Bee Movie
Rated: PG
I had hopes that the heavily-marketed Bee Movie would be the year's best animated movie. While Ratatouille improved upon a repeat viewing, it can't compete with the pure delight, constant laughs, and quick wit of Jerry Seinfeld's animated-opus of Barry B. Benson, a honeybee that decides to fly outside the hive and ends up suing mankind for stealing the honey of his fellow bees. Reflecting on Bee Movie, it seems strange that this is the first time in Seinfeld's career he's ever been associated with animated film. His voice is naturally distinctive with a cartoony cadence and his observational humor posits worlds that could only be achieved through the limitless imagination that only animation can provide. The film suits his style perfectly, from the little jabs like calling a company "Honey-burton" to showcasing his former Seinfeld cast-mate Patrick Warburton (known to fans David Putty) as one of the greatest voice actors in the history of animation. I hate to keep comparing the film to Ratatouille but they're the year's two animated giants (Shrek the Third can go screw) and both focus on two usually unloved animals who decide to break out of their colony/hive and achieve their full potential through their interactions with humans. And while Ratatouille is certainly more thoughtful and intellectually engaging as it studies the place of the artist to their work and their relation to the world at large, Bee Movie has way more laughs and one I'd invite my family to see. Kids will love the slapstick humor but there are plenty of jokes that will go right over their heads and into the guts of their parent or guardian. It may not be as deep as Pixar's film, but Bee Movie has got solid lessons for the kids: watch out for the little guy, do every job well no matter its magnitude, and be thoughtful not only of your own community but of the world at large. These messages should already be familiar to the older members of the audience so I'll impart just one: When you’re laughing hard and non-stop, remember to breathe. Words by |