ANTZ vs. A Bug’s Life
Critical Comparison

Med 6
Comparative Critical Analysis: Introduction

*
Synoptic Unit
“ Candidates must demonstrate their understanding of the
connections between the different elements of the
specification. Candidates will be expected to produce
evidence of their attainment of the broad objectives of
the specification – critical autonomy and media
literacy – through the comparative analysis of texts.
They will be required to analyse, explain and account
for the similarities and differences between media
texts.”
*presenting a summary or general view of a whole

Do this by...
(i) demonstrating your critical reading abilities using
the Key Concepts (5% of marks)
(ii) drawing upon your knowledge of major ideas,
theories, debates and information (21⁄2% of
marks)
(iii) using your knowledge of a range of relevant
contextual factors. (21⁄2% of marks)

15%
• Med 6 is worth 15% of the overall A2 grade.
• The final 5% of marks are for demonstrating the ability
to analyse critically and comparatively a range of texts
to determine and account for their similarities and
differences

The best grade...
• Candidates make extensive use of their learning at
AS and A2 levels, showing sophisticated application
of wider contexts relevant to the texts informed by
extensive exploration and debate.
• There is very good evidence of critical autonomy -
the ability to make individual judgements informed
by relevant theories, issues and debates,
underpinned by appropriate reference to the texts.
• Candidates show a sophisticated identification of
the relationship between the two texts and their
form and function, grounded in sophisticated usage
of the Key Concepts in a well structured, articulate
and engaged response.

Critical Comparison
Example

ANTZ vs. A Bug’s Life
• Both films released in 1998, with ANTZ slightly
ahead of A Bug’s Life
• In the UK, A Bug’s Life was released in Feb ’99
• Both CGI animations, both about ant
colonies, both feature an individual ant who
rebels (or wants to) against the collective/
hive.

ANTZ was the first collaboration between new Hollywood
institution DreamWorks and computer animation company
PDI (Pacific Data Images).
DreamWorks began in 1994 as a collaboration between
Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. PDI
was a pioneer in computer-generated animation.

A Bug’s Life was the second feature film from Pixar
Animation Studios, produced under an original 3-
film deal with Walt Disney Studios

Mergers and Aquisitions
• Both PDI and Pixar eventually became part of their
studio parents.
• DreamWorks acquired 40% of PDI as early as 1995,
while Disney paid $7.4billion in stock to merge with
Pixar in 2006
• Dreamworks was eventually acquired by Viacom/
Paramount, but has more recently spun off to partner
with an Indian investment company, Reliance ADA

Competition
• DreamWorks Animation and Disney/Pixar have
since released many animated films in competition
with each other.
• Dreamworks Animation: ANTZ, Shrek (and sequels),
Shark Tale, Magagascar (and sequels), Flushed Away,
Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda
• Disney/Pixar: A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc.,
Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille,
WALL-E

Flops
• DreamWorks has suffered more box office failure than Pixar.
• Partly, this is because DreamWorks releases adult and live-
action films as well as DreamWorks Animation films.
• While film critics have disliked some of their films (e.g. Shark
Tale, The Road to El Dorado, Shrek the Third, Bee Movie), it hasn’t
necessarily hurt the box office.
• On the other hand, DreamWorks have reportedly been close to
bankruptcy on several occasions following expensive flops such
as Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas and The Island.

Both companies employ well-known talent to create
character voices. ANTZ begins with a credit sequence
featuring a magnifying glass, which scans over the (tiny)
names of the cast, which includes Woody Allen, Sylvester
Stallone, Sharon Stone, and Jennifer Lopez.

A Bug’s Life, on the other hand, holds its credit
sequence till the end – why?

Voice Talent
• While A Bug’s Life includes such famous voices as
Kevin Spacey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, this is only the
case for English-language countries.
• In international markets, these films are often dubbed
into the local language using local voice talent.
• One of the ways in which DreamWorks shows its lack
of finesse is to promote the Hollywood voices at the
expense of (perhaps) more expressive animation.
• Nobody cares it was Sylvester Stallone when it has
been dubbed into French/German/Italian/Polish...

ANTZ begins with a silhouette of what looks like the
New York skyline, and with a voice-over from Woody
Allen, reminiscent of the same idea used in Allen’s
1979 film Manhattan

Again, this intertextuality is somewhat lost when the
voice talent being used is an obscure French/Polish/
Italian/Spanish actor. So why put it in?

The “New York Skyline” is actually roughly trimmed
grass – note that the meaning carried by the twin
towers of the World Trade Centre has changed since
1998, and will change more in the future.

A Bug’s Life also begins with a shot of grasses – but
they are specifically not trimmed, and are instead
obviously wild and producing seeds.
These two films already appear to be having a
conversation! But what is being discussed?

Animation Styles
• PDI and Pixar are both pioneers of computer animation.
• Each film released makes strides in the use of texture and
lighting – and the ability to imitate reality. For example,
Monsters Inc. showcases fur and hair.
• Pixar’s opening to A Bug’s Life features realistic-looking grass,
rippling water and high-key lighting
• PDI’s opening to ANTZ is much darker, with lower-key lighting
– but the insects themselves are more anatomically accurate
than Pixar’s. The Pixar ants only have 4 legs!

ANTZ overhead shot reveals the “Woody Allen”
character on his therapy couch (more intertextual
references to Woody Allen movies). Note that the ant
is red and has six legs! The low-key, low-contrast
lighting might conceal less accomplished animation.

Our first view of a Pixar ant shows an ant with a less
“natural” colour, and only 4 limbs – a more human
appearance.

The lighting in ANTZ is noir-like, the colour palette
is darker and more muted, perhaps hinting at darker
themes. It’s hard to argue for a greater level of
“realism”, however when you consider the idea of a
worker ant in a therapy session!

Our entry into the ANTZ world has taken us from the
trimmed (i.e. city) grass down through layers of earth and
introduced the main character. The camera eye now moves
past the Allen-ant into the heart of the ant Metropolis. Note
the Fritz Lang reference.

Life in the totalitarian ANTZ colony is brutal and
impersonal. The visuals are straight out of dystopian film
texts like Metropolis and Blade Runner. The theme of the
film is the struggle of the individual in society. The
backdrop is a very modernist idea of the city.

The ANTZ are surrounded by propaganda messages
from the ANTZ media. The language is martial:
CONQUER IDLENESS

FREETIME IS FOR TRAINING: such scenes are
reminiscent of Western ideas of far-Eastern
industrial production, but also remind us of the
horrors of modernity: Ford-ism, communisim, and
fascism.

ANTZ are labelled for life by unseen authority
figures: “Worker” ... “Soldier”
What are the implied values here?

After our overview of ANTZ society, we’re back with
our main character and introduced to his friends as
the plot begins...

While ANTZ is a 16:9 production, A Bug’s Life is
presented on a 2.35:1 ratio screen. Its open spaces
contrast with ANTZ claustrophobic underground
setting. The colour palette is blue/green as opposed
to red/brown

Both films make jokes of hive behaviour – in this example,
the ant panics when a leaf falls in his path and he loses the
(invisible) trail he was following. Whereas ANTZ hints at
totalitarian society, A Bug’s Life implies that individualism
is a rare and precious commodity.

In A Bug’s Life, ant society is represented as an essentially
benign monarchy, with the elite portrayed as more capable,
compassionate and intelligent than (most of) the worker
drones. This is in contrast to the (at first) hidden
authorities in the more totalitarian ANTZ.

Both films question the place of individuals in their
respective societies. In A Bug’s Life, Flik is shown to
be innovative and inventive, while Z in ANTZ is
shown as anxious and neurotic.

Flik’s individualism is barely tolerated by his
conservative society, and his monomaniacal
invention is shown as brilliant but insufficiently
thought through.

After squashing the Princess – twice – with the by-products
of his intensive agriculture, Flik is remorseful and
apologetic. Both films find ways to portray industrial
production in negative terms. Both can be seen as modernist
critiques, though Flik in A Bug’s Life clearly has the best of
intentions.