Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants [DVD] [2016]

The shift in dramatic perspective from the great (the human) to the small (the insects) is wonderful and insightful. Conflict working toward resolution, the formation of cooperative relationships, and narrative communication without words are beautifully realized in this film. Some reviewers complain about the slow pace of the film which they say makes it suitable only for very young children. But that attitude misses the point, which is that our normal adult perspective runs at triple speed and thus misses the vast worlds of action unfolding all around us. The "slow" pacing allows the viewer to concentrate on the details and focus on the myriad living dramas we normally ignore. The use of natural live action filming in French national parks along with CG characters and simulated "voices" of the insect world filled with complex communications both auditory and olfactory help the viewer to become aware of the amazing social lives of non-human animals. Although the film's characters and drama are fictionalized, the film's notion of culture or even civilization of non-human animals like ants and the symbiotic relationships between species is strongly grounded in recent scientific evidence provided by development of macro- and time-lapse photography which has allowed humans a way to see into the complex lives of insects. Beautifully filmed, it is a delight to watch, and the characterizations are adorable. I was absolutely absorbed in this insect drama.

I was quickly charmed and fascinated by this lovely film; the attention to detail in every scene is amazing! It's like a wonderful feast for the senses, unfolding slowly as it introduces the main characters and develops the story line. The message of the story--of friendship, loyalty, and courage--was played out with a full range of emotions. Some people may be frustrated by the lack of narration, but I found myself even more engaged in the story as I worked on interpreting the sounds and expressions each character used to communicate. The music is perfect; it really enriches the film without being overbearing. Overall, it's a heartwarming experience that makes me want to see more from this talented group of artists.

After trying to get my daughters to agree on a movie to watch, we got online to browse and see if there was anything new to Amazon Prime. We browsed and browsed and stumbled upon the title of this movie. They wanted to skip over it and pick something else, but once I started the trailer, they couldn't stop smiling. Needless to say, they wanted to watch it immediately after. During the whole movie and giggled and enjoyed themselves. My oldest daughter loves ants and likes to feed them outside... So this movie was a huge hit for her. I highly recommend it! There isn't any narration except like others said, at the beginning. I was even watching the whole movie with them which is saying a lot.

I was scrolling through looking for a movie to watch with my 3 and 4 year-old daughters. This was a GEM to find. The music is superb, the animation is amazing, and the non-verbal story-telling is a wonder to behold. The humor sprinkled throughout is so delightful, and the story developed so well. My girls were hooked, and watched the whole thing, which is rare for their attention span. Ha! This is worth your time, especially if you have young ones. Great, great movie.

USA BUYER BEWARE!! After receiving this DVD, I was dismayed to discover that it does not play on USA manufactured DVD players. When I purchased the DVD January 1, 2020, there was no mention of this issue on the description of the product, but there is now. However, the mention is made lower down on the product page. It is my opinion that this product should not be allowed for sale in the USA if it cannot be used with our DVD players. The only positive is that you can buy Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants as a digital video through Amazon Prime Video. Wish it were available as a DVD for USA DVD players though.

My 2, almost 3 year old loved this movie. I found it a little boring for adults, but what I loved about it was that it didn't have any words, which gave us an opportunity to talk about what was happening the entire time. My toddler would ask questions and make observations and we were much more actively engaged than we normally are watching a movie with dialogue. I think this makes it a perfect choice for very young viewers. It was also really really sweet. My favorite part was the cute and bizarre scene with the spider that decides to take care of the main character.

You have the real world of mountains, landscapes, grass,flowers, trees and an animation of ants in this world. They fit together beautifully. The funniest part about 45 minutes ,into the movie is when red ants or army ants make an army and wage war on the black ants ,that live and sleep with one lady bug. she follows them everywhere. The red ants throw toothpicks out of a cannon and the black ants pout a jar of q tips down a hill ,or mountain back. then one ant carries a box of matches and lights torpedoes and the red ants are shaking in their boots. we love the movie

Sadly we were very disappointed with this product as we were unable to watch it. After placing it in the player the screen displayed Error: wrong region. Apparently different places/countries are video specific. We were not aware of this. I didn’t see any alert to this when I ordered this video. So buyer beware. I’ll be sending it back.

Already being avid fans of these quirky insects, my chidlren and I love the story of the little ladybird's adventures with the ants!!!!

My baby girl is facinated with this movie. She's 8months old and its the only animation she will sit through and pays attention

Sempre bello per chi ama questo genere. Davvero divertente e in alcune parti anche lievemente maliconico. Lo consiglio sicuramente, io ho presso tutti i dvd sia della prima che della seconda serie e non mi stanco mai di guardarli

Les enfants ont adoré. Et nous, les adultes, également. Tout en finesse, sans parole, les yeux sont grands ouverts pour suivre cette histoire de petites bêtes certaines très gentilles et d'autres méchantes. Ça c'est au premier degré, mais au delà ça rappelle certains passés. Dessins magnifiques, couleurs chatoyantes, nature débordante, un bijou.

E' semplicemente FAVOLOSO!FAVOLOSO!Adoro Miniscule e il suo umorismo (e con me i miei nipoti) ma questa è una storia VERA, fantastica, che i bambini (e i bambAni) adorano e adoreranno.