Antz (G)

Cast: the voices of Woody Allen, Anne Bancroft, Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone Director: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson Rating: G
More Animal Farm than Dumbo, this often-hilarious, state-of-the-art, computer-animated feature comes with only one conspicuous failing: because it's in the mould of Toy Story and about insects, adults might think it is just a kids' movie. Way wrong.

The graphics aside - and they are so remarkable it's enough just to say you need to see them - this is a story which works on many levels, has some wry political subtexts and, funnily enough for a film which has Woody Allen voicing the main character, starts on the analyst's couch.

There, way below ground, meek and insecure worker ant Z (Allen) is neurotically considering his upbringing as "the middle child in a family of 5 million" and how he feels insignificant. He's got issues to deal with but the shrink confirms his fears - "you are insignificant" - as all around millions of workers slave away in a giant colony surrounded by Maoist slogans such as "work will set you free" and "conquer idleness."

This is a subterranean state where soldiers and workers have clearly defined roles, and the totalitarian General Mandible (voiced by Hackman) nurses dreams of grandeur which involve marrying the queen's daughter Princess Bala (Stone) and getting rid of the worker ants to create a military state.

"Individualism makes us vulnerable," says Mandible, spouting yet another slogan.

At the core of the story, however, is the romance between Z and Princess Bala, who accidentally meet when she is slumming it down in a workers' bar.

While not exactly love at first sight on her part (you can imagine how the timorous Z/Allen handles the situation) she is taken by this worker ant who dances in a non-conformist way. Pulp Fiction aficionados will recognise it.

In the hope of seeing her again, Z swaps places with his friend Weaver, a soldier ant (Stallone), and takes his place in a military march-past, only to learn he is off to battle a termite army.

Through a series of mishaps, Z is the sole survivor of the battle, returns acclaimed as a hero, is recognised as a social misfit by the scheming Mandible and is forced to flee the colony, by accident rather than design taking with him a reluctant Bala.

Z's quest is for the legendary Insectopia which, in one of those twists of scale, he discovers in the place we humans might least expect.

With a script which crackles with adult wit, snappy one-liners and references to political ideologies ("we workers control the means of production, right?"), Antz is sophisticated, visually entrancing and a banner for individualism over conformity.

Kids over 8 will thoroughly enjoy it - there is enough romance and thrills in the story, and magic in the animation - but they won't get things like the condescending WASPish wasps, whose patronising demeanour towards non-flying insects is withering. On learning one is a princess, they dismiss her as "Eurotrash."

At a time when there are some exceptional films around - notably The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, Via Satellite and Mrs Dalloway - Antz is right there on the must-see list.

Use kids as your excuse by all means, but don't miss this one. *****- Graham Reid, Weekend TimeOut, 24/10/98