Fans of computer-animated insect movies "Antz" and "A Bug's Life" will be crawling over one another to grab Warner Bros' next instalment "The Ant Bully."

The third 3-D animated ant film by Warner Bros and the second Tom Hanks-produced cartoon, had its DVD released in China last week, two months earlier that in the United States.

With a superbly stylized 3-D look and highly imaginative use of colour, the film focuses on a moody boy to illustrate how human beings can learn the importance of loving and helping each other from their insect friends.

Lucas, a 10-year-old boy always bullied by his oversized neighbour Steven, turns his frustration and anger on an ant colony on the front lawn of his family. When the boy floods the nest, he has no idea that the community is so civilized to have its own queen, wizard, and soldiers, who vow revenge.

Zoc, the ant wizard, shrinks him down to the size of an ant and that's when the fun begins.

The normal edition will cost 22 yuan (US$2.78), and a special edition with posters and tattoo will cost 8 yuan (US$ 1) more, but 5 yuan in the profit of each piece will be donated to "Spring Blossom Project" which aids girls in the poverty-stricken regions who were deprived of education back to school.

(China Daily 10/19/2006 page14)