Posted: 11/05/2007

Bee Movie

(2007)

by Hank Yuloff

The little rug rat—all of 29 months now—was told early in the week that we were going to see the Bee Movie. She had no idea what it was, of course, but she saw the television ad and thought that the lead character was cute. We sat 20 rows back, dead center. As soon as the Warnings (trailers) were over I leaned over and said, “Ok… You ready? It’s time for Bee Movie!” She held up her hand and looked at me with that “talk to the hand, pal” expression and said “Shhhh, I am watching the movie.”

Ninety minutes later, when the credits were finished (yes, she is one of THOSE movie watchers) she cried because she wanted to see “the next movie.” I guess she thinks that Bee Movie 2 is just around the corner. So for the toddlers, the review is in and they think that Bee Movie is a HONEY of a film…

Bee Movie is the story of Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from BEE college, and is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On what should be a once in his lifetime trip outside the hive, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa, a human florist in New York City. As their relationship blooms, she discovers that bees can talk and have a very rigid society, and he discovers that humans eat honey without paying for the manufacturing process. That is when he decides to sue us to get all the honey back.

Logic takes a holiday in this film because how could a bee file a law suit? I guess that is why Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) took Steven Spielberg’s advice and made this a cartoon instead of live action. Probably a good idea, but with A Bug’s Life, I think I already saw a better animated film about insects.

The first third of the movie is the best. The set up and Barry (Seinfeld) meeting Vanessa (Renee Zellweger from Miss Potter) are the most creative part of the movie. Moving on from there, it becomes a put up of a courtroom drama—with John Goodman voicing the part of attorney Layton T. Montgomery, the mouthpiece for the dreaded Honey Industry. The funniest part in the courtroom is a cameo by Ray Liotta. There were many moments where I thought Montgomery was just going to swat Barry and call it Game Over, but I am thinking that the 29-month-old would NOT have been amused.

When the outcome of the trial is past, I am pretty sure there was an environmentalist message inserted into the film. In real life, it appears that bees are really disappearing and as we see in the film, without the bees doing their thing, humans are not going to be able to do THEIR thing—namely eat.

For more info on the whole bee thingie and how it affects us humans (and not the cartoon ones), go here, and here.

I enjoyed the film, but do have a few negatives. 1) I wish I could have gotten past Jerry Seinfeld’s voice, 2) it dragged a little bit in a few places, and 3) I am not sure why Barry is let out of the hive so often. If bees are supposed to get out of school and go right to work, then why is he allowed to languish? I know, it’s cartoon logic, but is it wrong to have a little bit of plot stability? 4) Why was Patrick Warburton (Vanessa’s boyfriend Ken) allowed to play the same type of character he plays in Rules of Engagement and several other projects? He is a funny man, and does not have to go over the top—SEE: Adam Sandler.

I know this is review is a bit of a non-recommendation, but to take the sting out of it, I will end by saying that people were swarming to get in to see Bee Movie. It is worth a look; but send out some feelers to your friends before you go into the theater.

Hank Yuloff is a film reviewer living in Los Angeles.

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