Date: Fri 16-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAG

Quick Words:

Playing-Antz-Stallone-Allen-Z

Full Text:

NOW PLAYING: "Antz" Is Not Necessarily For Kids

By Trey Paul Alexander III

Few successful and seasoned filmmakers are as idiosyncratic as Woody Allen.

This is especially true of movies in which he stars as the lead. You either

have a taste for Allen's nebbishy, neurotic, insecure act or you don't. I

don't. I find his on-screen persona (not to mention off-screen) too

self-involved and overly indulgent. By rule, the only Allen films I like are

those in which he does not star. However, there are exceptions to nearly every

rule, and Antz , now playing as the most popular movie in the US, is rather

exceptional.

Though this animated film is not directed by Allen (that task falls upon Eric

Darnell and Tim Johnson), it is extensively powered by Allen's voice,

literally and figuratively. He stars as Z, a self-doubting worker ant who

opens the film with an extended monologue in which we find him riffing about

his problems to his therapist! Poor, put-upon Z has issues, not the least of

which is an overwhelming sense of insignificance. Does his work matter? Does

the work of the colony matter in this great big universe? Is there nothing

more?

Allen is more charming and winning than he's been in years in a lively

performance in which he gives himself completely to the role. It also helps

that the "Woody Allen persona" is filtered through the prism of this animated

character, thus diluting the egocentrism of much of his other work.

Notable performances are also turned in by Sylvester Stallone as Z's pal

Weaver, a lovable lug of a soldier ant (Stallone is surprisingly adept at

voice-over work), Jennifer Lopez as Azteca (doing her best "Mae West"), Gene

Hackman as the scheming General Mandible, and Christopher Walken as Mandible's

assistant, Cutter.

In fact, there is such chemistry and vitality in the voice-over work that it's

hard to believe the actors taped their performances separately from each other

(as is done in most animated films). Adults especially will find it a joy to

listen to notable actors giving their all to these characters, and chuckle at

the little ironies of animation. (Allen and Stallone as best buddies? The

casting works so well that I can't help but wonder what "Rocky" might have

been like with Allen as Mickey.)

This brings up an important aspect about Antz : it is definitely targeted

towards teens and adults. Aside from the fact it is very talky (what film

starring Allen isn't?) and features a fairly layered story that includes

romance -- the lower-class Z tries to woo an upper-class gal, Princess Bala

(Sharon Stone) -- and touches on societal issues such as castes, racism and

fascism, Antz does not cater to the sensibilities of younger children. It

doesn't feature the eye-catchingly bright colors of a Toy Story (though Antz

is just as visually imaginative in its own way), nor does it feature the

slapstick or quickened pace of many Disney films (yet when its action

sequences do come, they are quite thrilling). Jeffrey Katzenberg, the former

head honcho at Disney who is now top man at DreamWorks animation, makes it

distinctly clear that he wants to travel a different path than he did at the

House of the Mouse.

While animation for more varied audiences has flourished on television ("The

Simpsons," "King of the Hill," "South Park," etc), cinematic offerings tend to

be targeted more broadly towards kid-appropriate material. Antz , meanwhile,

shoots for a older age range, and in case that isn't clear by its subject

matter and approach to storytelling, there are a few unnecessary swears thrown

in, just to assure that PG rating. To be sure, Antz is not an offensive film

and is less shocking than some of TV's animated fare, but it's not for young

kids. Older audiences should appreciate its humor and enjoy its more

complicated storytelling and flair.