The Bottom Line
- You'll have a new respect for bees after watching Bee Movie
- The jokes for adults won't offend younger viewers
- And there's more than enough of the mature humor to keep those older than 12 entertained
- The animation's not groundbreaking
- Has a few rough spots where the jokes don't really work and the story slows down
- Most of the film will fly over the heads of little ones
Description
- Featuring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, and Patrick Warburton
- Directed by Steven Hickner and Simon J Smith
- Rated PG for mild suggestive humor
- Theatrical Release Date: November 2, 2007
Guide Review - Bee Movie Review
Barry B Benson and his best friend Adam Flayman graduated from elementary, high school and college all within a matter of hours (remember, bees don't have a lengthy lifespan). Now on the cusp of adult beehood, it's time to choose which part of the honey-making process they'll be a part of for the rest of their lives. However Barry doesn't subscribe to hive mentality. No, he's an independent thinker who bee-lieves there's more to life than slaving away at the same job forever.
A trip outside the hive with the pollen jockeys opens Barry's eyes to the world of humans. Bee-friending a bubbly florist named Vanessa, Barry breaks the cardinal bee rule and talks to her. On a shopping trip with his new non-flying friend, Barry discovers people have stolen honey for bees and are selling it for a profit. This proves too much to take for Barry and he decides to put an end to the exploitation of bees by suing the human race.
To Sum It Up
There's not enough going on to keep the attention of the young ones, but adults who are jonesing for a Seinfeld fix after so many years without one have reason to 'bee' happy. The jokes are definitely aimed at the adult audience and there's even a nod at The Graduate, which is pretty daring for a film about insects. And Seinfeld, Zellweger, Warburton, and the rest of the voice cast do fine jobs of bringing the characters to life.
Loaded with insect puns, Bee Movie is, for the most part, clever, with everything from lawyers and big business to celebrity-endorsed products getting stung by Bee Movie's pointed jokes. Cute but forgettable, Seinfeld's animated film Bee Movie will make you think twice before swatting one of the yellow and black guys next time you're being buzzed.
GRADE: What else but a B?
