7. Ants - A Bug's Life vs. Antz (1998)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW3o5XyPT1M Boy, is this one a mess. DreamWorks' Antz was released just under 2 months before Pixar's A Bug's Life, and both films center on a ridiculously similar premise - a shy, retiring ant tries to save his colony in order to win the heart of a princess against extreme odds. Even though both films were highly successful, it didn't stop the two films evoking one of cinema's most bitter feuds. What Came First: Antz was reportedly started long after A Bug's Life was well known as a project in the animation community, with Pixar's John Lasseter and Steve Jobs believing that Jeffrey Katzenberg - who left Pixar to set up DreamWorks - had ripped off their idea. Furthermore, Katzenberg reportedly offered financial incentives to the animators to get the film ready in time to beat A Bug's Life to the punch, releasing first, but believed by many to have stolen the idea from Pixar despite Katzenberg's insistence he didn't. What Was Better: This is one scenario where audiences win; both films are great fun and vary wildly in tone. Antz is a more sophisticated, clever outing whereas A Bug's Life is lighter and better suited to young children. I prefer Antz, but it really can go either way.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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