"Bee Movie" Review

Dreamworks Animation
DVD
$29.98 or as low as $15.99 from Amazon.com

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld stars as the voice of Barry the young bee who faces the decision of his life when it comes time to choose his place in the hive. Barry just can't bring himself to accept having to do the same job for the rest of his life, so he (pardon the expression) worms his way in with the pollen jocks who gather pollen the hive uses to make honey. But Barry's first trip outside the hive takes a dangerous turn when he accidentally flies into the apartment of a human named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Barry breaks a bee law by talking to Vanessa in order to thank her for saving his life.

However, the story gets complicated as Barry learns that humans take honey from bees. He sees this as a gross injustice and sues the human race for stealing the honey from the bees. This being a comedy, of course he wins. The upshot is that since they no longer have to produce so much honey to keep the humans happy, bees stop working. So suddenly plants aren't getting pollinated and the whole world seems doomed because of Barry.

Its a simple story with very gentle and fairly predictable gags. Its aimed at the grade school audience, and Dreamworks has yet to master being funny without being gross or offensive as its rivals at Disney/Pixar have, so it won't entertain adults nearly as much as movies like Toy Story or Ratatouille. Still, its a perfect choice for family movie night.