2. Hopper - A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life is certainly one of my favourite Pixar films; it is as original and brilliant as the likes of Up, Finding Nemo, and even Toy Story itself, and it saddens me that people don't rate the film as highly as it deserves. It may be because it was sandwiched in-between Toy Story and its sequel, or perhaps little bugs and insects aren't as commercial as Toys and Monsters, but to this day I don't know why this film isn't rated as highly as other Pixar films, or why Pixar have only ever teased us with the idea of a sequel, as can be seen in the gag reel at the end of Toy Story 2. Rant over; now, let's look at Kevin Spacey's devilishly good performance as the evil and ruthless Hopper. Hopper is a very large and daunting Grasshopper who likes to enforce his power and will over Flick and his ant colony. Hopper is not only a physical threat, but he is also an intelligent adversary, who is made all the more menacing and authoritative due to the brilliant voice acting of Mr. Spacey. The design and look the Pixar artists gave Hopper is incredible. His body has so much character, as his outer shell looks hard and rough, almost like rock - seemingly impenetrable and therefore unbeatable. His look also gives him a history and emphasises a wealth of unpleasant experiences, such as having a damaged eye caused by a bird attack. This emphasises, along with the name of the Bug's Life attraction at Disney World Animal Kingdom, "It's tough to be a bug". I like how daunting and powerful Hopper is in front of the ants, but in the scenes where it is just Hopper and his grasshoppers, he shows signs of being anxious and even fearful of the ants if they every decide to stand up against him and his band of bullies. This gives the villain a weakness beyond that of the physical, which is always something I find interesting. Hopper's biggest fear and weakness is that of birds, his damaged eye revealing a past experience which almost cost him his life, yet in the finale of A Bug's Life, Hopper is not so lucky to escape a bird attack with only a damaged eye; this time he looses his life. Such a gruesome ending, which is made to look very realistic due to the animation and movement of both Hopper and the bird in this scene, makes this one of the most disturbing and unsettling moments in a Disney film, and to be honest, there have been quite a few.