documentary on the Japanese love for insects. Jun 28, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
No, not a Toho creature feature, but a diverting, slightly meandering, mini- DV-shot documentary on the Japanese love for insects.
Wally Hammond
An oddball documentary that strives to capture the essence of an entire culture through one preoccupation: insects. Jul 16, 2010 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…
An oddball documentary that strives to capture the essence of an entire culture through one preoccupation: insects.
Tom Long
Beetle Queen does a wonderful job of showing the connection between things like Zen gardens, bonsai trees and the love of watching insects move in a small habitat. Jul 8, 2010 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Beetle Queen does a wonderful job of showing the connection between things like Zen gardens, bonsai trees and the love of watching insects move in a small habitat.
Peter Hartlaub
This lyrical, meditative effort about the Japanese obsession for bugs of all kinds examines the subject from a deeply philosophical, historical and sociological perspective. Jul 6, 2010
This lyrical, meditative effort about the Japanese obsession for bugs of all kinds examines the subject from a deeply philosophical, historical and sociological perspective.
Frank Scheck
A parade of loosely, lyrically related scenes and images imbues the film with a wonder worthy of its subjects. Jul 6, 2010 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
A parade of loosely, lyrically related scenes and images imbues the film with a wonder worthy of its subjects.
Wesley Morris
Director Jessica Orek draws us into a culture where every living creature - even the tiniest one - is equally important. Mar 7, 2019 | Full Review…
Director Jessica Orek draws us into a culture where every living creature - even the tiniest one - is equally important.
Amie Simon
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo is more like a series of haiku stitched together than a formally persuasive documentary. If you're like me, you won't love insects any more after watching the film, but you will better appreciate the idea of them. Sep 18, 2017 | Full Review…
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo is more like a series of haiku stitched together than a formally persuasive documentary. If you're like me, you won't love insects any more after watching the film, but you will better appreciate the idea of them.
Jeffrey Edalatpour
After initially pondering the basic fact that creepy-crawlies are not always viewed with affection elsewhere, the film delves into Japanese thought and culture. Jul 1, 2013 | Full Review…
After initially pondering the basic fact that creepy-crawlies are not always viewed with affection elsewhere, the film delves into Japanese thought and culture.
Nicolas Rapold
A lyrical, slow-moving documentary on Japan's abiding fascination with insects. Jul 3, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
A lyrical, slow-moving documentary on Japan's abiding fascination with insects.
Allan Hunter
[A] surprisingly delightful little film... Jul 3, 2011 | Full Review…
[A] surprisingly delightful little film...
Jason Solomons
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo is a bizarre, fascinating and frequently beautiful documentary but it's also let down by a frustrating lack of structure. Jul 2, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo is a bizarre, fascinating and frequently beautiful documentary but it's also let down by a frustrating lack of structure.
Matthew Turner
Similar to the way that people collect coins or playing cards, the Japanese love to collect beetles of all different shapes and sizes. Some are quite ornate and lovely to look at it but I find it hard not to think that every beetle in the country has to have been captured to meet the high demand.
Super Reviewer
As anecdotal, reductive, and repetitive a documentary that "Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo" sometimes is(although you have to love that title), at the same time, there is a fine sentiment buried here about respecting nature, using Japan's blend of Shinto and Buddhist philosophy as a model. According to the documentary, this is why insects(even the creepiest and ickiest of them) are so widely accepted there. So much so, that the songs of crickets are enormously popular and an entrepreneur buys a Ferrari solely from the profits from capturing beetles for stores. Except it does not tell the whole story and is a prime example why bringing up the idea of national identity is to say the least, wrong. If you don't believe me, check out "The Cove" about how some Japanese fishermen have a total lack of respect for nature. So which picture is right? Both? Neither? Just remember that this is a complex world we live in.
Artistically this film works on all levels, information wise is another story. The film is about how the Japanese culture is obsessed with insects, but the Doc. never dives into why. I went into this film expecting those questions to be answered, but instead it is full of beautiful imagery and transience music. I loved that part about this film, but I was expecting something else. It would have been nice to get some information, but as long as you know what you going into you should enjoy yourself.
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