Be warned: Animated and PG Ratings aren't automatic indicators that the movie is "Safe" for kids. It's really sad.
Today I watched the movie Antz. Here's my movie review and thoughts:
~Turning it on, I knew nothing about the movie other than it was an animated one that I haven't seen. I love animated flicks (yes, my dream is to be a Disney animator).
~I read the Netflix quick summary and learned, "In this animated hit, a neurotic worker ant (Woody Allen) in love with a rebellious princess (Sharon Stone) rises to unlikely stardom when he switches places with a soldier (Sylvester Stallone). Signing up to march in a parade, he ends up under the command of a bloodthirsty general (Gene Hackman) who's leading a war against a termite army. The all-star cast includes the voices of Anne Bancroft, Jennifer Lopez, Christopher Walken and Danny Glover. "
~I was puzzed by the title "Antz" why not call it "Ants" (why does the media purposely choose to spell things wrong?) After watching the movie, I do have to admit that I LOVE the purposeful misspelling. The movie is about an ant named Z!
~I love the name "Insectopia" (it reminds me of shoetopia and flowertopia---the islands I create for my students each year during our map-making fun)
~At the beginning of the script, the ants are bringing their ant babies to get their vocation determined. It brings up an interesting concept of having your future determined for you and tracking kids at a very young age into that profession.
~The plot takes on interesting topics such as individualism, conformity, and teamwork.
~OKAY, BUT THE REAL REASON I'M BLOGGING ABOUT AN ANIMATED MOVIE....
I WAS HORRIFIED BY THE AMOUNT OF "mild language" THAT WAS IN IT.
(The PG rating was for "mild language and menacing action." PG meant it was "ok for kids 8+")
I'm sorry but movie makers do NOT have to include certain words in a show whose primary audience is kids. You can still get across the point that he was a "bad guy" or "really mad" without using choice phrases. After watching the show, I went to screenit.com (great movie site--it can tell you lots!) and here's what I mean...
According to screenit,
there are at least 4 damns, 2 hells, 2 craps, 1 ass and 2 uses of "Oh my God" as exclamations.
AND it includes these phrases that kids could imitate: "Geez," "For crying out loud," "Come hell or high water," "Idiot," "What are you bitching about?," "Losers," "Nuts" (crazy), "Let's kick some termite butt," "Creep," "Twerp," "Bite me," "Bagging" (other ants talk about Z "bagging" Bala), "Buzz off," "Who the hell is that?," "Tight ass," "Freak" and "Ungrateful maggot."
YEAH. I DID A DOUBLE TAKE ON A FEW OF THOSE! I ASKED MYSELF, "DID THEY REALLY JUST SAY WHAT I THOUGHT THEY SAID?!?!?" (and me being the nerd that I am, I'm watching it with closed captions, so it confirms my disbelief.)
~Call me old fashioned, call me a prude, call me overly sensitive, but I was offended. If I was a parent, I would seriously consider the film's appropiateness. I know kids hear much worse and are exposed to much worse, but I wouldn't feel comfortable showing this in my classroom. It's sad.
~Bottom line: it's unfortunate that animation can be morally questionable entertainment. Look at the Simpsons. Look at Family Guy. Those are animated, but definately directed toward adults, not kids.
