When I was younger I was huge fan of the movie “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”. One image that always stands out in my mind from the movie is the ants. In one scene in the movie the children get lost in the yard and the ants seem like monsters. That image of larger than life animals has stayed with me well into adulthood.
Life size ants are back to some extent in the movie “The Ant Bully”. In the Ant Bully a young boy named Lucas Nickle is terrorized at school by bullies. If you have ever been bullied, you know that a bully’s main purpose is often to make you feel like you are less of a person than they are. If you start to believe the bullys then you have low self esteem and think you couldn’t possibly be better than anyone else. That is the point that ten year old Lucas has gotten to.
After an unfortunate wedgie incident Lucas goes in search of something he thinks he can safely bully, and decides to take out his frustration on a colony of ants. The ants stand up for themselves and shrink Lucas down to their size so he can see what life as an ant truly is like.
This is a really cute summer than in the end will give children the strength to stand up for themselves, and a new appreciation for the world around them and the creatures living in it. The movie is filled with fantastic ant adventures, and some absolutely mesmerizing animation.
The movie is rated PG for a little bit of language and some mild peril and violence but should still be a good pick for any elementary aged child. I really enjoyed watching this movie as an adult so it could be a good pick for a family matinee this summer or a night out on the town with the kids.