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★★☆☆☆
10 December 2007
This article is a review of BEE MOVIE. |
"It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice," Vanessa
Kids, it seems, never grow tired of talking animals, from Mickey Mouse to JUNGLE BOOK to THE LION KING to RATATOUILLE. However, fatigue seems to be setting in as non-franchise animations are not hitting the huge blockbuster dollars. Lacklustre fiscal success is also down to a glut of CGI product. The final reason is: how many different stories can you tell with talking animals? Over the last few years we’ve had rats (RATATOUILLE, FLUSHED AWAY), sea life (SHARK TALE, SURFS UP), jungle creatures (MADAGASCAR, THE WILD) and woodland inhabitants (HOODWINKED, OVER THE HEDGE, OPEN SEASON). Now BEE MOVIE joins the insect pantheon of ANTZ, A BUG'S LIFE and THE ANT BULLY, without much inspiration. Where are the new ideas?
Kids, it seems, never grow tired of talking animals, from Mickey Mouse to JUNGLE BOOK to THE LION KING to RATATOUILLE. However, fatigue seems to be setting in as non-franchise animations are not hitting the huge blockbuster dollars. Lacklustre fiscal success is also down to a glut of CGI product. The final reason is: how many different stories can you tell with talking animals? Over the last few years we’ve had rats (RATATOUILLE, FLUSHED AWAY), sea life (SHARK TALE, SURFS UP), jungle creatures (MADAGASCAR, THE WILD) and woodland inhabitants (HOODWINKED, OVER THE HEDGE, OPEN SEASON). Now BEE MOVIE joins the insect pantheon of ANTZ, A BUG'S LIFE and THE ANT BULLY, without much inspiration. Where are the new ideas?
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The first two SHREKs and Pixar’s oeuvre are the benchmark for wit and imagination, and Jerry Seinfeld’s name as star, producer and co-writer made BEE MOVIE enveloped with buzz (ahem!) as a contender to join them. Alas it is not to be, with only a smattering of decent gags, and an uninspired story echoing ANTZ’s – an insect fighting for his right to individualism and pursuing whatever career he wants. Seinfeld’s Barry B. Benson has graduated and now must choose a position in the hive that he will have for the rest of his life. Taking some time off to decide, he makes regular trips outside the community, and there he meets a human woman, Vanessa (Renee Zellweger). Barry breaks one of the golden rules and starts talking to her, where they become friends and he uncovers injustice to global bees.
Exciting camerawork giving a heady rush as Barry darts about, and the E-number style colour scheme of vibrant yellows mean that there is plenty of eye-candy, but the derivative plot, clunkily portrayed environmental message, and dearth of belly-laughs have Bee Movie placed in the mediocre cartoon camp.
There is arguably an extremely funny hint of a bestial relationship between Barry and Vanessa (unconsummated, obviously!) which, had it been played for laughs, would have had comedy gold written all over it. Maybe if there’s a sequel?
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