A Bug's Life
Movie, 1998, Originals, Set in Ant Island
A Bug's Life is #2 of 31 in release order and #1 of 31 in chronological order in the Pixar.
The story
On behalf of "oppressed bugs everywhere," an inventive ant named Flik hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper.
A Bug's Life recap
Every year a colony of ants on Ant Island must gather food for a gang of grasshoppers led by the cruel Hopper. The clumsy inventor Flik accidentally knocks the offering into a stream, and Hopper demands double by the end of the season. Flik volunteers to find warriors to fight the grasshoppers. In the city he hires a troupe of out-of-work circus bugs, including a ladybug, a stick insect, a black widow and a caterpillar, who think they are being booked for a show. When they all realise the mistake, the circus bugs stay anyway after saving Princess Dot, the queen's youngest daughter, from a bird. Flik plans to scare the grasshoppers off with a fake bird, and the colony builds it instead of gathering food. The circus bugs' real identity comes out, and the colony turns on Flik.
A Bug's Life ending explained
Dot persuades Flik to come back when Hopper takes over the colony. The fake bird almost works until it catches fire. Flik stands up to Hopper and tells the ants they outnumber the grasshoppers, and the colony fights back. Hopper chases Flik into a real bird's nest, and the bird feeds him to her chicks. Princess Atta becomes queen, Flik's inventions are celebrated, and the circus bugs leave.
Post-credits scenes
During the credits, the characters play out fake bloopers, as if the film were shot with real actors, including a cameo from Woody. There is no scene after the credits.
Where to watch A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes 92%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Toy Story, before Toy Story 2.
- Chronological order: first, before Ratatouille.
What to watch before A Bug's Life
Nothing. A Bug's Life is the first of the Pixar essentials, so it's the place to start.
Cast
- Dave Foley as Flik (voice)
- Kevin Spacey as Hopper (voice)
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Atta (voice)
- Hayden Panettiere as Dot (voice)
- Phyllis Diller as Queen (voice)
- Richard Kind as Molt (voice)
- David Hyde Pierce as Slim (voice)
- Joe Ranft as Heimlich / Additional Voices (voice)
- Denis Leary as Francis (voice)
- Jonathan Harris as Manny (voice)
- Madeline Kahn as Gypsy Moth (voice)
- Bonnie Hunt as Rosie (voice)
Directed by John Lasseter.