The folks at Dreamworks decided to get a jump on Pixar's November release, A Bug's Life, by releasing Antz two months early. And much to my surprise, I'm happy to report that Antz is one of the more enjoyable films of the year. It's visually breathtaking and also boasts the voices of Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Lopez, Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain.

Much like Pixar's Toy Story, Antz benefits from an intelligent screenplay (courtesy of Todd Alcott, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz) that offers great sight-gags for the kids and dialogue that will appeal to adults. Allen and Stallone lend tremendous support to the cause by not being afraid to mock themselves.

In the film Allen plays Z, a neurotic worker ant who desperately wants to break away from his life of slavery. He gets his chance with the arrival of Bala, a queen given voice by Stone. The unlikely twosome soon find themselves way out of their element--in the real world.

As expected, Antz is a feast for the eyes and continually tops itself with each scene. It also offers many messages without being too preachy.

Much of the credit should go to the directors, Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson. To be quite honest, I was sad to see the movie end and I hope A Bug's Life is every bit as enjoyable