A Bug's Life

I recently rewatched the movie cause I remembered how much I enjoyed watching it constantly as a kid and for good reason.

It is just a very fun, hilarious and wholesome narrative to watch, with the voice acting being wildly entertaining that it never fails to put me in a good mood. All the voice actors from Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Denis Leary, Joe Ranft, David Hype Pierce, Bonnie Hunt, etc. were incredible. Slim, Francis and Heimlich were my favourite characters as they had the funniest moments in the film, that part of the scene at the circus where they dressed as flowers and a bee always cracks me up!!

Hopper was such a great villain (and one of Disney's scariest), as he understands that underestimating your enemies can backfire if you don't use fear to keep them 'in line' and it features my favourite John Ratzenberger appearance from all of the voiceovers he does in Pixar movies. I could tell he had such a blast voicing P.T. Flea in this movie, he invested so much energy in this role compared to his other Pixar voiceovers!

Also this was the first movie where they started the tradition of creating "deleted scenes" before ending it with Monsters Inc. I really miss those deleted scenes they’d make for their movies, just to give the audience more content to enjoy.

here's an idea for a Twisted Tale based on 'A Bugs' Life'.

The Time Of Your Life

Scenario: What if Atta was banished instead of Flik?

Plot: It's a dark time for Ant Island. The circus bugs have been exposed, and they, alongside the ant who found them, Flik, were supposed to be exiled, but, in an unexpected twist even Flik never saw coming, Atta ultimately takes responsibility for the whole thing, ultimately leading to her exile from Ant Island, instead of Flik and the circus bugs.

When Hopper turns up and forces the ants and the circus bugs to gather food for him, Dot, Flik and Dim are able to escape, and set off to warn Atta about Hopper's plot. But Atta is reluctant to return to the island she once called home, even with the ant that she couldn't bear to exile before. Still, Flik, Dot, and Dim must build an army to help them defeat the grasshoppers, and save Ant Island. But will Atta to find the courage to return home and prove she's ready to be the queen before Hopper tears apart the colony?

When I was a child, I remember my aunt rented a VHS tape with a movie that I'm pretty sure was "A Bug's Life", but I remember it completely different from the version everyone knows. First of all, I know it was a Disney movie because the tape came with the Pixar short "Geri's Game" at the beginning. Then, I remember there was a character that looked a lot like Flik but with wings, and a little ant girl (like Dot). The scene I remember the most is Flik (maybe that wasn't his name) showing off his flying skills but for some reason he fell into the mud and got his face all dirty.

I have to clarify the following, this was not a dream because my sister also remembers the scenes, and even since we watched that movie we always remembered the short film of the old man playing chess. Secondly, I'm not talking about the 1998 movie "Antz", I saw that movie several years later. In conclusion, does anyone know if it was a different version of "A Bug's Life" or a completely different movie?

Characters: Flik, Atta, Dot (Premium), Heimlich, Francis, P.T. Flea (Premium) Hopper (Villain), Tuck (Tower Challenge), Roll (Tower Challenge Premium)

Attractions: Flik’s Flyers, Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, Francis’s Ladybug Boogie, It’s Tough To Be a Bug (Premium)

Concessions: Heimlich’s Candy Corn Stand Bug Backpack Stand

Helper Collection: The Incredibles.

Who else remembers when these were the two biggest movies going head to head with each other in 1998?

I am personally Antz all the way. I remember the plot, scenes, the specific voice actors and I felt it did an excellent job of world building with how the ants function.

Woody Allen, Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Lopez, Christopher Walken, Danny Glover and Dan Aykroyd

The best part were that they all recognizable instantly not just from their voice, but from their physical features and personality. This isn't just little nods to the adult audience, this is a straight embracing of it.

Compare it with and you have - Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere and Denis Leary.

I can't even visualize one character along with their voice and don't have any memory of any set pieces or environments. My brain goes to 'Honey I shrunk the Kids' rather than this one.

What do other people think?

Which was your favorite at the time? Which is your favorite now?

Hi everyone,

Some of you may know that I'm a HUGE Disney and Pixar fan. The fact that KF is doing a complete Pixar In Review is crazy still! There's a ton of movies, and I can't wait to hear them talk about each one throughout the year. To help this series really succeed, I thought about writing with all the easter eggs, hidden gems, history, and even how each Pixar series plays into the overall Pixar Theory. (If you're not aware, there is a whole fan theory that each Pixar movie is connected in some way and that it's just one big Pixar Universe. This is helped because they tend to add an easter egg in each movie hinting at the next release.) Check out my "fact sheet" below and let me know if I forgot anything!

Fun Facts:

- This movie is based on the 1800s Aesop fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper

-The project's title changed names several times, from the originally pitched Army Ants in 1988 and Bugs.

- This actually was a struggle to make with 1990s computers, and the Pixar pipeline prioritized scenes that were less likely to change. One of the first scenes they rendered was the Circus scene

-They had a lego cam labeled the "Bug cam" so the animators and designers could get a better idea of what everything looked like from a bug's perspective. This little lego cam rolled through different terrains to give everyone a bug's perspective.

- In 1994, there was a death of Disney's #2 man, Frank Wells due to a helicopter engine failure. This created a power vacuum at Disney and Hollywood which led then Disney CEO and Chairman Michael Eisner to fire the studio chief, Jeffrey Katzenberg. Katzenberg is the person who is mostly responsible for the giant Disney stock boom in the 90s and basically saving the company. Out of this fallout, Katzenberg partnered with David Geffen and Steven Spielberg to found DreamWorks (along with Katzenberg winning over $200 million from Disney thanks to Eisner's pettiness and reliance on Michael Ovitz. Dreamworks then acquired Pacific Data Images (PDI) to help rival Disney while they were making The Prince of Egypt. Thus the rivalry between the two companies formed. Antz was made from the same pitch as well as through good faith discussions between Lasseter and Katzenberg in the early to mid-1990s that led to the divide even further after DreamWorks PDI announced Antz as a competitor to the not so well kept secret, A Bugs Life. The feud was so heated that Katzenberg even moved the release date of Antz up by several months from early 1999 to October 1998 to compete with A Bugs Life and paid incentives to people to get Antz ready before A Bugs Life even with the years head start Pixar had.

-Every Pixar movie tries to push the envelope of animation further. This time, it was the complex nature of bugs, as mentioned above, that was the thing. The multiple parts of every bug, who they all moved, etc. was a struggle for the computers at the time to animate but they did it!

Hidden Details:

-When the head ant talks about the "Twig of 93", it was in reference to the giant LA earthquake in 1993, even though many people believe it was in reference to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

-Thumper the Grasshopper was named Thumper after the bunny in Bambi. Why? Well, Thumper was John Lassetter's favorite Disney character.

-The tree that is seen a lot is eerily similar to the tree that Jessie was left by in Toy Story 2, as well as the tree that Carl and Ellie hang out by a lot during the intro in UP, but this could be coincidental.

-The Chinese takeout box shown during the circus segment also makes a lot of appearances throughout Pixar movies but that will be touched on later.

-That circus box they were all in? Casey Jr? That's a reference to Dumbo, where the train that takes that circus around every was called Casey Junior. (it's also a ride at Disneyland too). In addition to this, the cookie box says it's from J. Grant Bakery. J. Grant is Joe Grant, who was a co-writer on Dumbo.

- Abit of a stretch, but next to the A113 easter egg is the number 1195. Many, including myself, believe this is a nod to Toy Story as that was the 1st 1 released in 1995.

-In the city, as the Daddy Long Legs is walking around, there is a box for the Apple computer, a nod for then head of Pixar Steve Jobs, and that Pixar used Apple computers at the time.

-There is a box named Darla. This is not a reference to the young kid in Finding Nemo, but a nice gift to one of the animators daughters.

-Hidden behind that box is a nod to Broadway with the Lion King's broadway poster, where at that time the Lion King poster was in the exact same spot in NYC.

-On top of the bar is a Pizza Planet soda cup.

-When Flik and Anna get their antennae tangled up and Anna leaves, the Pillbugs own antennae make a heart shape.

Recurring easter eggs:

- The Pizza Planet delivery truck! What quickly has become a staple easter egg in all Pixar movies. This car makes an appearance parked right by the trailer house. John lassetter even admitted that Pixar thinks that the trailer house shown is the home of that Pizza Planet Delivery driver.

-A113, the room most animators have their first class at California Institute of the Arts appears on the box as Flik is walking into the "big city".

-John Ratzenberg. This awesome guy has made an appearance in just about every Pixar movie because he is "Pixar's good luck charm". In this movie he is P.T. Flea

-Luxo ball. The famed ball first shown in the Luxo Jr. short actually doesn't make an appearance in this film. It's one of the few times they don't add it to the movie.

-Hidden Mickey. A staple to nearly EVERY Disney movie is the hidden mickey.things that just so happen to look like the head of the Disney's mouse. This one appears during the painting sequence as the scouts pamper and paint Francis. On the left side, the middle scout holds what looks like actual Mickey Ears that you'd wear in the parks!

The Pixar Theory:

As mentioned above, there is a recurring theory that every single pixar movie is connected in some way. A Bugs Life was hard to pin down but eventually, it was revealed when Wall-E came out. Instead of being during modern time in a desert, it's actually way in the future! How so? I mentioned the tree above was the same tree in Up and Toy Story, well I said that they were very similar but not the same. Same for the Pizza Planet Delivery Truck and mobile home. Those were just left there as they appear very decrepit. Theres several lines that allude to these ants being very genetically evolved. First, they say say that they've been around for quite some time as well as one ant saying he "feels 90 again!". Ants live only 3 months. But living a whole summer and for YEARS means that they have survived a long time and evolved to live much longer than normal ants. Plus those rocks they stack to build a platform for the Grasshoppers food would've taken much more strength than what current ants can lift. Also, there is no mention of humans beyond the trash left behind and that one bug whose wings got plucked. What if there were very few humans around because they were just returning to earth (like at the end of Wall-E?). Also that plant we see planted in Wall-E? Many believe it to be the tree that grows to be the home in A Bugs Life. Finally, eating these super intelligent bugs leads animals to become hyper intelligent and the dominant species that leads into a later movie...

That's all that I have for the upcoming A Bug's Life episode of Pixar In Review! Let me know if y'all want more of these for each Pixar In Review, and again, let me know what I may have missed!

The Nano Biologist

Edit: thank you so much for the award!!

So the other day I began wondering if I could sync The Blue Album up to any movies, (i.e Dark Side of the Rainbow). Because that's something I've been kinda fascinated with, and it was actually Cars I wanted to sync Blue with, but I realized quickly that it just wasn't gonna work. So I began thinking... "the workers are going home..." workers... worker ants... Bug's Life.

I started playing Blue 25 seconds into the Disney + version of the film, so it would skip over all the opening logos. And from there onwards I let the album loop 3 times, however the third playthrough only got to play until about 3/4 into No One Else because the movie ended.

Some notable synchronicities and what scenes play during each song that I remember are:

Applicable for all songs: general body movements fit with the music, cuts/impacts/walk cycles were on beat with the music

My Name Is Jonas:

• First Playthrough: Fits the vibe of the opening of the film, "the workers are going home" as the ants are in the field working

• Second and Third Playthrough: The next 2 times My Name Is Jonas plays, the bird is a crucial part of the scene. For the second it's the circus bugs leaving but having to save Dot . And for the third, it's Hopper being fed to the bird, and the circus bugs leaving at the end ("the workers are going home")

No One Else:

• First Playthrough: All 3 times it plays, kinda represents Flik's character arc in a way. The first is when Flik is first introduced and is shunned by the rest of the ants for his antics

• Second Playthrough: Plays as Flik and Atta are getting closer with one another

• Third Playthrough: Is at the very end of the film, when Flik has finished his character arc. Rivers sings "it's over" right as the words "the end" appear on screen

The World Has Turned And Left Me Here:

• First Playthrough: Plays as the inciting incidents of the film take place (Flik moping, the grasshoppers showing up, the food being lost). Which kinda adds some deeper subtext to the film, maybe implying that everyone is kinda at fault for things going wrong

• Second Playthrough: I honestly don't remember much about the second playthrough for TWHT&LMH, I'm pretty sure it played when they were building the fake bird

Buddy Holly:

• Both times Buddy Holly plays, Hopper makes some big speech, even if it's more prevalent the first time. The first is when he doubles the order of food, the second is when he orders the grasshoppers to go back to the anthill. It's also notable that the bridge of Buddy Holly plays over scenes when Hopper is talking to his brother. Other than that, not too much synced up (not even the lick unfortunately)

Undone - The Sweater Song:

• First Playthrough: Hopper is still giving his speech when the song starts, but the bulk of the song plays as Flik is being "sentenced" and leaves for the city. The end of the song plays as he's getting heckled by the ant kids

• Second Playthrough: Once again plays as Hopper is giving his big speech, which plays over the majority of the speech. It's almost as if The Sweater Song and Buddy Holly (or should I say Buggy Holly?) are HIS songs.

Surf Wax America:

• First Playthrough: Is the song that plays as Flik grabs the dandelion seed and flies over the gorge, which fits really well with the vibe of the song. And it continues playing as we're introduced to the circus bugs

• Second Playthrough: IIRC is when the circus bugs' cover are blown, which ties back to this being the song that plays when they're first introduced (I'm pretty sure)

Say It Ain't So:

• First Playthrough: Not much worked, it was over the scenes of the circus again, and tonally it didn't work all too well

• Second Playthrough: Say It Ain't So starts playing (I kid you not) THE FRAME the grasshoppers come out of the fog. And unlike the first time, it really worked with what was being shown on screen

In The Garage:

• In The Garage plays when the characters are in really unsafe settings, which juxtaposes the music in a really interesting way. As during the first playthrough it plays as Flik is in the city, and the circus bugs in the bar. Also the intro bit during the first time syncs perfectly with the bug zapper gag, and ends right as it cuts to Flik in the city. And the second is when the grasshoppers are basically invading the ants, and Flik is depressed in the circus van. It honestly calls into question the concept of safety in a strange way.

Holiday:

• First Playthrough: Fits really well with Flik praising the circus bugs for being "warriors", and plays as they fly back to the anthill. Which once again really fits the atmosphere of the song.

• Second Playthrough: I think is when the circus bugs come back as a distraction? Once again, I don't 100% remember.

Only In Dreams:

• So both times Only In Dreams plays, it kinda adds some deeper subtext in a way. The first time is when the circus bugs are being welcomed, and the ants think they're warriors who are gonna kill the grasshoppers. And it's almost as if the song at this point is from the circus bugs perspective, and how this will happen 'only in dreams', and then they leave. The second time I think is even crazier. As it's when they use the fake bird, and the final showdown of the film takes place. It drives home the feeling of the ants standing up for themselves, but also is flipped when Hopper is using that wild grasshopper (I think his name was Thumper?) to beat up Flik, that to him the ants will never stand up to him even if they end up doing so. Also, Hopper being launched from the cannon happens right as the guitars pick up near the end of the song.

So I know that was a lot to take in, and I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few things. And for all I know, I may be the only one who picked up on these synchronicities. I'm pretty sure this is all just confirmation bias, I highly doubt any of this was intentional. Just a really cool coincidence.

And yes, Flik probably listens to Weezer.

If I could pick any Pixar movie to get a sequel that otherwise didn't, it would be A Bug's Life, hands down. I feel A Bug's Life was worthy of a sequel since the 1998 film was really good.

Well, going back to my childhood when I was like 5 or 6 years old, Toy Story was my all-time obsession. Then when A Bug's Life came out, my mum didn't take me to see it in the theater but bought me the VHS when it came out on video AND its video game version for the PSX. Of course, I didn't like A Bug's Life anywhere as much as I loved Toy Story but it was a pretty interesting movie.

Monsters Inc. came out in 2001. THAT I DID see in the theater. But there was no Pixar movie in 2000 or 2002. I feel either of those years would've been the perfect time to release A Bug's Life 2 if one was going to be made, 2002 especially being that A Bug's Life was sandwiched between the first 2 Toy Story films so even if A Bug's Life 2 happened and it would've been released in 2000, there would've been this weird pattern of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and A Bug's Life 2, LOL!

Anyway, my favorite part of A Bug's Life was how their plan to build a bait bird to scare off Hopper and his army of grasshoppers off their island failed. Atta and Flik try to flee in the rain but Hopper intercepts Flik and confronts him about it, trying to strangle him in the process (side note: the strangulation part I think was a bit too violent for what's supposed to be a kid's movie but I digress), but a bird chirping interrupts the confrontation and catches Hopper's attention. Hopper think's this too is a bait bird as well, but realizes too late that it's a real bird when she hops out of her nest, picks Hopper up with her beak and feeds him to her chicks, sealing his fate.

But then what would A Bug's Life 2 be about? Perhaps, a relative of Hopper (possibly his brother) seeking revenge on Atta and Flik for Hopper's death, maybe? Or possibly since the screen DID go black before Hopper was eaten by the baby birds, someone saved Hopper in time and HE wants revenge against Atta and Flik. Okay, I'll admit, the first plot makes more sense, but in the grand scheme of things, is there a particular reason why a sequel never happened? Was one at least planned? I heard part of it was because Mr. Soil's voice actor had passed shortly after the release of the film and a couple of others voice talents had died around the time of the release.

I feel it's way too late for a sequel now but man would it have been nice for there to have been A Bug's Life 2 and possibly even A Bug's Life 3.

I would guess it would deal with survival and here's the plot :

Taking after the end of the last movie being Fall, it's now winter and the colony needs to forage for food. All sources of food had all frozen or rott. They find a warn out and deserted house. But

The Villan : Termites already took shelter in the house but the termites won't let them.

It's up to Flick and Co to try to get along with them.

I Dunno maybe they encounter Angery Wasp :)