On October 28, L.A. enjoyed the black and yellow-themed premiere of DreamWorks Animation’s latest flick, Bee Movie. With a star-studded cast of Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger and Mathew Broderick, and animation-savvy directors Simon Smith and Steve Hickner, the movie promises to be, well, interesting.
Bee Movie is a comedy that tries to change the way people think of insects and humans. The audience meets Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), a recent college graduate who wants more out of life than the planned idea of working at Honex making honey. The tale reminds one of Antz , or of the more recent Ratatouille, where the main characters look for something bigger and better. And just how will Barry the bee reach the stars? The good ol’ American way: suing humans.
Barry jumps at the chance to venture out of the hive and encounters a world beyond his wildest dreams. He meets a quirky florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger), and breaks one of the cardinal rules of beedom by talking to her. A friendship blossoms, and Barry gets a crash course in the ways of the human race.
However, he shockingly discovers that anyone can purchase honey right off the grocery store shelf, realizing that a bee’s hard work in producing the golden condiment is, essentially, fruitless. He decides he will stop this injustice and set the world straight by suing the human race for stealing and selling honey.
The team of writers and seasoned actors keep the story line underdeveloped and simple. Seinfeld’s jokes do shine through to liven up the flick, but it still lacks something extra. The animation itself is not groundbreaking, but after so many animated movies and amazing effects (like those in Monster’s Inc., for example), it’s hard to predict what could make things spicier. In an original way of thinking about human-insect relationships, Bee Movie will probably do well in theaters. It’s an easy view that will solicit laughs from the entire family. What it may not achieve is the same admiration that past animated movies have obtained.
Bee Movie opens in theaters nationwide November 2.
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