Honey is the staff of life for Barry E. Benson as well as for all his family and friends in Bee Movie, a delightful animated feature with Jerry Seinfeld providing the voice of Barry, the bee. When our hero finds out about the way humans make a profit from bee labor, he starts a chain of events leading to unexpected chaos throughout the world and to fun for movie viewers of all ages. 

My husband and I saw Bee Movie at a screening attended mostly by young children and their parents. Although I thought the film’s humor seemed geared more toward adults, the people applauding at the end of the movie were the little ones. Go figure!  Perhaps the eye-popping colors appealed to them. Or the zippy flying sequences in which we get a bee’s eye view of traffic, flowers, windshields, trees, clouds, rain, humans, and so forth. One 3-year old told me his favorite part of Bee Movie was “when they were happy.” And, of course, this family-oriented motion picture boasts its share of happy scenes.

For adults in the audience, Bee Movie offers an amusing trial with John Goodman voicing the drawling, arrogant prosecuting attorney and Oprah Winfrey lending her talents as the voice of a dignified yet sometimes confused judge. There’s also an unusual inter-species relationship between Barry and florist Vanessa Bloome (Renée Zellweger) that’s quite comical -- and lovely -- to see played out on screen. Zellweger’s voice is absolutely perfect for Vanessa, who’s a little kooky but completely charming and sympathetic. She’s the one who saves Barry’s life when he first decides to leave the hive and venture into the outside world. Vanessa's shocked reaction when she discovers Barry can talk is priceless and gives "meeting cute" an entirely new meaning.  

In addition, Seinfeld’s trademark droll, witty observations (he helped write the screenplay) add to the movie’s adult appeal. Because I miss the comedian’s show so much on television, this part of the movie gave me the most satisfaction.    

Don’t expect any profound messages from Bee Movie. Still, a few  important ideas are presented here in terms youngsters should be able to grasp. Naturally, there’s the traditional “follow your dream” theme found in practically every animated movie nowadays. Also touched upon are issues relating to corporate greed plus the value of working together for the common good. But make no mistake about it. Bee Movie’s main goal is to entertain viewers while maintaining a successful theatrical run during the 2007 holiday season. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

(Released by DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures and rated “PG” for mild suggestive humor and a brief depiction of smoking.)