 Movie Review: The Ant Bully
Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: John A. Davis
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri, Alan Cumming, Regina King, Ricardo Montalban, Zach Tyler Eisen
Rating: PG for some mild rude humor and action
By Gregg Tubbs
(UMC.org)—There is an old Native American saying; "Walk a mile another man's moccasins before you criticize him." That’s essentially the message of the delightful new animated film, The Ant Bully. The film is a smart, funny and surprisingly compact tale of role reversal that takes us into the heart of a besieged ant colony and shows us what happens when their human antagonist, called “Peanut the Destroyer,” is forced to see the world from an ant’s point of view.
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| Lucas takes out his frustration on an anthill in his front lawn—drenching it and its millions of insect inhabitants with the garden hose. © 2006 Warner Bros. Pictures. |
Lucas Nickle (called “Peanut” by his mom) just can’t get a break. He’s not very big for a ten year-old, new in town, and hasn’t made a single friend. His big sister Tiffany antagonizes him, and his parents are too caught up in their upcoming anniversary vacation to Mexico to pay much attention to him. Worst of all, Lucas has become the target of Steve, the brutish neighborhood bully who has made the path from Lucas’ house to school an embarrassing gauntlet of insults and physical abuse. When we first meet Lucas, he’s getting a “wedgie” from Steve, and it’s a doozy!
Lucas takes out his own frustration on an anthill in his front lawn—drenching it and its millions of insect inhabitants with the garden hose. But what Lucas sees as “just a bunch of stupid ants” is in fact a complex society, where the ants have names, relationships, jobs and most importantly, feeling—just like him. As he vents his anger, he is unaware that in the world of the ants, he has become a legend—a giant “Destroyer” feared and hated by the colony of ants.
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| To everyone’s surprise, especially Zoc’s, the ant queen spares his life and sentences Lucas to live and work amongst the ants to build understanding between the human and ant worlds. © 2006 Warner Bros. Pictures. |
But the ants are ready to fight back. Led by their wizard Zoc (voiced by Nicholas Cage), they succeed at a daring mission to dose Lucas with a magic potion that will shrink him down to their size. With the Destroyer at their mercy, they hold a tribunal to determine his fate. To everyone’s surprise, especially Zoc’s, the ant queen spares his life and sentences Lucas to live and work among the ants to build understanding between the human and ant worlds.
Zoc’s kind-hearted girlfriend, Hova (voiced by Julia Roberts), has always been curious about humans. “I’ve heard they are even capable of speech—just like ants!” she exclaims. Hova volunteers to be Lucas’ mentor, and together they embark on a clever and comedic journey of cultural cross-pollination. Hova and the rest of the ants learn that “Peanut the Destroyer” is really just a small and insecure boy. But it’s Lucas who learns the most. He learns about teamwork, friendship, courage and the value of community, as he sees the ants work together for the common good.
This is in stark contrast to the “every man for himself” world of humans that Lucas describes to Zoc and Hova. He also learns about the abuse of power and how to see the world from someone else’s eyes. Because he was big and ants were small and insignificant, Lucas believed he could do what he wanted to them. After spending time with them, he discovers that he has behaved no better than Steve, the bully. He also learns that everyone, no matter how small or different, has rights and intrinsic worth.
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| Hova volunteers to be Lucas’ mentor and together they embark on a clever and comedic journey of cultural cross-pollination. © 2006 Warner Bros. Pictures. |
In addition to its sound message, there are two especially refreshing things I liked about The Ant Bully. First is the length. The film clocks in at a tidy 90 minutes—perfect for a kid’s attention span (and their parents’!). Too many animated films these days are bloated two-hour plus epics, but The Ant Bully moves briskly, avoids padding and begins to wrap up just when you feel it should. Second is its relative good taste. For the most part, it avoids the off-color and bathroom humor that has crept into most family films. It’s “squirm factor” is virtually nil!
Producer Tom Hanks, explains, “Trying to teach kids a lesson cannot be jack-knifed into a movie. The meaning of a fable has to be part and parcel to the story being told. What Lucas learns from the ants—that being part of a good family is irreplaceable—is what The Ant Bully tells, not preaches, at its core.” That’s why The Ant Bully works so well—it’s a movie with a message, but the lesson is wrapped in fun, fantasy and the wonder of being transported to a whole different world. This film about little creatures works in a very big way.
Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.
This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.
Study Questions
- Did you see Lucas as a bully or the victim of bullying? Could he have been a little bit of both?
- Do you think being bullied brought out the bully in Lucas? Have you ever witnessed this in real life?
- What do you think was the central message of The Ant Bully?
- Why did the Queen give Lucas a chance? Did she see some innate goodness in him? Or did she see long-term benefits to the “diplomatic” curse?
- Have you ever witnessed the negative consequences of bullying in the real world?
- What does the film seem to say about warfare, especially when it is in the form of an unprovoked attack? Can that be seen as an extension of the bully mentality?
- How do you think a Christian should address bullying? Is it right to abuse someone who is smaller, weaker or different than yourself?
- Which character did you identify with the most? Why? Would you like to be more or less like that character?
- Which character do you think changed the most during the course of the film? In what way did he or she change?
- Who should have changed more? Why do you think people bully? Do you think living by the example of Jesus is the best solution to the bullying mindset?
Group Activities
- Ants Eye View—In the film, Lucas gained a different perspective when he was shrunken to the size of an ant. Try getting an “ant’s eye” view of the world. Ask your team members to to get their heads as close to the floor as possible by getting on their hands and knees, sitting, or lying on the floor. Then ask them to look around the room and make note of how the room has changed from that perspective. Now ask them to get up and share their observations. What things would be difficult or impossible for them to do if they were that small? What objects would be out of reach? Did they feel less powerful or more vulnerable? If they were that small, how could working together make life easier? Would they expect those who are big and powerful to help or protect them?
- Bible Bullies—One of the dominant themes of the Bible is the oppression or enslavement of the people of Israel by larger, stronger nations. As a group, see if you can find these situations in the Bible and discuss how God interceded on their behalf. What lessons can be learned from these stories? The power of faith? Obedience to God? The final victory of righteousness? Examples of stories about “Bible Bullies” might be:
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Egypt (God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites.)
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Babylon (The Jews persevered and Babylon fell.)
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Rome (The Jews were ruled by the Roman empire during the time of Jesus.)
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Discuss the Scene—In one pivotal scene in the film, Lucas and the Wizard are resting in the grass after escaping the frog. They stare up at the night sky, and Lucas says, “The sky looks the same. It’s the same stars.” As a group, discuss the symbolism of this scene. What does it mean for them to share this moment and agree that they live under the same stars? Is this a turning point in their relationship? Can we relate this to all being children of the same God? Ask the members of your group if they have ever wondered if people in other lands stare up at the same stars. Finally, if you have a hymnal that has the song “This Is My Song,” read aloud the lyrics. Do you see similarities between the “skies are everywhere as blue as mine” section and the scene in the film? What is the song saying?
Resources
Official Ant Bully Web site
Theatrical Trailer
QuickTime
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