Antz

Antz (in Spain, Antz (Hormigaz); in Latin America, Antz or Antz: Antz) is a computer-animated film produced by Dreamworks Animation (the first of this production company) in 1998. It is one of the first fully computer-animated films. In its original version, the actors Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft and Gene Hackman provided the voices of the characters, some of them even have facial similarities with the actors who played their characters. voices.

Plot

Z is a neurotic and insecure ant who is part of a colony of millions of ants. Z was born a laborer and constantly complains about his work, something his Aztec friend takes lightly. Meanwhile, Bala, the princess of the colony, complains about her monotonous and boring life, while her mother, the Queen of hers, tells her that she must assume her role within the colony like the rest of the ants. One day, Z goes to a disco with his best friend, Weaver, a soldier ant with a cheerful character and a very good friend of Z's. While he was at the disco bar, a drunk man tells Z that there is a magical place called Insectopia where all ants are equal and where there is no need to work for food. Z doesn't believe the drunkard's story, but suddenly, Bala, who was looking for some fun, approaches Z and proposes to dance. Z falls madly in love with Bala, but she isn't interested in the slightest. But Z gets caught up in a scuffle and gets separated from Bala. That same night, Z asks his friend Weaver to change his place for the next day's parade so he can see Bala again, Weaver reluctantly agrees. Z thought the parade was a mere military drill, but the military High Command plans a war against termites as they have allegedly invaded their territory. General Mandible, supreme chief of the armies, harangues them to battle and the soldiers leave for the territory of the termites. During the trip, Z befriends a soldier named Barbatus who promises to protect him from all danger. The ants arrive on the battlefield but the termites have not shown up, but everything is an ambush and the ants and termites end up facing each other with the latter's clear superiority. Z chased by a termite falls into a hole during the battle. At the end of it, Z comes out of his hiding place and discovers that there are thousands of dead ants and hundreds of dead termites on the battlefield. Amidst the disaster, Z discovers Barbatus' severed head, and Barbatus dies soon after. Z returns to the anthill where he is greeted as a military hero and honored by General Mandible himself. Z is presented before the Queen and Princess Bala who recognizes him as a worker, Mandible orders his arrest and Z takes Bala hostage and both fall through a passageway to the surface. Z and Bala are left out in the open and Z proposes to go look for Insectopia, Bala reluctantly accepts. They finally manage to reach Insectopia after many problems. Meanwhile, in the anthill, Z's rebellion has incited the other worker ants who have rebelled against their bosses due to poor treatment and terrible conditions. Mandible, to fix the situation, says that Z only thinks of himself and that when the construction of the Mega Tunnel is finished, their rights will be improved, the workers return to work. Meanwhile, Weaver has taken Z's place in his work as a worker and begins dating his friend, Azteca. During Mandible's speech, he recognizes Weaver in the crowd and orders him to come into his presence, he also orders Colonel Cutter to go find Princess Bala. Mandible mercilessly interrogates Weaver who refuses to talk about Z's whereabouts, but Mandible threatens to kill Azteca and Weaver finally confesses that Z is in Insectopia, furthermore, Mandible orders Cutter to kill Z. Cutter manages to return Bala to the anthill, but Z escapes. Bala is brought before Mandible and discovers the general's plans and she is locked inside the interrogation room. Z returns to the anthill where he is reunited with Bala and they kiss. Then, they both discover Mandible's plan, he plans to kill the Queen and all the worker ants since the construction of the Mega Tunnel leads to a nearby lake, in addition, Mandible has eliminated all the soldiers loyal to the Queen in that lost battle against the termites. Z and Bala decide to convince all the ants to stop digging. But it is too late and the anthill begins to flood. Meanwhile, on the surface, Mandible along with Colonel Cutter and his troops tells them that the time has come to create a new future. The trapped ants decide to create an ant tower to get to the surface, Z manages to reach the surface but when Mandible tries to throw him into the void, Cutter hits him and helps Z up, but a furious Mandible charges at Cutter, but Z gets in the way and Z and Mandible fall into the void, Z falls into the water but Mandible crashes into a dry branch, dying. Cutter saves Z and orders the soldiers to save the ants, and everyone safe, Z and Bala get married and create a new colony with Cutter as their general.

Reception

The film has received very positive reviews from the public, and critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a high approval rating of 96% based on 89 reviews, with an average audience rating of 7.7/10. The site's consensus states: "With a great voice cast, good animation, and heavy doses of humor, Antz will delight kids and adults alike".

Production

Development and writing

In 1988, Walt Disney Feature Animation released a film called Army Ants, about a pacifist worker ant who teaches his militaristic colony lessons in independent thought. Years later, Jeffrey Katzenberg, then president of Disney's motion picture division, had left the company in a dispute with CEO Michael Eisner over the vacant position of president after the death of Frank Wells. Katzenberg would later help co-found DreamWorks Pictures with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, and the three planned to rival Disney with the company's new animation division. Katzenberg at DreamWorks began developing and suggested projects while at Disney, including The Prince of Egypt, a collaboration with Aardman Animations that resulted in Chicken Run, Sinbad and Army Ants.

Production began in May 1996, after production had already begun on The Prince of Egypt. DreamWorks had contracted with Pacific Data Images (PDI) in Palo Alto, California to begin work on computer-animated films to rival those of Pixar. Woody Allen was cast in the title role of Z, and much of the signature humor of Allen is present in the film. Allen himself did some uncredited rewrites to the script, to better suit the dialogue to his style of comedy.^{[citation needed]} An altered line from one of his early directed films, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) was included: - "I was going to include you in my most erotic fantasies..."

Cast

Voice Actor (Original)

• Woody Allen as Z-4196 "Z", an idealistic but anxious working ant.
• Gene Hackman as General Mandible, the arrogant and petty general officer of the military ant. She's also Princess Bala's boyfriend.
• Sharon Stone like Princess Bala, the daughter of Queen Hormiga, the fiancée of Mandible and the loving interest of Z.
• Sylvester Stallone like Cabo Weaver, a brave welded ant and Z's best friend who becomes Aztec's boyfriend.
• Jennifer Lopez like Azteca, another friend of Z and a working ant who becomes Weaver's girlfriend.
• Christopher Walken as Colonel Cutter, a flying ant serving as a patient and empathic counselor of Mandible who is disappointed by the actions of the general.
• Danny Glover as Staff Sergeant Barbatus, a welded ant who became friends with Z during the fight against the termites.
• Anne Bancroft as Queen Hormiga, the mother of Princess Bala and the ruler of ants.
• Dan Aykroyd as Chip the Wasp, a wasp with which Z becomes a friend.
• Grant Shaud as The Foreman, the boss of the ants.
• John Mahoney like Grebs, a drunken ant who spoke of Insectopia.
• Jane Curtin as Muffin "Muffy" the Wasp, Chip's wife.
• Paul Mazursky as a psychiatrist of Z
• Jerry Sroka as barman, the bartender named after the bartender Z and Weaver.

Dubbing

Voice Actor (Hispanic American) - Voice Actor (Spain)

• Moses Palaces - Jon Crespo - Z
• Cristina Camargo - Ana García Olivares - Princesa Bala
• Liza Willert - Lucia Esteban (Q. E. P. D.) - Queen
• Emilio Guerrero - Juan Miguel Cuesta - Gral. Mandible
• Rafael Rivera - Javier Dotú - Coronel Cutter
• Arturo Mercado - Luis Bajo - Weaver
• Cony Madera - Ana Fernández - Azteca
• Humberto Solórzano - Juan Perucho - Barbatus
• Carlos del Campo - Miguel Angel del Hoyo - Chip
• Araceli de León (Q. E. P. D.) - Isabel Donate - Muffy
• Yamil Atala - Fernando de Luis - Capataz
• Arturo Casanova - Juan Fernández Mejías - Borracho
• Raúl de la Fuente - Eugenio Barona - Psychologist

Technical credits

• Doubt Director: Francisco Colmenero
• Folding company: Recordings and Doblajes S.A.

Awards

1999

• • ASCAP - Top Box Office Films
  • BMI Film & TV Awards - BMI Film Music Award
  • Golden Reel - Best Sound Editing - Music - Animated Feature