The Ant Bully (2006)
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63% of critics liked it
(114 reviews) -
49% of users liked it
(87,645 ratings)
A kid who hates ants finds himself living among the six-legged critters in this computer-animated comedy-adventure. Lucas Nickle (voice of Zach Tyler Eisen) is a ten-year-old boy whose family has just moved to a new town, and Lucas isn't enjoying it much -- he hasn't made any friends yet,… More A kid who hates ants finds himself living among the six-legged critters in this computer-animated comedy-adventure. Lucas Nickle (voice of Zach Tyler Eisen) is a ten-year-old boy whose family has just moved to a new town, and Lucas isn't enjoying it much -- he hasn't made any friends yet, his big sister ignores him, his parents (voices of Larry Miller and Cheri Oteri) are occupied with their upcoming vacation in Mexico, and his loving but slightly crazy grandmother (voice of Lily Tomlin) is convinced space aliens are casing out the neighborhood. To make matters worse, the local bully has found Lucas and is making his life miserable, so the boy looks for someone he can push around -- and he soon finds a large colony of ants in his yard. Lucas takes out his frustrations by stomping, drowning, and burying the bugs, little realizing the ants see him as a threat to their safety and aren't about take his attacks lying down. Zoc (voice of Nicolas Cage) is a "wizard ant" who creates a formula that shrinks Lucas to the size of an insect, and the tiny boy is brought before the leader of the Ant Council (voice of Ricardo Montalban) and the Queen of the Colony (voice of Meryl Streep) to answer for his crimes against the ants. Showing compassion, the queen sentences Lucas not to death, but to live among them and see how difficult their circumstances can be. Nurse Ant Hova (voice of Julia Roberts) is put in charge of looking after Lucas, and with the help of Scout Fugax (voice of Bruce Campbell) and Forager Kreela (voice of Regina King), Lucas gets an eye-opening picture of how the other half lives -- just in time for Lucas to help the ants in an all-out battle against Stan (voice of Paul Giamatti), a pest-control man brought in to get rid of the bugs. Produced by Tom Hanks, The Ant Bully was written and directed by John A. Davis, who handled the same chores on the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- John A. Davis
- Genres
- Drama, Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jul 28, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Anna Smith, Time Out
Kiddie-friendly toilet humour, a whiff of suspense and familiar voice actors make it passably entertaining, but there's little warmth or emotional satisfaction to be had from its cynical characters.
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Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
... unnecessary ...
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Peter Debruge, Miami Herald
... The Ant Bully is just a great ride, but all that moralizing diminishes the fun of feeling ant-sized yourself and being immersed in Lucas's incredible adventures.
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Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
If the Ant Bully story is generic, it is never plodding. It zips along quite nicely, aided by the especially well-constructed action sequences.
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Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
[It's] a rousing adventure capped with just the right measure of sweetness... John A. Davis shows heaps of invention.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Julia Roberts
as Hova
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Nicolas Cage
as Zoc
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Meryl Streep
as Queen
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Paul Giamatti
as Stan Beals
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Zach Tyler Eisen
as Lucas Nickle
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Regina King
as Kreela
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Bruce Campbell
as Fugax
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Lily Tomlin
as Mommo
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Cheri Oteri
as Doreen Nickle
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Larry Miller
as Fred Nickle
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Ricardo Montalban
as Head Of Council
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Myles Jeffrey
as Steve
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Jake T. Austin
as Nicky
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Rob Paulsen
as Beetle
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S. Scott Bullock
as Glow Worm, Wasp Survivor
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Mark De Carlo
as Fly
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Frank Welker
as Caterpillar, Frog, Spindle
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Paul Greenberg
as Head Lice #1, Head Lice #2, Head Lice #3...
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David Kaye
as Guard Ant #3, Sleeping Ant #2, Wrangler ...
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Alfred Jackson
as Slacker Ant
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Ken Mitchroney
as Ant #17, Guard Ant #2, Wasp #8
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Denzel Whitaker
as Albert
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Casey Masamitsu
as Shigeko
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Bryan Fabian
as Fernando
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Creagen Dow
as Mullet Boy
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Jake Goldberg
as Helmet Boy, Nob, Red Teammate #1
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Keith Alcorn
as Ant #18, Pupa, Soldier Ant #3
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John A. Davis
as Ant #19
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Tom Kenny
as Ant #2, Ant #6, Ant Dad #1, Drone Ant
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Sarah Mensinga
as Mother Ant
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Nika Futterman
as Ant #1, Ant #7
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Scott Holst
as Ant #3
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Susan Silo
as Ant #4
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Paul Rugg
as Ant #5
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Larry Cedar
as Ant #8
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Nicole Sullivan
as Ant #9
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Candi Milo
as Nurse Ant #3
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Nissa Alcorn
as Billo
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Patrick Fraley
as Ant Council #1
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Tyler James Williams
as Blue Teammate #1
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Jared Goldsmith
as Blue Teammate #2, Red Teammate #2
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Austin Majors
as Blue Teammate #3
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Jaishon Fisher
as Blue Teammate #4
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Aaron Michael Drozin
as Blue Teammate #5
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Max Burkholder
as Blue Teammate #6
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Sam Green
as Red Teammate #3
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Colin Ford
as Red Teammate #4
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Kendall Sanders
as Red Teammate #5
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Shane Baumel
as Red Teammate #6
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Neil Ross
as Wasp #1, Wasp #5
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Bob Joles
as Wasp #2
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Wally Wingert
as Wasp #3
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Leon Morenzie
as Wasp #4
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Jonathan Teague Cook
as Wasp #6
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Sean Donnellan
as Soldier Ant #1
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Tress MacNeille
as Old Council Ant
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Richard Green
as Wasp Leader
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Don Frye
as Soldier Ant
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Clive Robertson
as Hova's Wasp
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Vernee Watson Johnson
as Head Nurse
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Earl Boen
as Old Wizard Ant
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Laraine Newman
as Ant Mom #1
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Billy West
as Ant Dad #2
- Alan Cumming
- Zach Tyler








