ANTZ
Directed by : Eric Darnell, Lawrence, Guterman, & Tim Johnson
Starring the voice talents of : Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Lopez, Dan Ackroyd, Danny Glover

Antz, from PDI and Dreamworks Pictures, is a story about a worker ant named Z who yearns for freedom and the princess, Bala. Throughout this adventure, the visuals of the film help convey the themes of society, class, and popular culture. Unlike typical animation, Antz is directed to more mature audiences with its serious story line, but also in its appearance, moving towards realism rather than cartoon.

From the opening credits sequence, where a magnifying glass reveals tiny speckles to be the cast list, we are already presented with messages that are given off through the visuals. It is a good introduction to show us that we are about to see things in another perspective.

The opening sequence starts off with a cityscape which will later be used at the end of the movie. The movie is symmetrical, in that in opens and ends with a couple recurring visuals. The cityscape is the first. As the cityscape transforms cleverly into grass, the camera moves down revealing a cross-section view of the ground, then into an overhead shot of Z. Throughout the movie, two camera angles are used to remind us of that we are viewing things that are much smaller in scale. The overhead shot is one of these angles, as we look down upon the subject.

One theme of the movie is popular culture, and it’s reflected in the scene of Z talking to the psychiatrist. This is a reference to one of Woody Allen’s, who voices the character, previous films. The opening scene of the skyscape is also a reference to one of Allen’s previous films, Manhattan, where he uses the New York city skyscape. That may also be significant, since the setting of Antz is Central Park. Throughout the film, various other movies are referenced. Popular culture is also shown visually through popular icons such as Pepsi and Reebok, which will be seen later in the film.

The next stunning visual is when Z peers out the window, and the camera pans out and around the ant colony. Those first scenes of the cavern give us a glimpse of the action and ideas that will come later in the movie. The camera is panned wide, to give us a full view of the cavern and crowds of ants. These epic-like camera shots help to draw the us into the movie and grab our attention from the start.

Antz contains a number of breakthroughs in 3D animation. One is crowd systems, which is first shown here. To help with the theme of individualism, all the ants move in the same, robotic, fashion. However, upon closer inspection, they all are different in appearance, from facial to body features. The advance in computer technology helped PDI achieve this, and these crowd shots will be used numerous times throughout.

From this opening scene, the first color scheme is also introduced. Dull earthtones reflect the serious nature of the film, rather than bright colors normally associated with animation. However, there is one change in this scheme, and that comes with the queen. Whenever the queen is viewed, there is a light coming from either above or behind her, a visual effect to show her importance.

The second recurring sequence that shows the movies symmetry comes as a group of worker ants come together to form a wrecking ball, an amazing visual in 3D animation. This is also another example of the crowd system technology.

After the first few sequences of the movie, most of the characters have been introduced. Raman Hui, the character designer, has given us characters that each have enough individual traits to make them recognizable. Basing most of their design on the voice actors’ appearance and physical gestures, they are delightful to view. From Christopher Walken’s long face to match the suave and menacing voice of Colonel Cutter, to Sylvester Stallone’s small headed, large thorax, Weaver to even the square-jawed Mandible played by Gene Hackman. This is the second breakthrough in 3D animation that PDI has accomplished. With new technology, they were able to create realistic facial animation, consisting of individual muscle contractions, bone movements, eye rotations, and lid controls.

Close-up shots are used frequently. They help to show off this new technology in facial animation. Many times, the camera will be wide, to show off large crowds, or vast sets. But during character interaction scenes, the camera will close-up on the characters.

The first appearance of Mandible and Cutter, brings the second reference to popular culture. As Mandible discusses getting the workers back on schedule with the work supervisor, the scene and dialogue are almost exactly the same as that of Darth Vader telling the Admiral to get finish the Death Star according to schedule in Return of the Jedi.

The scene of Z and Bala meeting at the bar, brings two other references to Pop Culture. The dance sequence from the movie Pulp Fiction, and Michael Jackson’s moonwalk are both referenced. Also, another crowd shot is used, showing the other ants dancing in a robotic fashion, as Z and Bala move on their own. This helps convey the film’s theme of individualism. All the ants are lined up in a grid type fashion. This is a visual motif that will also be seen throughout the film. As Z and Bala continue to dance differently, the scene shifts from order to chaos, as a brawl breaks out.

The first of three nighttime scenes occurs after the brawl. This is where Z gets his chance to switch places with Weaver. The first of three significant changes that will affect everything that happens afterwards.

As the ants mobilize their army, the lined up soldiers once again form that grid pattern. The march before Mandible is another Pop Culture reference, referring to the Nazi march before Hitler. This is also another great use of the crowd system. Mandible gives a speech within this scene, the first of four. In all four speech scenes, the posture and style is a reference to the movie Patton, as he mimics George C. Scott’s performance.

As the soldiers march out, another great usage of the crowd system is used as Z gets pushed back into place. The soldier ant who pushes him seamlessly falls right back in step with the rest. The camera pans out into a wide shot, to remind us of the scale at which everything is. This happens frequently. As the we, the viewers become involved in the rich visual sequences presented, we begin to forget that we are viewing things that are of a minute scale. And just as that begins to happen, the camera is pulled back to remind us of the scale. Yet the immense detail still remains.

This the first scene (aside from the opening) where we are outdoors. It is a nighttime setting, which helps set the mood for the upcoming battle. The second color scheme is used here. Blues and grays dominate throughout this sequence. The battle scene is a gruesome one, uncommon in American animation. Bodies are mangled and maimed. It helps show that epic scale that the filmmakers try to get across. Which is a contradiction in terms, since everything is on a small scale, yet is viewed in epic fashion.

This is the second nighttime scene, where once again, Z is given the chance, this time to be a hero, and will affect the events to come.

The battle ends at daybreak. The scene of dead ants and termites is a rare sight for an American animation. It’s almost disturbing as Z talks to a bodiless head. As is common for most war movies, the pull away shot of the lone survivor among the countless dead is used here. Another crowd system scene is used as Z is cheered on by his fellow ants. As Z and Bala fall out of the anthill and outside, we see the outside world in daylight. Earthtones are still the color scheme, but they are no longer dull. They are much brighter, and give off a feeling of excitement.

The magnifying glass is seen for the second time in the movie, yet this time it is used in another fashion. The highly dramatic beam of light from the magnifying glass is a rich visual effect used. It then, in an Indiana Jones type fashion, chases Z and Bala. A worm’s eye view, the second unusual camera angle used, shows the magnifying glass scanning for its prey, almost like a space ship or helicopter from other films looking for their targets. This under shot once again gives us the feeling of scale.

Also in this outdoor atmosphere, objects are less angular and curves and circles can be seen more. This helps the individualism theme as we move away from the robotic movements of the ants in the colony.

Movie references are brought back again, as Z and Bala bicker such as in Woody Allen’s Love and Death and Manhattan Murder Mystery. And once again, the grid motif is scene on the ground that Z and Bala walk on.

The third technological breakthrough is seen as water is shown for the first time. In 3D animation, water is one of the hardest things to animate because of the way it looks and feels. Yet with new technology, PDI was able to create realistic looking and moving water animation. The overhead and worm’s eye camera angles are used back to back in the sequence of the water drop. Once again, it’s a visual element used to remind us of scale. As Z and Bala cross the "lake" in their leaf "boat," the camera pans wide to give us that epic feeling again, and to treat us visually to the animated water.

At the colony, Mandible gives the second of his four speeches, this time rallying the works back into their place.

When Z and Bala reach Insectopia, the third color scheme is shown. Bright reds, blues, greens, and yellows brighten up the atmosphere. The grid motif can be seen again in the checkered picnic blanket. Pop Culture icons such as Pepsi and Mountain Dew can also be seen. And just as the water was a visual treat, so to is the saran wrap. Both are hard to animate because of their reflective surfaces, yet the filmmakers were able to pull them both off perfectly. The grid motif is yet again scene as a fly swatter comes down. The earth shaking from the footsteps is similar to that scene in An American Tail. And another Pop Culture reference is scene in the Reebok tennis shoes. This scene also references one of the Star Wars films again. As Bala is stuck to the shoe, and the camera uses Z’s point of view, a worm’s eye shot, it is similar to the scene of Luke Skywalker looking up at the At-At in The Empire Strikes Back. This "shoe" sequence uses a variety of camera angles and brings back a large sense of scale. The detail of the shoelaces as Z climbs them as though it were the Empire State Building, the detail of the tread under the shoe, camera shots from Z and Bala’s points of view moving down towards the ground, and up at the sun. All give the viewer a sense of scale as well as exciting visuals. The sequence can also be seen as giving off a roller coaster ride type feeling. And once again, a Pop Culture reference is given as a penny in large scale is seen.

Back at the ant colony, where the dull earth tone color scheme is still in use, the interrogation of Weaver gives yet another reference to a movie. This time, it’s a reference to a previous Sylvester Stallone movie. His swollen eye, cut lip and cheek, and tired expression are almost exactly identical to his appearance in Rocky.

Back at Insectopia, the love sequence is similar to those of movies from the 70’s and early 80’s, where all dialogue is dropped out, and everything is visual as a song is played in the background. Insectopia is presented as a theme park type atmosphere. This is a pun at Disney, who would, five weeks later, release their own 3D animated, bug movie, A Bug’s Life. The third and final nighttime sequence happens here, and Bala is kidnapped, forcing Z to return to the colony which will lead him to save them as well. These three night sequences are significant, as they also mark the transition from location to location.

Mandible gives his third speech before the colony, another great crowd system sequence. The most magnificent water animation scene comes in a epic type flood (a slight reference to Titanic). As producer Brad Lewis states, "Even if you haven’t analyzed what makes water look like water, your eye knows how water should move, how it reflects and refracts light, how it turns white when it becomes aerated after crashing into an obstacle, and so on. In nature, water exists at many different scales from water drops to puddles to rivers to lakes to massive oceans. And, each type of water requires a very different technique for generating the right look and motion in computer graphics. On Antz, we were blessed with the challenge of tackling water in all of these situations." And in this flood sequence, it’s the proverbial "cherry on the sundae." This is probably the second most memorable scene in the movie (the first being the "shoe" sequence). The water moves, looks, and behaves so realistically, it seems almost as if it was a live-action element integrated into the film.

The image of the large group of worker ants forming a wrecking ball, is brought back, as the ants form a giant ladder. Above ground, Mandible gives his fourth and final speech, once again, the troops are lined up in that grid type fashion. Both these shots continue to use the crowd system animation technique, the ladder being one of the more amazing sequences. In the parting shot, the camera pans out an away, as the ants, their hill, and even the patch of dirt become barely visible. The skyscape of the city is seen again as in the opening of the movie, and the film ends with that as the parting shot.

Music plays a part throughout the film as well, supporting the visuals and helping the flow of the story. The scenes with the dull earthtone color schemes use slower music, while the brighter color schemes have a much faster tempo.

All together, the movie using various recurring motifs and opens and ends with the same basic shots. The colors help move the story from location to location, scene to scene. And the camera angles bring a both excitement and stability, reminding us of the small scale in reality, yet epic in another perspective. Constant usage of crowd scenes having a number of different ants appearance wise helps with the theme of individualism. And the constant referrals to previous movies and pop icons enhances the theme of popular culture.

-JoE-
©1999 JMR