On DVD: Bee Movie

 

 

Directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith

Featuring voices by Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Chris Rock, Patrick Warburton

 

I have to admit I am a big fan of animated films. Especially those with storylines involving animals or bugs of any variety. The good and the bad, I watch them all. So, how was Bee Movie? I popped in the disc to check it out. Dreamworks Home Entertainment recently released the 2 Disc “Very Jerry” edition on DVD.

 

The Movie

 

Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), a bee,  has graduated college. His parents urge him to follow the path of all the other bees in the hive and go to work producing honey for the largest honey company in the hive. Despite his best friend and others urging him to do what everyone else does, he leaves the hive to find himself.

 

He meets Vanessa (Renee Zellweger) after a terrible experience on a tennis court. She saves his life and places him lovingly on the flowers outside her window. He must convey to her his appreciation and speak to her, even though he knows speaking to humans is breaking the number one bee law. He speaks to her and a wonderful friendship begins.

 

She gives him insights on being a human, he provides her a glimpse into the world of being a bee. He doesn’t miss his humdrum life in the hive instead, spending his days with Vanessa. It seems like a match made in heaven, he is a bee, she is a florist.

 

When he discovers that honey is consumed my humans and even sold at discount prices, he decides to sue the human race for exploiting the lives of bees. What will be the outcome of the trial? And, can a bee ever win the heart of a woman? Do bees really make that big of a difference in our world after all?

 

Bee Movie has some amusing moments. It was refreshing that the script wasn’t reliant on poop and fart jokes in order to keep younger viewers entertained. However, the overall film doesn’t provide many laughs during the running time. I might have chuckled once or twice, but that is all.

 

I think that Jerry Seinfeld, who not only voices Barry but was a co-writer, sensibilities aren’t right for a kids film. His jokes feel alot like a Seinfeld episode, which is fine for adult entertainment, but not an easy fit in a family film environment. His humor feels too dry and neurotic  to make this film really pop. The best way I can describe it is Bee Movie is too much Woody Allen and not enough Woody from Toy Story.

 

The voice work by all involved is solid. The animation is crisp and colorful. The plot is predictable and falls a bit to easily into “conformity just feels right” feeling at the end.

 

However, the bar for animated films is set very high. When you have wonderfully written films such as Ratatouille, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Curse of the Warerabbit, and virtually anything produced by Pixar or Aardman Animation, films like Bee Movie pale in comparison.

 

If you are just a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld or want your kid to watch something better than  a Barbie film or Naruto episode, Bee Movie is an okay choice for an evening rental. It doesn’t have to take up space in the home library.

 

6/10

 

The Video

 

Bee Movie  is presented in widescreen. The colors are very vibrant with a nice depth to the color black. I did not notice any instances of grain or artifacts. The colors pop off the screen.

 

7/10

 

The Audio

 

Bee Movie is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with optional Spanish and French subtitles.  The dialogue is crystal clear with the dialogue easily understood and well balanced.

 

7/10

 

The Packaging and Bonus Features

 

Bee Movie is presented in a standard amaray 2 disc case with artwork that captures the spirit of the film nicely.

 

A plethora of bonus features await your discovery on this release. On disc one, the film is presented along with Jerry Seinfeld and director commentary, Alternate Endings, Lost Scenes, TV juniors, a featurette about Jerry promoting the film at Cannes Film Festival, Original Live Action Trailers, and Inside the Hive: The Cast of Bee Movie featurette.

 

On the second disc, the following bonus features are available: We Got the Bee Music Video, Pollination Practice Video Game, The Ow! Meter, The Buzz about Bees and Meet Barry B. Benson.

 

The bonus features are plentiful, albeit a bit repetitive. The younger viewers in your home will get more of a kick from the interactive bonus features on the second disc than those offered on the first disc. I just can’t imagine a kid listening to the commentary with Seinfeld or enjoying a featurette about casting. There are a lot of bonus features for this release so the score is pretty good in this category.

 

If you are bonkers for Bee Movie, you will get a kick out the bonus features. I was a bit underwhelmed with the film, so the bonus features were a bit tedious for me.

 

7.5/10

 

  

Overall (Not an Average) 6.5/10

The Movie 6/10

The Video 7/10

The Audio 7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 7.5/10

Overall (Not an Average) 6.5/10

 

 

Suzie Lackey