Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Sept 11, 2016 17:09:21 GMT -5
Bee Movie
Dir. Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner
Premiered November 2, 2007
Bee Movie is exactly the kind of film you’d expect from Dreamworks at the tail end of its mission to make fun of Disney and particularly Michael Eisner. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a movie whose trailer contained no footage from the actual film. It’s exactly what you’d expect of a film where Jerry Seinfeld attempts to play an actual character. And it’s exactly what you’d expect from the kind of movie that got product placement on 30 Rock. Let’s talk about it.
Seinfeld plays Barry Benson, a recently graduated bee looking to start his career in the honey business. Faced with the terrifying prospect of doing the same job forever, he goes outside the hive with the elite “pollen jocks” (led by Rip Torn) and ends up in the home of kindhearted florist Vanessa Bloome (Renée Zellweger), who saves his life. Barry then breaks bee law by thanking her, revealing that bees can talk. While Barry’s friendship with Vanessa alienates her highly allergic boyfriend Ken (Patrick Warburton), his discovery that humans have been enslaving bees to produce honey starts a lawsuit for the ages, with unexpected consequences of its own.
Bee Movie is weird; everything about it suggests that this went through many, many drafts, none of which were satisfactory as a whole. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not good. It varies from a re-hash of Dreamworks’ debut animated feature Antz, tries for consumerist satire, parodies courtroom drama with weird racial overtones, and then ends up as an environmental fable that inadvertently endorses slavery. It even gets a parting jab at Disney when Winnie the Pooh gets shot with a tranquilizer gun (meaning yes, Winnie the Pooh is a sentient being in the “real” world presented here).
While the film has its share of veteran voice actors (notably Patrick Warburton as Ken and John Goodman as the defending attorney), it’s far from their best work, and the biggest celebrity voices are severely wanting. I have no idea why Jerry Seinfeld was picked to play Barry, but evidence suggests the film went through a lot of replacement cast members, and his contribution can’t have been the first. Renée Zellweger is the worst, however, awkwardly rushing through her lines in a manner reminiscent of Ewan McGregor’s uncharacteristically horrible performance in Robots.
In short, Bee Movie is a camel, a haphazardly constructed, endlessly retooled contractual obligation of a film. It’s heavy on plot but light on story, and has some decent jokes but never builds up to a coherent whole, and borrows so blatantly from other animated films as to be little more than a self-parody. The good news is that Bee Movie’s inability to turn a profit helped Dreamworks Animation turn the page toward more passionate, non-disposable work.
Signs This Was Made in 2007
Almost all the dated cultural references take place in the courtroom segment. John Goodman’s attorney character accuses Barry of being on steroids, and researches by reading The Secret Life of Bees. Barry spouts puns about Halliburton and Enron, and references the Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Additional Notes
Dir. Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner
Premiered November 2, 2007
Bee Movie is exactly the kind of film you’d expect from Dreamworks at the tail end of its mission to make fun of Disney and particularly Michael Eisner. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a movie whose trailer contained no footage from the actual film. It’s exactly what you’d expect of a film where Jerry Seinfeld attempts to play an actual character. And it’s exactly what you’d expect from the kind of movie that got product placement on 30 Rock. Let’s talk about it.
Seinfeld plays Barry Benson, a recently graduated bee looking to start his career in the honey business. Faced with the terrifying prospect of doing the same job forever, he goes outside the hive with the elite “pollen jocks” (led by Rip Torn) and ends up in the home of kindhearted florist Vanessa Bloome (Renée Zellweger), who saves his life. Barry then breaks bee law by thanking her, revealing that bees can talk. While Barry’s friendship with Vanessa alienates her highly allergic boyfriend Ken (Patrick Warburton), his discovery that humans have been enslaving bees to produce honey starts a lawsuit for the ages, with unexpected consequences of its own.
Bee Movie is weird; everything about it suggests that this went through many, many drafts, none of which were satisfactory as a whole. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not good. It varies from a re-hash of Dreamworks’ debut animated feature Antz, tries for consumerist satire, parodies courtroom drama with weird racial overtones, and then ends up as an environmental fable that inadvertently endorses slavery. It even gets a parting jab at Disney when Winnie the Pooh gets shot with a tranquilizer gun (meaning yes, Winnie the Pooh is a sentient being in the “real” world presented here).
While the film has its share of veteran voice actors (notably Patrick Warburton as Ken and John Goodman as the defending attorney), it’s far from their best work, and the biggest celebrity voices are severely wanting. I have no idea why Jerry Seinfeld was picked to play Barry, but evidence suggests the film went through a lot of replacement cast members, and his contribution can’t have been the first. Renée Zellweger is the worst, however, awkwardly rushing through her lines in a manner reminiscent of Ewan McGregor’s uncharacteristically horrible performance in Robots.
In short, Bee Movie is a camel, a haphazardly constructed, endlessly retooled contractual obligation of a film. It’s heavy on plot but light on story, and has some decent jokes but never builds up to a coherent whole, and borrows so blatantly from other animated films as to be little more than a self-parody. The good news is that Bee Movie’s inability to turn a profit helped Dreamworks Animation turn the page toward more passionate, non-disposable work.
Signs This Was Made in 2007
Almost all the dated cultural references take place in the courtroom segment. John Goodman’s attorney character accuses Barry of being on steroids, and researches by reading The Secret Life of Bees. Barry spouts puns about Halliburton and Enron, and references the Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Additional Notes
- The movie has several jokes at the expense of Ray Liotta of all people. Considering Liotta’s other contribution to film in 2007, it’s well-deserved.
- This is the only animated film I’m aware of that depicts my hometown of Pasadena– if briefly. It’s very weird.
- Time magazine accused the film of ripping off those Nasonex commercials. Because Time.
Also in Theaters
American Gangster and Bee Movie premiered November 2, 2007. The same weekend saw the debut of Martian Child, one of John Cusack’s star vehicles that probably looked good on paper.
Next Time: Lions for Lambs
American Gangster and Bee Movie premiered November 2, 2007. The same weekend saw the debut of Martian Child, one of John Cusack’s star vehicles that probably looked good on paper.
Next Time: Lions for Lambs
