Jerry Seinfeld’s long-awaited animated project has finally made it to theatres. As the main character, Barry B. Benson, Seinfeld has lost none of his insightfulness in the search for humor in the otherwise inane. The visuals are stunning in this animated story that gives you a glimpse of the world from a bee’s-eye perspective, and Seinfeld has hit the mark pretty closely in hiring several recognizable voices from Hollywood’s elite and telling a sweet story that will have both parents and kids laughing.
Barry is a worker bee who has just graduated from hive schooling, and he’s ready to take on the tasks of an adult. He’s more introspective than the average bee, questioning why he must be relegated to one job for his entire life. Barry wants to see what the world looks like outside the hive - something generally forbidden for anyone who is not an elite bee bred for pollinating flowers.
Taking a risk, he heads into the outside world and stumbles upon a sympathetic human, Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellwegger, “Miss Potter”), who saves his life. When Barry wants to share his appreciation with Vanessa, his life truly changes.
There is plenty of sharp wit and contemporary humor in “Bee Movie” to appeal to adults, while there is an abundance of exciting and cute moments to keep a child’s attention. Some of the dialogue may occasionally be over the kids’ heads, but there is enough going on in the movie that you’ll hardly notice it. What is happening in the background is often as entertaining as what the main characters are doing.
The breadth of the story is surprising, since the story begins about one bee and his perspective on the world. However, the plot strays a little too far into the whimsical as a court case pits the bees against the honey industry. Past that point, the film gets rather dreary and far-fetched, as the story’s internal logic begins to slip away. The humor keeps coming, but the plot plunges dangerously close to losing its simple initial appeal. The film does end satisfactorily with the appropriate dose of humor as life gets back to relatively normal.
Laughs also come from fellow cast members Chris Rock (TV’s “Everybody Hates Chris”) as a mosquito, and Patrick Warburton (“The Emperor’s New Groove”) as a jealous human. There are allusions to “The Graduate” when Barry is unsure what to do with his life, and “The X-Files” as he uncovers a dirty secret unknown to most bees. The visuals were extraordinary throughout - you may feel a bit of motion sickness by the end from all the flying.
While I liked the story and laughed at the obvious - and sometimes more subtle – jokes, I did feel Seinfeld may have pushed a little too hard to find humor in the story.
Overall, “Bee Movie” is an enjoyable experience for the family with only a few minor failings - it lives up to its namesake, a “B”.
Rated PG for mild suggestive humor, and a brief depiction of smoking.
