Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Animation present a PG rated, 90 minute animated film directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith with voices by Jerry Seinfeld (Barry B. Benson), Renee Zellweger (Vanessa Bloome), Matthew Broderick (Adam Flayman), Patrick Warburton (Ken), John Goodman (Layton T. Montgomery), Chris Rock (Mooseblood), Kathy Bates (Janet Benson), Barry Levinson (Martin Benson), Larry King (Bee Larry King), Ray Liotta (Ray Liotta), Sting (Sting), Oprah Winfrey (Judge Bumbleton), Larry Miller (Buzzwell), Megan Mullally (Trudy) and Rip Torn (Lou Lo Duca).
Overall it's not at the level of "Shrek" nor as campy or as well developed as "Ratatouille" but it has quite a bit of moments that help to keep it going from beginning to end. Although the story takes a bit of a dive an hour in, somewhat like a bee in the rain, since they can't fly, it does pull itself back to life in the finale.
After Barry graduates from school, with all B's by the way, he and his friend Adam, nicely voiced by Matthew, along with hundreds of their close cousins in the hive are toured like a ride at Universal Studios of what life holds for their future. Worker bee's making honey everyday until the day they die never to leave the hive unless you're a pollen jock, who by the way go out daily to collect nectar. There are other positions in the hive of one queen, for instance tester bee's which go through an hysterical amount of new technology tests to help the bee's survive the outer elements, like attacks by human's. By the way, it is strongly against bee policy to ever speak to the human race.
The film has a blatant educational message that I believe does not get in the way of the humor of the story, "more pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey". Makes sense right? Well, when Barry gets the opportunity to fly one day with the pollen jocks he soon discovers that the outside world set in New York is filled with many obstacles, cars, windows, light bulbs, other bugs who by the way add a lot of levity to the writing, and of course the humans. After a battle with near death, Barry befriends a flower shop owner by the name of Vanessa, adequately voiced by Renee, who happens to save his life from the boots of Ken, her fanatic boyfriend. So, what better to do than say, thank you. Now the bee is out of the hive and the human population is aware they speak.
Every living creature has it's significant role in the balance of nature, deserving to live its life to the fullest. Vanessa wants to attend the tournament of rose's and Barry wants to sue the five major food companies for stealing honey from the bee's. After tracking down the source of the problem, "Honey Farms", Barry along with the help of Vanessa and Adam take on the human court system. Human thinking is, that bee's make the honey and they make the money but realistically Barry and the bee's think differently. After a publicity appearance on Bee Larry King, Barry not only takes on the manufactures of honey but the name brands behind them like "Sting" and "Ray Liotta". Does Liotta really have his own honey brand? Anyway, enter the "Smoking Gun" and the battle is over and the war is won. Not really!
For over 27 million years, bee's have been making honey and since they no longer had to, the balance of nature was broken. Without bee's working at their jobs there is not only no more honey but no pollination, no flowers, which means no produce like fruits and vegetables, ultimately no human race. Ok so the message may seem heavy but the bee movie really is not since it is done with a very comical yet suggestive story line. The only portion that threw me from the balance of the writing was the moment with the airplane but I guess every rose has its thorns! Albeit in the end, the sun shines bright, a funny hysterical movie is made and well the blood sucking parasites with a brief case still survive. No not Hollywood executives but rather insects at law, the lawyers. In the end don't get stung but rather check out this well animated family film at a hive near you. Both you and your honey will surely enjoy it!
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.