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The Ant Bully

Play trailer Poster for The Ant Bully PG 2006 1h 28m Kids & Family Adventure Fantasy Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
61% Tomatometer 114 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Tired of weathering constant attacks on their colony, ants shrink a destructive boy, named Lucas (Zach Tyler Eisen), to their size and sentence him to live among them until he learns the errors of his ways. Guided by his insect guardians (Julia Roberts, Regina King, Bruce Campbell), Lucas discovers a world he never knew existed and soon joins forces with his new friends to combat an exterminator (Paul Giamatti) who threatens their colony.
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The Ant Bully

The Ant Bully

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Critics Consensus

Sometimes inventive and witty, this animated adventure into an ant-sized world is a pleasant diversion.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi Outlook Jan 18, 2019
2/4
Hollywood animation can be boringly formulaic. And this one is all about some self-righteous moralising. Go to Full Review Brian Tallerico UGO Mar 24, 2007
Isn't clever or inventive enough to make up for its repetitive and lackluster storytelling. Go to Full Review Anna Smith Time Out Aug 12, 2006
Kiddie-friendly toilet humour, a whiff of suspense and familiar voice actors make it passably entertaining, but there's little warmth or emotional satisfaction to be had from its cynical characters. Go to Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) Dec 20, 2020
2.5/5
Unspectacular, but solidly entertaining animated adventure flick. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 2, 2020
2.5/4.0
It is hard not to be troubled by a film that seems obsessed with teaching about community and friendship, but ends up preaching more about conformity and self-sacrifice. Go to Full Review Jane Boursaw Common Sense Media Jan 1, 2011
4/5
Cute animated movie with a message for kids. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Derick C @RT27486417 Sep 4, 2026 My childhood, wanting the sequel See more diogo13 T @Tua_mera Jul 12, 2026 Completamente inadequado para crianças. See more Mateo S @Moviestar243 Mar 20, 2026 Whatcha gonna do about it, critics? Nothing because I'm big and you're small! Gee, I loved this movie as a little kid! And you know, this movie is fun, it reminds me of Disney-Pixar's A Bug's Life from 1998, but with ants instead of bugs and a human undercover. See more CID MARTIN RUSSELL S. L @CIDSTER Oct 1, 2025 Sheesh, "The Ant Bully" really can't have the courage to stand out as an animated movie lauded by others in 2006, huh? Animation was almost completely dated that I would almost deem it unwatchable from its time. There were characters like Lucas Nickle and others that still seem weak and underdeveloped, even at the end of the story (plus, he's an annoying character). And most of all, a completely weak and thin story, so weak and thin I can compare it to "The Wild" and "Barnyard"! What a disappointment from this movie for me. I'd rather choose to watch "Open Season" and "Monster House" and other movies in 2006 than this hunk-of-junk of a poorly-excuted CG-animated story. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 21, 2025 Funny in 1 hour and 28 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG for Some Mild Rude Humor and Action!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $28,100,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Jaime A @Jimmy3302 May 21, 2025 I remember watching this movie as a kid, and watching it again is a fresh air, is not as good as I remember, but still enjoyable, there may be gliches, but entertains. See more Read all reviews
The Ant Bully

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Cast & Crew

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John A. Davis

Director

Zachery Tyler

Lucas Nickle

Julia Roberts

Hova

Meryl Streep

Queen Ant

Nicolas Cage

Zoc

Paul Giamatti

Stan Beals

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The Ant Bully

A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." On the set of the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." A scene from the film "The Ant Bully." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Tired of weathering constant attacks on their colony, ants shrink a destructive boy, named Lucas (Zach Tyler Eisen), to their size and sentence him to live among them until he learns the errors of his ways. Guided by his insect guardians (Julia Roberts, Regina King, Bruce Campbell), Lucas discovers a world he never knew existed and soon joins forces with his new friends to combat an exterminator (Paul Giamatti) who threatens their colony.
Director
John A. Davis
Producer
Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, John A. Davis
Screenwriter
John A. Davis
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Legendary Pictures, DNA Films, Playtone Productions, Warner Bros.
Rating
PG (Some Mild Rude Humor|Action)
Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 28, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$28.1M
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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