Bee Minus

I saw the Bee Movie at a preview screening earlier this week, but didn't want to blog on it until after it was released and folks got a chance to see it. I'm not going to spoil the story line in any case. I had mixed feelings about this one.

On the one-hand, I really enjoyed it. Some good laughs and overall I'm clearly FOR bees and all pollinators. On the other-hand, this movie gets so many things factually wrong it is almost bizarre. In some aspects they are scrupulous in detail, in others they treat pollination like it is fairy tale magic. One spore of pollen just touches a dead plant and it springs back to life in full bloom no less -- don't all we gardeners wish it were so! I won't even go into the depictions of cherry trees and roses blooming in tandem and Central Park as a ridiculously opulent ocean of flowers.

Now far be it from me to want to spoil a good story with the facts, but I think this movie sends out some weird mixed social messages and the morality of the "good" characters is wobbly to say the least. Some bugs are okay to kill and it is even funny to do so. Sometimes you can break the rules just as long as it benefits you personally. Ignore all the Hollywood movies that tell you to be an individual, being part of the group is better -- except when it isn't. You come out of it wondering if any of the plot lines were actually thought through or they just threw together a bunch of funny-sounding scenes. I expect better from the talents involved, that's why this movie rates a B- in my book.