Review of Bee Movie (2007) by Makayla N — 29 Apr 2012

I'm not sure what it was about "Bee Movie" that made Jerry Seinfeld want this film to be his first project after ending one of the most successful TV sitcoms in history. There are a few funny-for-adult moments here, but the vast majority of this is strictly kiddie stuff and none of it is at the level of the Pixar movies.

In a year that saw the release of "Ratatouille", you really have to bring your A-game to get noticed, and this is not a film that can compete. Seinfeld has some funny lines here, but he's pretty much upstaged by Chris Rock in a cameo performance as a mosquito. He really livens this up, but it's all too brief.

There's absolutely nothing special about the paint-by-numbers animation. In a world full of technological advances, this curiously old school cartoon just feels dated. See this and "Beowulf" in the same week and you'll see what I mean. I did enjoy some aspects of the storyline such as the bee's work life, but then the film goes for the message and it lost me completely. I guess you can't have a cute, family friendly kids movie without teaching them all something along the way. In reality, all that does is mute what little fun the film had to offer in the first place. The message falls on deaf ears.

There's no doubt that Seinfeld is a very talented guy, but he should have spent those talents on a more deserving project than "Bee Movie". The film has a few moments in the sun, but for the most part, it's a disappointment. It won't make you go out and join Greenpiece or switch to organic honey, and it really won't make you laugh all that much either.