The Ant Bully

The story is about a lonely 10-year-old boy named Lucas Nickle (Zach Tyler Eisen) who has just moved to a new neighborhood. His parents, who fail to understand his problems, go on a honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, leaving him with his older sister and his Grandmother (Momma), who obsesses over aliens and UFOs. Tormented by a local bully and his gang, Lucas in turn attacks an anthill, stomping on it and flooding it. This terrifies the ants, who call him Peanut the Destroyer. One ant, an eccentric wizard named Zoc (Nicolas Cage), tries to fight back. His girlfriend, a nurse ant named Hova (Julia Roberts), believes in finding a more peaceful solution by attempting to communicate with Lucas. She is almost crushed by Lucas while trying to do so but is rescued by Zoc. After a devastating attack floods the hatching chambers, the leaders of the colony decide to use a potion (which Zoc made from some magical gemstones) to shrink Lucas down to size of an ant.

Meanwhile, the local exterminator, Stan Beals (Paul Giamatti), tries to convince Lucas to sign a contract to kill the local vermin. Lucas is hesitant about signing it at first, but after the exterminator calls him a baby and accuses him of only saying what his mother wants him to say, he signs it. Late that night, Zoc and a small troop of ants steal into Lucas's house and pour the potion into is ear. Lucas wakes up and discovers that he is now as tiny as an ant. The boy is then carried to the anthill and cast down into a world of giant caves, caterpillars, and ants. Zoc insists that the Lucas should be killed, but he overruled by the imposing, awe-inspiring Queen ant (Meryl Streep). In her wise reasoning, she sentences Lucas to hard labor until he can be considered an ant, for she believes that the colony could be improved this way. Hova volunteers to train Lucas, much to Zoc's mortification. Hova develops a delicate friendship with Lucas when they both learn more about the differences between ants and humans. But when she forces him to undertake a foraging mission under the supervision of a tough female ant named Kreela (Regina King) and a macho scout leader named Fugax (Bruce Campbell) Lucas is ultimately unsuccessful. Suddenly, the ants tending the caterpillar herds are attacked by wasps. Lucas tries to save himself at first; when he finds a discarded firecracker, he uses it to scare away the wasps. This earns him the admiration and respect of all the ants – with the exception of Zoc, who believes him to be still an incorrigible Destroyer who only cares about himself.

Lucas is then invited to eat with the ants; he is introduced to honeydew, a preparation made from the feces of caterpillars. This disgusts Lucas, who is soothed by Hova and a delicious alka-root in a water drop. Lucas is later shown a painting which depicts the Great Ant Mother and the evil “Cloud-Breather”, whom Lucas recognizes as Stan Beals. He and his new friends go back to his house, where he tries to call the Exterminator. However, they are attacked by his sister. When Zoc finds out about the contract, he accuses Lucas of further treachery. Lucas runs away, frightened, and Hova becomes angry with Zoc. But when Lucas is swallowed by a frog, a repentant Zoc uses an emetic root to free him. Afterwards, while the others sleep, Zoc and Lucas discuss the differences between ant society and human society. Zoc states that in essence humans work for personal gain whereas ants work for the benefit of the colony.

Lucas reveals everything to the other ants; although initially angry at him, they are plactated by his plan of defence. He enlists the aid of their natural enemies, the wasps. During the battle with the exterminator, Lucas saves the lives of Hova and an injured wasp. Finally, with the help of the leader of the wasps, he injects Stan Beals with a potion that reduces him to infantile size. The queen then pronounces Lucas an ant. She names him Rokai, as such to be forever known by the entire colony. Zoc gives him the antidote to the shrinking potion. Once full-size, Lucas showers the colony with jelly beans, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Great Ant Mother. Later, Lucas stands up to the bully and inspires other kids to do so, including members of the bully’s own gang.