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A Bug's Life

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1:04

A Bug's Life

G

Released Nov 14, 1998

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

91 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Flik is an inventive ant who's always messing things up for his colony. His latest mishap was destroying the food stores that were supposed to be used to pay off grasshopper Hopper. Now the strong-arming insect is demanding that the ants gather double the food or face annihilation. To avert disaster, Flik goes on a journey to recruit fighters to defend the colony. When he meets a band of high-flying circus insects, he thinks he's found his salvation.

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Critics Consensus

A Bug's Life is a rousing adventure that blends animated thrills with witty dialogue and memorable characters - and another smashing early success for Pixar.

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Rebecca Long

Observer

Critics who write off A Bug's Life focus on the surface-level plot about Flik's individual perseverance ... But under this palatable veneer is a story about workers' rights.

Rated: A-

Dec 1, 2021

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

A Bug's Life may be the single most amazing film I've ever seen that I couldn't fall in love with.

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

This animated fable teems with vivid creatures standing on their own countless feet.

Jun 25, 2011

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Disney has triumphed yet again and “A Bug’s Life” is easily their best computer-generated effort yet. “A Bug’s Life” is a film for the entire family. Both adults and children alike will be thrilled and delighted.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 4, 2023

Full Review

Jae-Ha Kim

Jae-Ha Kim

Following on the multi-legged heels of Dreamworks' often dark and somber computer animation debut "Antz," "A Bug's Life" is Disney's colorful follow-up to its mega-blockbuster "Toy Story."

Rated: 3/4

Jul 27, 2023

Full Review

Michael Baumann

The Ringer

It may not have had the commercial success of Finding Nemo, or the franchise potential of Toy Story,' but A Bug's Life still deserves respect for its story and the place it occupies in Pixar history

Jun 17, 2022

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Pedro Henrique C

A Bug's Life was a great success for Pixar, this type of animation has gone down in history. It is fun and intelligent, and the insect characters are great at acting, and the film leaves a message about social class.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

Full Review

Jens B

As a child, "A Bug's Life" was my least favorite PIXAR film. Watching it again several years later confirms this assessment, but that doesn't mean the film is bad. Quite the opposite: Many of the gags are cleverer and more effective than expected, the technical gap from its predecessor, "Toy Story," is extremely impressive in just three years, and last but not least, I was very pleased with the many small details that bring the ant island to life. The only major annoyance is the very shallow, interchangeable, and already-seen-a-thousand-times-seen plot, which to call predictable would be a huge understatement. Also annoying is the cliché of the hero who falls in love with a female character who is initially unattainable for him – until, after his success, she finally loves him back. Moments like these really drag "A Bug's Life" down noticeably. I didn't notice such things much in "Toy Story."

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

Full Review

Abraham S

Man I really wanted to enjoy this movie a lot, but it is just so mid! It is cool that it shows the bugs life, but, I don't know its just super mid. The villain is not all that good, but it is cool. So, 6/10

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/03/25

Full Review

Jake P

Ant, Aphid, Assassin bug, Beetle, Butterfly, Bee, Bed bug, Caterpillar, Cricket, Cicada, Cockroach, Dragonfly, Daddy longlegs, Damselfly, Earwig, Firefly, Flea, Fly, Grasshopper, Gnat, Honeybee, and Hornet approve of this movie. Watch it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/05/25

Full Review

Joey G

This was a good but kinda boring movie. Still classic though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

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Kevin P

Perfectly likable and colorful with some solid side characters and antagonists to make up for the predictable plot and bland main character.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/25

Full Review

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John Lasseter

Director

Andrew Stanton

Director

Dave Foley

Flik

Kevin Spacey

Hopper

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Atta

Hayden Panettiere

Dot

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A Bug's Life: Teaser Trailer 1

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A Bug's Life: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Flik is an inventive ant who's always messing things up for his colony. His latest mishap was destroying the food stores that were supposed to be used to pay off grasshopper Hopper. Now the strong-arming insect is demanding that the ants gather double the food or face annihilation. To avert disaster, Flik goes on a journey to recruit fighters to defend the colony. When he meets a band of high-flying circus insects, he thinks he's found his salvation.

Director: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
Producer: Darla K. Anderson, Kevin Reher
Screenwriter: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft, Don McEnery, Bob Shaw, Geefwee Boedoe, Jason Katz, Jørgen Klubien, Robert Lence, David Reynolds
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Buena Vista International [us]
Production Co: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 14, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $162.8M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

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