Don't Beelieve the Hype

Just a quick little movie review here. Lenore and I went to see Bee Movie, and I felt compelled to offer my review. I should preface my comments with Lenore's rating, which was two stars. I give it one star. Here's my Reader's Digest review:

It's pretty stupid.

Harsh? Perhaps. But look at all the hype this movie got. Plus, it cost me $5 bucks and 2 hours I'll never get back. It had a stellar cast -- Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, Kathy Bates, John Goodman and Oprah among them -- and yet the whole thing just falls flat. Patrick Warburton, who played Puddy, one of Elaine's boyfriends on Seinfeld and was also The Tick, is one of my favorite character actors, but he comes off as totally annoying and over the top(which, come to think of it, is kind of the type of character he's known for playing, but in a good way). There are odd cameos by Ray Liotta, Larry King, and Sting, which leave you wondering, "What was the point of that?" and can I just say here the vicious attack on Winnie the Pooh was totally uncalled for? Also, what's up with not even doing any research on bees? Seriously! Worker bees, which are the bees that make honey, are all female, but not in Bee Movie. Drones (male honeybees) do not have stingers, but they do in Bee Movie. Drones do not collect nectar or pollen, but they do in Bee Movie. Was this yet another Hollywood ploy to prevent women from playing in strong roles? Why was the queen's role (to have been voiced by Megan Mullally) completely cut from the movie? Coincidence? I don't think so! It was pointed out in the movie and in cast interviews that bees have a perfect society. So why the need to change female roles in a hive to male roles in a movie? I'm just sayin'. There were some clever moments, and I did chuckle at a few parts, mostly at the minutia that Jerry Seinfeld is so famous for spotlighting, such as Barry picking out a sweater: "Yellow and black stripe, yellow and black stripe, yellow and black stripe...ah! Black and yellow stripe! Perfect!" or Barry turning down a cake crumb because he's got to watch his weight: "It's the horizontal stripes, they don't help!" I also liked the idea that the bees build amusement park rides into their everyday lives, which is why they never need a vacation. BUT they're not supposed to talk to humans, because, as Barry discovers, it freaks them out. Yet soon after Barry and Vanessa develop a secret friendship (with creepy romantic undertones), bees are suddenly trying a case in court with a not very nonplussed judge and jury, on the front page, and flying a plane. I know it's a cartoon, but c'mon. So it turns out honey is not really all that funny, but with enough hype and marketing, you can still hoodwink the public.