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Get Ready To Feel Old, As 'A Bug's Life' Turns 20 Today

Get Ready To Feel Old, As 'A Bug's Life' Turns 20 Today

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Disney Pixar’s 'A Bug’s Life'

EMS 7

EMS 7

Get ready to feel old, because today marks the 20th anniversary of Disney Pixar's A Bug's Life.

The internet might've voted Toy Story the best Pixar movie of all time, as a film that changed the face of computer animation in Hollywood forever. However, the follow-up has continued to hold a special place in our hearts ever since it hit the silver screen on November 25, 1998.

While toys were the first step for Pixar's CGI studio, bugs were the next in line to be brought to life by director John Lasseter and the production team.

As you'll well remember, the storyline follows a misfit ant named Flick (voiced by Dave Foley) as he searches for creepy crawly warriors to help save his colony from a swarm of villainous grasshoppers. What he ends up with is a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.

Disney/Pixar

The story was simple, but the characters were complex and the loveable insects were created in a lifelike fashion by cutting-edge CG-animation that wowed audiences in the same way Toy Story had done just three years before.

It's hard to believe the pivotal feature-length animation came out twenty years ago - it seems like only yesterday we were all rooting for Flick and Co. to outsmart the evil Hopper and his dastardly sidekicks.

Although the film didn't rank quite so highly with the critics and the box office as its predecessor, the movie continues to pop into the collective mind of Pixar fans when asked to rank their top picks from the studio.

One of the reasons being that it appealed to the masses. Not only did audiences connect with each and every character, but the film became embroiled in a controversy that marked the start of a long-running feud.

We are talking, of course, about its battle with DreamWorks' Antz. Although both films featured CGI ants saving their colonies and working as heroes, they were remarkably released within six weeks of each other, leading to one of the most unexpected cinematic showdowns of the decade.

Dreamworks

It was particularly noteworthy due to the conflict between Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg - a former Disney exec who was chiefly responsible for bringing Pixar to the House of Mouse. He left, and went on to create DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

As pointed out by Den of Geek, 20 years down the line and it doesn't seem like a big deal. While both films were successful, they weren't placed in the top spot from either of the studios. However, at the time it truly was a big deal. "Aside from being a quite extraordinary back-and-forth, it sparked an implicit rivalry between the studios that wore on throughout the following decade," said writer Mark Harrison.

Whatever side you take, it's reported that the idea originally stemmed from Disney. And while Antz might be considered the more adult movie of the two, A Bug's Life is broader in its appeal, offering a more rounded story with stronger comedic tones.

So with that we wish the film a happy 20th birthday. But before the candles are blown out, we have no choice but to pose the question: will there be a sequel? After all, we've seen more or less every classic brought back by the Hollywood reboot mill in recent times.

Earlier this year, Pixar sent everyone into a frenzy with a tweet that said, "Try a new perspective," alongside a still from the original flick. Although eager fans showed that they were more than willing to welcome a sequel, it would appear this was nothing more than a motivational message.

Disney-Pixar/Twitter

Nevermind... it's not like we don't have Toy Story 4 to quench our thirsts. Until then, and to mark two entire decades since the release of A Bug's Life, why not gather your loved ones, dig out your A Bug's Life DVD and remind yourself of the magic you felt when you first watched it all those years ago.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Animation, Disney, Pixar