Jerry Seinfeld's big return is a B- at best. It's like honey sweet, satisfying, but it's not something that goes to your head. Even more so than Pixar's RATATOUILLE, this is an animated film for adults, which is not a negative comment in the least. Visually the little ones might find some of the sillier or more brightly colored moments entertaining, but most of it will buzz right over their heads. Where the film really succeeds is in creating its world. The parallels between the bee world and the human world are at times ingenious.
Barry B. Benson (Seinfeld) has just graduated from college. Because of their short life span, bees only have to go for three days. Barry and his best friend Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick, ELECTION) go off to their first day at the hive, where they have to choose one job to do for the rest of their lives. This idea scares Barry, who decides to head out into the outside world to see what is out there. Along his journey, he ends up almost swatted by the brutish Ken (Patrick Warburton, TV's THE TICK) if it were not for the pretty florist Vanessa (Renee Zellweger, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY). Barry breaks bee law and talks to Vanessa to thank her for saving his life. Quickly, Barry is smitten by Vanessa, and on a trip to the grocery store, he discovers the truth about human's theft of honey. So with the help of Vanessa, Barry decides to sue the human race.
Despite having different types of jokes ranging from puns to slapstick to pop culture references to adult situational comedy, the film has a Seinfeld stamp over all of it. The vibe somehow makes the different pieces gel. Only one moment where Barry and Adam's car drive to work is like an amusement park ride felt from out in left field where the pandering to the little ones takes place. Like most of DreamWorks' animated flicks, many of the cultural references will be lost on the youngsters. Will kids be befuddled during the Larry King parody? However, the Ray Liotta cameo is just funny whether you know him or not. Though the film is crammed with big actors in the voice cast, most of the voices nicely fit the characters. Kathy Bates and director Barry Levinson play Barry's parents Janet and Martin. Chris Rock, who has the best line in the film toward the end, has a very small role as the mosquito Mooseblood. John Goodman inherits the role of windbag lawyer Layton T. Montgomery. Rip Torn plays a sergeant bee Lou Lo Duca. And Oprah Winfrey is a perfect choice for the judge.
I enjoyed the movie. But with Seinfeld involved, I guess I expected something wittier or even funnier. How the film weaves in real facts about bee society are the best moments. I wish the story had been more like ANTZ and less like SHARK TALE though. The plot is very much like a sitcom mixed with courtroom and romantic comedy conventions. None of the characters' personalities stick out; they're just colorful. My level of disappointment is mainly due to my expectations going in. If you're looking for a fun entertainment then BEE MOVIE will satisfy your palate. There are a host of bad live-action films out there that don't have even an ounce of wit or intelligence, so this animated convection smokes them all.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
