"The Ant Bully": This time the ants fight back
If the agreeable kids movie "The Ant Bully" seems familiar, consider this: Talking animals are a staple of kids' movies, and only a limited number of species inhabit the Earth, therefore, it's time for another animated-ant movie. "Antz" and its cousin "A Bug's Life" hit theaters eight years ago; by this formula, we can look forward to more talking ants in around 2014.
Based on the children's book by John Nickle, "The Ant Bully" has a certain "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" vibe to it. Young Lucas (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen) is a small, bespectacled kid who's hassled by the neighbor bullies; in turn, he enjoys turning the hose on the ant hill in his front yard, as they're the only creatures around smaller than him. But he hasn't reckoned on the brainpower of a community of ants who are determined to get revenge on the creature they call The Destroyer. A drop of magic potion in his ear, and suddenly Lucas is off on an ant-sized adventure in which he makes friends and learns that it's important to be kind to creatures of all sizes.
"The Ant Bully," with the voices of Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Paul Giamatti, Regina King, Bruce Campbell, Zach Tyler Eisen, Cheri Oteri, Larry Miller. Written and directed by John A. Davis, based on the book by John Nickle. 89 minutes. Rated PG for some mild rude humor and action. Several theaters.
All this is voiced by an all-star cast, indicating that just about everyone on Hollywood's A-list appreciates gigs where they don't have to sit through hair and makeup. Julia Roberts charmingly portrays the friendly ant Hova, who takes on Lucas as a project; Nicolas Cage is her boyfriend, Zoc, who developed the potion. Meryl Streep is the voice of the serene Ant Queen, a role so spot-on it feels like typecasting. On the human side, Lily Tomlin screeches and bellows as Lucas' eccentric grandmother Mommo, and Paul Giamatti (who gets stuck playing shlumpy guys even in animated films) is the nasty local exterminator, Stan Beals.
Writer/director John A. Davis brings just enough rude humor to the mix; kids at the preview screening giggled delightedly when Lucas dines on caterpillar poop, or when some unlucky creatures must take a walk across Beals' slick, dandruffy scalp. Along the way, they'll learn some rudimentary ant anatomy ("Suck in that thorax!" orders Regina King, as a sort of ant drill-instructor) and a few fascinating facts, such as ants don't yawn. (Don't they? Obviously they didn't see "Poseidon.")
"The Ant Bully" isn't a kid classic, but it's an enjoyable diversion until the next ant movie comes along.
Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com