Just like a Simpsons episode back in the old days, Bee Movie mixes sight gags with witty dialogue and cultural references to give each viewer something to enjoy. At the centre, it also tries to express a good moral of respecting and caring for life no matter what form it takes.

Alright, you’re “cheese alarm” must be going off right about now. Thankfully, this message movie doesn’t forget that it is primarily a comedy and not a Michael Moore film. It never takes itself too seriously and remembers that everyone came to laugh.

The story follows Barry (Seinfeld) and his little rebellion. He breaks tradition and decides to travel to the world outside the hive instead of submitting to a life of servitude to the Queen. While outside, he makes a friend with a nice lady, Vanessa (Zellweger), who protects Barry from a violent swatting. One of the cutest moments in the film actually occurs when they meet and first make contact, as Barry gently touches Vanessa’s fingertip. Don’t worry, it doesn’t go any further. I don’t think that we are ready for any more cross-species loving, especially after Howard the Duck.

Barry ultimately breaks with tradition, and bee law, and actually talks to her. He soon finds that he and his fellow bees are being worked to death just so humans can get honey, and he decides to file a revolutionary lawsuit.

The idea is definitely original and there are a few little surprises that actually serve to give this family piece some drama. Jerry Seinfeld is in classic form. He manages to fill out Barry’s optimism and appreciation of life while still keeping a sense of how naïve Barry really is. Renee Zellweger also does a good job as the charming woman in his life, but her character really lets you down towards the end of the movie. This sudden turn has her at odds with Barry for the consequences of his lawsuit. Since she is obviously supposed to be a likeable character, this was a bit odd.

There are also a plethora of cameos to give the movie a bit extra. You have John Goodman adding his voice as the witty and loud-spoken lawyer and Chris Rock as a wisecracking mosquito who has a great one-liner to finish the film and offend all the lawyers (what more do you want?). You also have Sting and Ray Liotta playing themselves in the film to give a little humour for the adults, as they play up their own stereotyped image.

The visuals are nothing to get too excited about, which really isn’t bad since we really don’t need a distraction from the plot. The scenes still look pretty nice though, especially the beautifully shot sequences of the little bee squads flying around the city in their quest for nectar and pollen. It really plays up nature’s beauty, but it’s somewhat pointless since you can’t use it as an educational tool (unless you really want your kid to try and talk to bees).

Bee Movie is ultimately a good family film. It really stimulates our hearts and minds to give us a lot of laughs without forgetting that it isn’t a documentary.