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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that some scenes might be a little scary for very young kids –- in particular, menacing spiders, frogs, wasps, flyswatters, and bullies try to wipe out entire civilizations (the ants). Also, Lucas is in constant danger after being shrunk down to ant size. There's some name-calling, mild profanities (such as "butt"), and bodily function jokes.
Families can talk about the importance of compassion, teamwork, and loyalty. Sometimes we try to "go it alone," but it's always okay to ask for help when we need it. How can this help us as we grow into adulthood and face new challenges? It's okay to be strong and stand up for ourselves, but is it ever a good idea to "take revenge" on someone? Also, find some examples of communities around us that we don't often see or notice. Why is it important to know about these communities, and how do they fit into our world?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jane Boursaw
Guess what? It's not all about us! That's right, there are lots of other worlds out there humming along quite nicely without us, thank you very much. And with Oscar-nominated director John A. Davis (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) and producer Tom Hanks to remind us of that, this is a fun family movie with some great life-lessons.
Ten-year-old Lucas Nickle (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen) recently moved to a new city with his family. But he hasn't made a single friend and gets nothing but grief from his teenage sister, Tiffany (Allison Mack). Not only that, his parents (Cheri Oteri and Larry Miller) are too busy planning their big anniversary trip to Puerto Vallarta to pay much attention to him (yet another in a long line of uninterested parents in kids' movies...sigh...).
Meanwhile, his loving-but-kooky grandmother, Mommo (Lily Tomlin) spends all her time trying to protect the family from those outer-space aliens she's always reading about in the grocery store checkout line. To make matters worse, Lucas has become the number one target of local bully Steve (Myles Jeffrey), who never misses an opportunity to push him around.
As is usually the case with humans, Lucas vents his frustrations by taking it out on someone else -- namely, the anthills in his front yard. He tortures the tiny inhabitants by kicking them, stomping them, squirting them with the garden hose, and frying them with a magnifying glass.
But, unbeknownst to Lucas, there's a whole world alive and busy just under his feet. Sure, they may be just a bunch of little ants to him, but in reality, they're actually members of a complex society, with names and relationships, responsibilities and emotions. And they're getting mighty tired of having their homes trampled by Lucas The Destroyer. They're ready to fight back!
But their justice system doesn't consist of violence. Oh no, they have a more diplomatic way to deal with bullies, one that involves a magic potion created by Wizard Ant Zoc (Nicolas Cage). One drop in Lucas's gigantic human ear and he's instantly shrunk down to ant size and taken deep below the ant hill to be placed on trial.
The Head of the Ant Council (Ricardo Montalban) proclaims Lucas guilty of "crimes against the colony." To earn his freedom, Lucas is sentenced by the wise Ant Queen (Meryl Streep) to live among the ants and learn their ways. He suddenly finds himself in an incredible world teeming with life -- and peril -- that he never noticed or even imagined before.
Against Zoc's wishes, his kind-hearted partner, Nurse Ant Hova (Julia Roberts), volunteers to mentor the miniaturized human boy. Hoping to teach Lucas the ways of the colony and help him find that one special talent he has to contribute, she has her hands full (all six of them). Thank goodness, she has some help from no-nonsense Forager Kreela (Regina King) and chatty Scout Fugax (Bruce Campbell).
Lucas's newfound "ant skills" will be put to the test when he's asked to help his new friends defend the colony against certain annihilation from the local exterminator, Stan Beals (Paul Giamatti), in an epic life-and-death struggle waged on the Nickles' front lawn.
While most kid movies spout valuable life lessons of one sort or another, the ones that work don't talk down to kids. This movie falls into that category, using humor and grace (not to mention an impressive cast of voices) to tell a good story and remind us there's more to life than our own little world.
Families who like this movie will also like A Bug's Life, Antz, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentMild. The exterminator's private parts are attacked by bugs. |
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ViolenceSome intense scenes involving menacing spiders, frogs, wasps, flyswatters, bullies, and the exterminator. Lucas is eaten, then spit out by a frog. After being shrunk down, he's in constant danger from the regular-sized humans. The ants threaten to dissect and study him. |
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LanguageSome name-calling, such as "Hey, Pukas!" Mild profanities, including "butt". |
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Social BehaviorCharacters bully others, take revenge, think only of themselves, and fail to see the "big picture" around them. However, the characters also learn important lessons about compassion, teamwork, and loyalty. Some burping and other bodily function jokes. |
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CommercialismMild, including jelly beans, potato chips, gossip mags, and other household and grocery store items. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoA "magic potion" is used to shrink Lucas. The exterminator smokes a cigar. |
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