Bee Movie

Who: Bill & Melanie
What: Bee Movie
Where: Pay-Per-View
Why:Just wanted to see it.

There was plenty of “buzz” (sorry!) surrounding the computer animated Bee Movie, released in 2007 by DreamWorks Animation. Much of the attention was due to it being Jerry Seinfeld’s first major film project since Seinfeld ended in 1998. Was the over-hype worth it? Probably not.

However, Bee Movie is a cute, entertaining story about Barry B. Benson. When he temporarily leaves the hive to explore the human world, he encounters a series of near fatal accidents. However, Barry is bee-friended (ha!) by a human female named Vanessa Bloom, who owns a flower shop. While on a visit with Vanessa to a supermarket, Barry is horrified to learn that humans have been stealing and eating the bee’s honey for centuries. So what does Barry intend to do? Sue the humans, of course. You could say he becomes a “sue bee” (yes, another bad pun!). As for what happens next, you’ll just have to see. But I’ll take some of the sting away (boo!) and let you know that there is ultimately a happy ending for the bees AND the humans.

An all-star cast joins Seinfeld. Just some of the familiar voices heard are Renee Zellweger (Vanessa), Matthew Broderick (Barry’s best friend Adam), Chris Rock (Mooseblood the Mosquito), John Goodman (attorney L.T. Montgomery), Oprah Winfrey (Judge Bumbleden), Michael Richards (Bud Ditchwater), Patrick Warburton (Ken) and as themselves: Sting (yes, really), Ray Liotta, and Larry King as a bee version of himself.

Bee Movie is fun, though not necessarily full of outright laughs. The story is decent and the vocal talent is impressive. All in all, I’d say it fully lives up to its name as a Grade B---maybe a B- movie. Do as I did, and watch Bee Movie with your own honey.