Lucas is a victim of bullying by the other kids in his neighbourhood; he takes out his frustration on those smaller and weaker than himselfthe ants in his gardenby flooding their colony with water.
Fed up with Lucas's destructive behaviour, and keen to teach him a lesson or two, ant-wizard Zoc creates a magic potion which shrinks the boy to insect proportions. With the now-tiny lad held prisoner in their nest, the ants set about showing Lucas the error of his ways.
Inevitably, Lucas realises that he was wrong to persecute the poor little bugs, makes a few new friends, and eventually risks his life to save the colony from a nasty exterminator who is determined to destroy all insects.
Thematically, the Ant Bully ain't exactly the most original of CGI movies: the 'bully' angle has already been tackled by both Antz and Toy Story; the whole 'talking insect' thing has been covered by Antz (again) and A Bug's Life; the 'shrunken-boy-in-the-yard' routine was done (poorly) in Arthur and the Invisibles; and the core message of 'tolerance for all others, despite their differences'well, that's as old as the (ant)hills!
However, none of this matters too much because, with so much beautiful animation, several stunning action sequences (highlights being an air assault by nasty flies, and a brilliant frog attack), hilarious one-liners (yellow rain!!!) and sheer inventiveness crammed into 88 minutes, it's easy to be a little forgiving.
Even the fact that writer/director John A. Davis's frequently lazy script pushes the limits of believability purely for narrative convenience doesn't stop The Ant Bully from being constantly engaging and very funny (just try not laughing out loud at the 'insect head' gag).
My advice is to try and ignore the weak plot devices: Zoc's inexplicable ability to make magic; the crazy gran with the fan fetish; Lucas's seeming indestructibility and eventual possession of ant powers. Manage to do that, and you should find The Ant Bully a satisfying and entertaining experience.
Fed up with Lucas's destructive behaviour, and keen to teach him a lesson or two, ant-wizard Zoc creates a magic potion which shrinks the boy to insect proportions. With the now-tiny lad held prisoner in their nest, the ants set about showing Lucas the error of his ways.
Inevitably, Lucas realises that he was wrong to persecute the poor little bugs, makes a few new friends, and eventually risks his life to save the colony from a nasty exterminator who is determined to destroy all insects.
Thematically, the Ant Bully ain't exactly the most original of CGI movies: the 'bully' angle has already been tackled by both Antz and Toy Story; the whole 'talking insect' thing has been covered by Antz (again) and A Bug's Life; the 'shrunken-boy-in-the-yard' routine was done (poorly) in Arthur and the Invisibles; and the core message of 'tolerance for all others, despite their differences'well, that's as old as the (ant)hills!
However, none of this matters too much because, with so much beautiful animation, several stunning action sequences (highlights being an air assault by nasty flies, and a brilliant frog attack), hilarious one-liners (yellow rain!!!) and sheer inventiveness crammed into 88 minutes, it's easy to be a little forgiving.
Even the fact that writer/director John A. Davis's frequently lazy script pushes the limits of believability purely for narrative convenience doesn't stop The Ant Bully from being constantly engaging and very funny (just try not laughing out loud at the 'insect head' gag).
My advice is to try and ignore the weak plot devices: Zoc's inexplicable ability to make magic; the crazy gran with the fan fetish; Lucas's seeming indestructibility and eventual possession of ant powers. Manage to do that, and you should find The Ant Bully a satisfying and entertaining experience.