Antz

Antz is a 1998 American animated adventure comedy film directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson and written by Todd Alcott, Chris and Paul Weitz. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI, the film features an ensemble voice cast, including Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Walken, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover and Gene Hackman. Some of the main characters share facial similarities with the actors who voice them. The film involves an anxious worker ant, Z, who falls in love with Princess Bala. When the arrogant General Mandible attempts to seize control of the ant colony, Z must combine his desire for purpose with his inner strength to save everyone.

Development began in 1988 when Walt Disney Feature Animation pitched a film called Army Ants, about a pacifist worker ant teaching lessons of independent thinking to his militaristic colony. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Katzenberg had left the company in a feud with CEO Michael Eisner over the vacant president position after the death of Frank Wells. Katzenberg would later go on to help co-found DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, and the three planned to rival Disney with the company's new animation division. Production began in May 1996. DreamWorks had contracted Pacific Data Images (PDI) to begin working on computer-animated films to rival Pixar's features. During its production, a controversial public feud erupted between Katzenberg of DreamWorks and Steve Jobs and John Lasseter of Pixar, due to the production of their similar film A Bug's Life, which was released a month later. The feud worsened when Disney refused to avoid competition with DreamWorks' intended first animated release, The Prince of Egypt. Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell composed the music for the film.

Antz premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 19, 1998, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 2 by DreamWorks Distribution. It grossed $172 million on a budget of $42–105 million and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the voice cast, animation, humor, and its appeal towards adults.

Anxious worker ant Z is suffering an existential crisis because everyone in the colony, including his psychiatrist, reminds him of his insignificance. At the same time, the colony's princess, Bala, is wanting to escape her suffocating royal life. While the worker ants are building a giant "Mega Tunnel" within the anthill, the leader of the colony's army, General Mandible - to whom Bala is betrothed - has declared war on an encroaching termite colony. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Mandible is sending only soldiers loyal to the colony's Queen on a suicide mission to engage the termites, in order to stage a coup d'état.

One night, Z hears about a legendary insect paradise, "Insectopia", from a retired scout suffering from PTSD at a bar which Bala visits. While there, she shares a dance with Z, who becomes smitten with her. Wanting to see Bala again, Z persuades his best friend, a soldier named Weaver, to exchange places with him for the army's royal inspection. The next day Z joins the army corps, where he befriends staff sergeant Barbatus; meanwhile, Weaver joins the digging crew, striking up a relationship with Z's co-worker, Azteca. Z is sent out with a platoon into battle, where the ants are overwhelmed by the termites and all except Z are killed. Afterwards, Z finds a bodiless Barbatus on the battlefield, who tells him to think for himself instead of blindly following orders before dying.

Z returns home, where he is mistakenly hailed as a war hero and is granted an audience with the Queen. Bala recognizes Z as a worker and Mandible orders him arrested. This prompts Z to panic and pretend to take Bala hostage as he escapes the anthill with her. The royal guards' attempt to recover Bala fails when they are incinerated by an intervening human child with a magnifying glass. Z's act of individuality inspires the workers and some soldier ants, halting productivity, but Mandible regains their loyalty by portraying Z as a self-centered war criminal, promoting the glory of conformity, and promising the workers rewards for completing the Mega Tunnel. However, Mandible's second-in-command and best friend, a flying ant named Cutter, begins to doubt Mandible's constant reassurances that he is acting for the good of the colony.

Z and Bala go in search of Insectopia, initially mistaking a human picnic for it, but are told otherwise by Muffy and Chip, a middle class couple of wasps. They are suddenly attacked by a human wielding a fly swatter, which kills Muffy, and Bala gets stuck on a piece of gum beneath the human's shoe. Z attempts to rescue her, but gets stuck as well; the human flicks them off the shoe, and they land in Insectopia, revealed to be a trash can overfilled with decaying food. After interrogating Weaver, Mandible learns that Z is searching for Insectopia and sends Cutter to find it. That night, Cutter arrives at Insectopia and forcibly flies Bala back to the colony. Seeing Z's desperation at Bala's abduction, a drunken Chip, mourning Muffy's death, flies Z back to the colony. Z rescues Bala and together they discover that the Mega Tunnel will flood upon completion and that Mandible intends to drown the Queen, along with the workers, and restart the colony with Bala as his queen.

Bala goes to save the Queen while Z attempts to stop work on the tunnel in time, but it begins to flood. Z and Bala unify the queen and workers into building a ladder towards the surface as the water rises. Meanwhile, Mandible gathers the soldiers on the surface and gloats about creating a new, stronger colony. When the worker ants break through the surface, Cutter betrays Mandible and helps them. An enraged Mandible tries to attack Cutter, but Z intervenes and he and Mandible fall into the flooded tunnel. Mandible dies striking a root and Z nearly drowns, but is rescued by Cutter and resuscitated by Bala. Z is praised for his heroism, and he and Bala become a couple. With Mandible gone for good, the colony is finally free with no rules and Z is finally content with his place in the world. The camera then zooms out to show the anthill is in Central Park in New York City.