What You Probably Didn't About Antz (1998)

Note: This post will contain spoilers. You have been warned.

So in three days DreamWorks Animation will be releasing a new film titled The Boss Baby. Some people have mix feelings about this I'm just going to wait for the movie to come out then judge it but before I can do that let's go back to the past all the way back in 1998 and tell you some stuff you probably didn't know about Antz the very first DreamWorks Animation film. Also despite the numbering there is no specific order these facts are in. Anyhow enough of that let's get to it.

1. Woody Allen who plays the main protagonist Z recorded all of his lines in five days. He also supposedly nailed every reading he did for the character. This was also his first appearance in an animated movie. He also has an uncredited input on the finished screenplay.

2. Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally suppose to the play Weaver but when Arnold wanted to be paid for the role it went to Sylvester Stallone who would played the character for free.

3. Some of the actors have been in Woody Allen films such as Sharon Stone in Stardust Memories(1980) which would be her film debut, Sylvester Stallone in Bananas(1971), Gene Hackman in Another Woman(1988), Christopher Walken in Annie Hall(1977), and then three years later Dan Arkroyd would be in The Curse of the Jaded Scorpion(2001).

4. Some the characters share some facial features similar to their actors such Weaver's lips are based on Stallone's and the filmmakers even thought having Z wear glasses like Woody Allen but that was scrapped. However in the DVD commentary they say this was done before the actors were even hired.

5. In the movie there is a war between ants and termites both sides kind of lose because of the loss life in reality ants and termites actually do go to war and ants would win because of their larger numbers.

6. This is the first computer-animated movie to get a PG rating. The film was given this rating mainly because of all the swearing but when it's on television it's obviously censored that way all the kids at home can watch it but I'm surprised it didn't get a PG-13 rating or higher because after the Ants/Termites have their war Z holds the head of a decapitated ant soldier! How the hell is that a PG rating MPAA?!

7. Woody Allen says he felt uncomfortable watching Z because the character reminds him too much of himself.

8. Sarah Jessica Parker recorded lines for Princess Bala but then for unspecific reasons she was fired then replaced with Sharon Stone.

9. The title for the movie could somewhat be debatable because it could be Antz which is an obvious plural for Ants but the lopsided Z makes some think that it's Ant Z because the main leads name is Z which is also short for Z-4195.

10. During the flood scene which is also the climax of the movie no ants expect for the main bad guy General Mandible drown. This is because the filmmakers through it would have been too cruel.

11. In the movie Z is saved twice. The first being from Barbatus(Danny Glover) during the war between Ants/Termites then in the end of the movie he is saved by Cutter(Christopher Walken) from drowning.

12. Antz is the second computer-animated film to be made the first being Toy Story back in 1995.

13. Film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel(may they rest in peace) really liked this movie. They both praised the film, Roger says he liked because it's "sharp and funny" and Gene Siskel greatly enjoyed the film and has preferred over Pixar's A Bug's Life which was released the same year. Siskel has even placed it at number seven of his best films of 1998.

14. Antz was released on DVD on Mar 23rd ,1999 becoming the first feature-length CGI-animated film to be available of DVD.

15. At the bar scene Z says he doesn't drink from the anus of another creature. In the trailer "anus" is changed to "caboose". Either way it doesn't matter how you phrase it the ants are drinking out of some else's ass!

So there you have it the things you probably didn't know about Antz. If there's any that I missed I apologize. Anyhow I'm really looking forward to see The Boss Baby hopefully it's good or at the very least decent.