This document is a compare and contrast essay analyzing the animated films "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life". It was written by Yap Kar Juen for the class ENGL 0205, English 2, and submitted to lecturer Cassandra Wijesuria. The essay discusses the differences between the films in their characters, settings, storylines, and climaxes. While both films feature small characters coming to life, "Toy Story" is about anthropomorphic toys and is set in a boy's house, whereas "A Bug's Life" depicts the lives of insects in a rural setting.

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: Yap Kar Juen (Jason)
STUDENT ID NO: 0313737
FILMS SELECTED: ‘Toy Story’ and ‘A Bug’s Life’
WORD COUNT: 651
ENGLISH 2 (ENGL 0205)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSION DATE: 5TH DECEMBER 2013

2. Toy Story and A Bug’s Life
‘Toy Story’ and ‘A Bug’s Life’ are both famous animated movies produced by
Pixar Animation Studio. Although both has got the same concept of talking about life
of the small characters, which is very interesting, there are a lot of differences
between these movies. The first thing which differs the movies is the character. Toy
Story’s characters are anthropomorphic toys, who pretends to be lifeless when
humans are not present. On the other hand, A Bug’s Life’s characters are insects,
especially ants and grasshopers. Characters in Toy Story are not in real life while
characters in A Bug’s Life are. Toy story give is a modern show while A Bug’s Life
gives more of a natural feel to the audience.
Toy Story is about unreal but interesting imagination of alive anthropomorphic
toy while A Bug’s Life is about bug’s life in the real life, how the ants survive from the
grasshoppers, who controls the ants. The grasshoppers go to the anthill every year
for the food the ants had collected for them. One of the difference between both
movies are the accomodation. The ants in A Bug’s Life live in the colony while the
anthropomorphic toys in Toy Story lives in a house of a boy, Andy. In Andy’s house,
the toys act lifeless when human is present but alive at other times. The story is
about Woody, a pull-string cowboy doll and leader of the toys owned by Andy. He is
jealous of Buzz, a space ranger for being Andy’s new favourite toy. However, in the
colony, it shows how the colony works and the ants’ daily life. The population of
characters in A Bug’s Life is more than in Toy Story. The population of ants in A
Bug’s Life is like an empire.
More over the types of toys and types of bugs are different. In the movie A
Bug’s Life, there were many types of bugs showns, some with wings and different

3. shapes. There are also many types of different toys with different features and looks
but are more modern compared to A Bug’s Life. The ants in A Bug’s Life are very
hardworking because they always have something to do, very organised and build
their own colony. On the other hand, the anthropomorphic toys have got nothing to
do and to worry about, all they do come alive and play when human is absent. The
ants have got a very good teamwork while building the colony and also doing other
stuffs while the anthropomorphic toys in Toy Story aren’t, they get jealous when
Andy does not love them but other toys.
Moreover in Toy Story, the climax part is about escaping from the toy killers,
strategies used are shown. However, in A Bug’s Life, the ants fought the
grasshoppers in order to protect their colony. The way the toys fought in Toy Story is
different from the ants in A Bug’s Life. The toys used weapons, which are more
modern compared to in A Bug’s Life, for example Buzz armour. The ants and gang
fought using strategies and natural or hand made weapons near the ant hill. The
ants in A Bug’s Life has got a big family and also different positions, for example,
queen while Toy Story doesn’t. Character in Toy Story doesn’t have a family, they’re
made up of different materials.
At last, both movies are different mainly based on the background, Toy Story
is in a house while A Bug’s Life is in rural area. Not only the background, in overall,
the character, lifestyle, storyline and others are all different. Both the movies are
interesting as the Toy Story idea is very creative and A Bug’s Life shows something,
which exists but we don’t really keep in touch with in real life. Although the concept
of both the movies is the same, there are still many differences spotted.
(651 words)

4. Reference
1. A Bug’s Life (1998) Plot Summary. Retrieved December 5, 2013 from IMDb
Web Site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120623/plotsummary
2. Toy Story (1995) Plot Summary. Retrieved December 5, 2013 from IMBd Web
Site : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/plotsummary
3. Toy Story (1995) Synopsis. Retrieved December 5, 2013 from IMDb Web Site
: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/synopsis
4. A Bug’s Life (1998) Synopsis. Rerieved December 5, 2013 from IMDb Web
Site : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120623/synopsis?ref_=tt_stry_pl
5. Toy Story Summary. Retrieved December 5, 2013 from Star Pulse Web Site :
http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Toy_Story/Summary/