A Bug's Life

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A Bug's Life

G

1998

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Flik is an inventive ant who's always messing things up for his colony. His latest mishap was destroying the food stores that were supposed to be used to pay off grasshopper Hopper. Now the strong-arming insect is demanding that the ants gather double the food or face annihilation. To avert disaster, Flik goes on a journey to recruit fighters to defend the colony. When he meets a band of high-flying circus insects, he thinks he's found his salvation.

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Critics Consensus

A Bug's Life is a rousing adventure that blends animated thrills with witty dialogue and memorable characters - and another smashing early success for Pixar.

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Rebecca Long

Observer

Dec 1, 2021

A-

Critics who write off A Bug's Life focus on the surface-level plot about Flik's individual perseverance ... But under this palatable veneer is a story about workers' rights.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Sep 7, 2011

B

A Bug's Life may be the single most amazing film I've ever seen that I couldn't fall in love with.

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

Jun 25, 2011

This animated fable teems with vivid creatures standing on their own countless feet.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Oct 4, 2023

3.5/4

Disney has triumphed yet again and “A Bug’s Life” is easily their best computer-generated effort yet. “A Bug’s Life” is a film for the entire family. Both adults and children alike will be thrilled and delighted.

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Jae-Ha Kim

Jae-Ha Kim

Jul 27, 2023

3/4

Following on the multi-legged heels of Dreamworks' often dark and somber computer animation debut "Antz," "A Bug's Life" is Disney's colorful follow-up to its mega-blockbuster "Toy Story."

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Michael Baumann

The Ringer

Jun 17, 2022

It may not have had the commercial success of Finding Nemo, or the franchise potential of Toy Story,' but A Bug's Life still deserves respect for its story and the place it occupies in Pixar history

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Logan W

@RT07534534 2 days ago

I thoroughly enjoy this movie. It's not perfect but is good for kids and adults alike. It has its funny moments as well.

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Albert K

@RT25296892 2 days ago

Has a lot of likeable and colorful characters, a simple, yet engaging story with a surprisingly nuanced underlying theme, great visuals and music, and in general another stepping stone in computer animation for its time.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 15, 2026

A Bug's Life = a *3.5* star Movie

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Alex B

@AlexBioni Aug 23, 2026

Think Outside the Box A Bug's Life is one of those movies I watched constantly as a kid, and it's just as good as I remember. The story isn't original, essentially being a kids version of Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, but that's okay. The voice acting is great, and the scale of everything makes the set pieces look fantastic. Bug City in particular looks incredible. The third act and the plan to fight back are also a lot of fun. The movie flies by and never really drags. The fact that this came out in 1998 is crazy because the animation still looks great today. I also love how the bugs almost have a stop motion look to them. They aren't stop motion, but they feel like they pop off the screen. I also love that Flick is an inventor. His willingness to think outside the box despite everyone doubting him is a great message for kids. The score is fantastic too and adds to the sense of adventure. Overall, this is a fun Pixar movie that has earned its place as a classic.

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Jacqueline R

@Murky140 Aug 20, 2026

A Bug's Life is fun and lighthearted although some scenes are scary

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True R

@Draftgrade Aug 20, 2026

Great movie for the kiddos!

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John Lasseter

Director

Andrew Stanton

Director

Dave Foley

Flik

Kevin Spacey

Hopper

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Atta

Hayden Panettiere

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Synopsis

Flik is an inventive ant who's always messing things up for his colony. His latest mishap was destroying the food stores that were supposed to be used to pay off grasshopper Hopper. Now the strong-arming insect is demanding that the ants gather double the food or face annihilation. To avert disaster, Flik goes on a journey to recruit fighters to defend the colony. When he meets a band of high-flying circus insects, he thinks he's found his salvation.

Director: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
Producer: Darla K. Anderson, Kevin Reher
Screenwriter: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft, Don McEnery, Bob Shaw, Geefwee Boedoe, Jason Katz, Jørgen Klubien, Robert Lence, David Reynolds
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Buena Vista International [us]
Production Co: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 14, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $162.8M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

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