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Bee Movie [Blu-ray/DVD] [WS]

2 discs
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

Touted as Jerry Seinfeld's first major project since the 1998 end of his long-running eponymous TV series, 2007's computer-animated BEE MOVIE stars the popular comedian as the voice of Barry B. Benson, a young bee eager to explore the world outside of his hive. As he discovers how people live in New York City, he befriends a human florist, Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellweger), and becomes outraged at the selling of honey, leading to a lawsuit and, of course, plenty of Seinfeldian misadventures. Helmed by directors Steve Hickner (THE PRINCE OF EGYPT) and Simon J. Smith (a member of the SHREK creative team), BEE MOVIE lightens Seinfeld's notoriously stinging humor for a family audience, while staying true to its inherent New York-bred quirkiness. This leaves room for the film to feature impressive (if anatomically incorrect) bug-oriented CGI animation and a solid supporting cast that includes Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, Chris Rock, and Ray Liotta (who plays a honey-peddling animated version of himself). Although it inhabits some of the same insect-populated territory as A BUG's LIFE and ANTZ, BEE MOVIE also nods to THE GRADUATE (admittedly a Seinfeld favorite) in its restless protagonist, resulting in a playful and thoroughly entertaining film that even manages to work an environmental message into its colorful palette.
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Critic Reviews

"BEE MOVIE is agreeably skewed fun....The images have a spangly clarity -- they make New York look new again..." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly
3 stars out of 5 -- "There are child-friendly puns, but it's also crammed with Seinfeld's trademark observational humour."
Empire
"At its heart is a sweet moral message about everyone pulling together, about doing even the smallest job to the best of your ability..."
Sight and Sound
4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] magnificently entertaining adventure....With a host of subtle jokes, references and cameos..."
Ultimate DVD