Bugs! (Bugs! 3D) (Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure) (2003)

82% of critics liked it
(34 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(761 ratings)

Bugs! is a live-action 40-minute nature documentary filmed in the large IMAX format in 3-D. Shot on-location in the jungles of Borneo, the film follows the life cycles of the caterpillar known as Papilio and the praying mantis known as Hierodula. As a caterpillar, Papilio dines on leaves, builds a… More Bugs! is a live-action 40-minute nature documentary filmed in the large IMAX format in 3-D. Shot on-location in the jungles of Borneo, the film follows the life cycles of the caterpillar known as Papilio and the praying mantis known as Hierodula. As a caterpillar, Papilio dines on leaves, builds a cocoon, and becomes a butterfly before searching for a mate and laying eggs. As a butterfly, she survives by drinking the nectar from flowers. Meanwhile Hierodula catches flies for dinner, sheds his outer layer, and mates with a female mantis twice his size. Also includes large-format footage of other creatures, such as beetles, scorpions, tarantulas, frogs, and bats. Narrated by Dame Judi Dench. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 40 min.
Directed By: Mike Slee
Written By: Abby Aron, Mike Slee
Genres: Documentary, Art House & International

In Theaters: Jul 25, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Dec 11, 2007
Studio: SK Films

Critic Reviews

Dave McGinn, Globe and Mail
Much of what bugs do, unfortunately, isn't all that interesting.
Ronnie Scheib, Variety
Astute use of 3-D effects, accomplished insect wrangling and studious avoidance of gross-out elements make this acceptable for target family auds.
Melinda Ennis, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Does effectively showcase the life-and-death struggle waged constantly among creatures that, at least in numbers, dominate the planet.
Erika Gonzalez, Denver Rocky Mountain News
Thanks to specially built equipment, audiences are treated to a bug's-eye view of the stars' evolution from adolescence to adulthood.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
That hulking gorilla in King Kong and those rampaging dinosaurs in Jurassic Park have nothing on the amazing monsters in Bugs! in 3-D.
David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer
It's worth seeing just for the extraordinary time-lapse footage of the caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly.
Harry Haun, Film Journal International
An extraordinary inspection of a universe rarely invaded by motion picture cameras. You've never been here before.
Natasha Aitken, Empire Magazine
Bugs! doesn't rely on sinister spider shots for thrills: seeing these insects in their full, magnified glory is a spine-tingler in itself.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Trouble is, both the script and Dame Judi's delivery are a bit old-fashioned.
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
One of the finest movies that ever came to the IMAX at the Putnam, "Bugs! In 3-D" flies right into your face. And you'll like it.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
[Bugs involves] us emotionally with [its] subjects.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Entertainingly anthropomorphizes the insect residents of a tropical rainforest.
Sheri Linden, Boxoffice Magazine
The 3-D effect is terrific throughout, and the surround-sound design heightens the sense of being immersed in a lush tropical environment.
, E! Online
Learning stuff has never been this cool.
Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
The 3-D work is extremely effective, giving us a realistic, close-up view of insects unlike anything previously viewed.
Neil Smith, BBC
For once the 3-D is more than just a gimmick, transporting the audience to a Borneo rainforest so lush and verdant you can almost feel the sunlight on your eyelids.
Arthur Salm, San Diego Union-Tribune
Captivating, peppered with breathtaking images.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Cast

Judi Dench
as Narrator

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