Bee Movie Review

Join Janice Teh as she follows the Bees on a serious flight, really.

"Bee Movie" follows a fresh graduate from bee college, Barry. B Benson, who is about to begin his life-time (albeit a short one) career of mindless routine in the production of honey for the hive (otherwise known as the organization "Honex", which encompasses the whole colony). Desperate for some action, Barry ventures out of the hive and discovers the human world and makes his first human friend (and at the same time breaking the bee law), Vanessa, who as a florist, shares the same love for flowers.

However, Barry soon discovers the unpleasant truth – humans eat honey. The honey that bees have arduously worked their whole life for are being sold on supermarket shelves (and even on sale!) and its production could be traced back to honey farms – labour camps for bees. Outraged by this exploitation of fellow bees, Barry decides to sue the human race and ultimately succeeds in securing all honey in the world from humans.

The tragedy starts when the abundance of honey forces bees to stop working, and thus no pollination of flowers, causing all vegetation to suffer. Barry realizes his mistake in trying to make things "right", and restores the greenery with the help of his colony and Vanessa.

Full of bee puns and insect humour, "Bee Movie" proves to be a heartwarming film which will amuse young and old alike. The colorful and vibrant computer animations (which were most dynamically displayed during the bees' flight) certainly appeals to children and keeps the pace of the movie fast and energetic.

As with other movies targeted at children, there are underlying morals of working together as a whole and the importance of living interdependently in harmony. The mindless drone of the colony may also strike a chord with adults who feel the monotony of the working society. All in all, this light-hearted comedy will positively bring a smile to everybody at its heartwarming conclusion.

By Janice Teh