Most critics like it, and nobody dislikes it. The praise gathers around Pixar’s animation: a vivid, crowded insect world admired for its small details and its set-piece action, which more than one review finds even more impressive than Toy Story’s. The comedy and the oddball circus troupe are warmly received, and Hopper is the character most often singled out, with the Radio Times naming Kevin Spacey’s performance in particular. The Guardian also notes Randy Newman’s jaunty, bittersweet score.
The reservations are mild and mostly comparative. Several critics find it less clever and original than Pixar’s best, and a few call the plot predictable or the opening slow. Antz hangs over nearly every review: most prefer this film, though Variety judges it the less sophisticated of the two, and Eye for Film thinks arriving second leaves it less memorable. The spread is narrow, from four stars down to Den of Geek’s three, which admires the disc’s transfer more than the film.