Antz

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Antz ★★★ 1998 (PG)

Malcontent worker ant, Z (Allen), moans to his therapist about his insignificance and the depressing anonymity of “being born in the middle of five million.” But after meeting the colony's princess, Bala (Stone), who is facing her own bleak future thanks to an arranged marriage with the colony's power-hungry General Mandible (Hackman), Z and Princess Bala embark on a dangerous mission to the surface in search of the mythical “Insectopia.” Only the second film ever created entirely through computer animation (“Toy Story” being the first), pic is visually amazing. The fact that the ant characters do not resemble their performers' appearances makes the relationship between Z and the princess plausible, and actually adds depth to the characters' personalities. An interesting, rather elaborate storyline, along with excellent voice performances (even Stallone!) make this one fun for all ages. 83m/C VHS, DVD. D: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson; W: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, Todd Alcott; M: Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell; V: Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover, Christopher Walken, Jane Curtin, Jennifer Lopez, John Mahoney, Dan Aykroyd, Paul Mazursky, Gene Hackman.