MovieChat Forums > A Bug's Life (1998) Discussion > Totally unlikable ants/How was Atta not ...

Totally unlikable ants/How was Atta not asking for it?

posted 11 years ago by pearlimaew
3 replies | jump to latest

Hopper's probably my favorite pixar villain. And honestly, I didn't find the ants very likable. When Dot is taken by Hopper, her mother cries out "My baby!" but does nothing else. When Flik is getting the crap kicked out of him by Thumper right before the revolution, the ants cringe and gasp, but do NOTHING to intervene. I completely understand the idea of being frightened of the stronger group but can you at least TRY to help this total innocent? As a child watching Dot getting grabbed by Hopper I was a little aghast at how quiet her family was in the face of her danger. Your baby is being tortured! Cry! Beg! Offer Hopper the moon! DO SOMETHING! Their immobility while Flik was getting thumped around was a little more understandable I suppose but still...ugh. Worthless insects.

Also when Hopper first comes down into the anthill he asks where the food is and Atta says "Isn't it up there? The food was on a leaf...are you sure it's not up there?" I understand that this was born of her having a mini panic attack, but I still always sided with Hopper's response--"Are you saying I'm stupid?" And again we see just how unlikable the ants are when the queen does not immediately jump in to handle the situation, we have to wait until Hopper points out that Atta is NOT THE FREAKING QUEEN, WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS???

Hopper for President.

[–] www1125 11 years ago

Yeah, I was quite surprised that Flick was the only one to say anything when Dot was being tormented. And nobody even seemed to be greatful for him standing up for her. The ants were pretty messed up. I watch this mainly for Hopper and his crew, and the circus bugs.

[–] watcher101 11 years ago

The ants were too scared. They weren't thinking of things in terms of superior numbers, but in one on one. This was the point Hopper was trying to make when he buried his gang members in grain. As for the queen, she was quite up there in years, so she couldn't really challenge Hopper, but yes, she could have begged and pleaded or something. She was probably praying that Hopper was just doing a scare tactic. The other ants didn't know what they could do and were too afraid to act. Flik was the only one brave enough (or stupid enough) to challenge him, and even he backed off when Hopper confronted him.

As for Atta, Hopper placed everything on her because she was in training to be queen. He was getting to her early. The reason why the ants probably didn't speak out before Hopper pointed out that she wasn't the queen was the conversation was between them. She began the discussion, Hopper was talking back, and anyone else should have stayed out of it. If she wasn't the queen, and therefore not in charge, she shouldn't have said anything to begin with.

[–] www1125 11 years ago

I can understand all that, but just standing there while a kid was being scared to death, and possibly in danger of being fed to that monster, I can't get behind the ants on that. I'm no fighter by any means, but I have a nephew I'm very attached to, and if he were tormented like that, I'd be all over Hopper. I'd probably die, but it'd be a sacrifice worth making.