A REAL BUG’S LIFE Review

A REAL BUG’S LIFE is a fun documentary series on Disney+ showing the lives of bugs in various environments. Each of the five episodes shows different bugs surviving different environments and interacting with other creatures in their ecosystems. The whole show is narrated by the very excited and energetic Awkwafina, who brings a sense of joy in talking about bugs. Each episode has different bug heroes, who overcome various adversities to accomplish their goals of survival.

The main purpose of A REAL BUG’S LIFE is educational. The whole point is to show that, despite the fact that many people find bugs to be a bit creepy, they are still important to their various ecosystems. The main concern in the series is depictions of insect violence. Various episodes showcase a predator-prey relationship between bugs as well as territory disputes. The other concern is that mating does occur, but the depictions of bugs mating aren’t graphic. Overall, A REAL BUG’S LIFE is entertaining, engaging, educational, and uplifting. It has a moral undertone. It stresses human stewardship of the planet and promotes hard work and perseverance.

(BB, E, VV, S, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong moral worldview in documentary series about bugs where the bugs show an amazing amount of hard work, diligence and perseverance and the series encourages human beings, including children, to be good stewards of the planet (though the series has an ecological message, it doesn’t villainize human beings but sees them as an important harmonious part of bug life), plus the whole purpose of the documentary is to explain and educate the world of bugs to children and adults in a fun and engaging storytelling fashion where each episode drips with educational truth;

Foul Language:

No foul language, but there are a few instances where images of dung are shown, but mostly shown to be a part of nature, although it is still gross;

Violence:

The violence is animal kingdom violence which includes territory disputes and predator-prey interactions, such as a fight occurs between two jumping spiders over territory in the episode “In the Big City,” a huge amount of army ants rip apart multiple different small creatures in “Welcome to the Jungle,” antlions attack and slaughter unsuspecting ants in “Land of Giants,” a shrew slaughters many bugs in “The Busy Farm,” but the interactions are usually quick and never bloody.

Sex:

There are a few instances where insect mating is shown, the two most graphic examples are a couple of monarch butterflies in “Braving the Backyard” and a promiscuous doodlebug in “The Busy Farm”;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol use;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

In the episode “Land of Giants,” the narrator jokes that the female Dung Beetle isn’t ready to settle down.

If you don’t like bugs, then the documentary series A REAL BIG’S LIFE in Disney+ isn’t for you. If you love bugs, then this is a fun educational insight into the roles various critters play in our everyday lives.

Disney+ and National Geographic present A REAL BUG’S LIFE, in honor of Disney Pixar’s animated movie A BUG’S LIFE. The series has a total of five episodes. Each one is narrated by actress Awkwafina, who brings an upbeat, fun commentary of each of the main bugs for each individual episode. The actress’ playful and direct tone brings an upbeat new feel to the documentary series, which is great for a documentary meant for families with children. Each episode not only follows different hero bugs, but in fact shows the roles bugs actually play in the daily life of their particular environments.

The first episode is called “The Big City,” with it taking place in the concrete jungle of New York City. Here the story follows Pavement Ants, and a Jumping Spider as it tries to find new territory in the big city. In this episode, viewers learn how vital Pavement Ants are to the cleaning of New York’s streets and how far a jumping spider is willing to go to secure new territory.

The next episode takes viewers from the concrete jungle to the real jungle, a South American Rainforest in “Welcome to the Jungle.” This episode’s protagonists are a male orchid bee as he goes out of his way to make the perfect scent and a new leafcutter ant who’s new to her job and colony. The third episode is called “Braving the Backyard,” which has aa western style storytelling aspect which fits because it takes place in a Texas backyard. This story follows a Unicorn Mantis as she grows into adulthood, a group of Fire Ants trying to move, and some resting Monarch Butterflies. The fourth episode called “Land of the Giants,” takes place in the African Safari. This story follows a newly formed Dung Beetle and an elder nanny Acacia ant as they navigate the dangers of Africa. The last episode is called “The Busy Farm,” and follows the adventures of a young Queen Bumblebee starting a new hive, and an orb spider protecting the livestock.

Overall, the program’s primary purpose is an educational one, to educate folks on how not only bugs live among people but their importance to their various situations. For example, in the first episode the existence of pavement ants helps clean the streets of New York. In the second episode, the narrator contrasts the difference between the lifestyles of leafcutter ants and army ants. Leafcutter ants are actually incredible fungus farmers, and army ants are just insect orcs, the evil, warped creatures who serve the satanic villains in Tolkien’s Middle Earth stories. The third episode explains how Monarch Butterflies make generational migration between Canada and Mexico. The fourth episode introduces a bug called an antlion whose larvae make sandpit traps to devour ants. In the final episode, a human farmer uses ladybugs as a pesticide against aphids.

The stories in A REAL BUG’S LIFE have a moral undertone. They have two main messages. The first message is that human beings should take care of the planet. The second one is that hard work and perseverance always bring rewards. Unlike some other documentaries, A REAL BIG’S LIFE doesn’t turn human beings into the villain. Instead, it depicts people as an important harmonious part of the lives of the bugs.

That said, small children should take caution when watching this documentary because it does show bug territory struggles and animal kingdom interactions both of bug violence and bug mating. Overall, however, A REAL BUG’S LIFE is equally entertaining, engaging, educational, and uplifting and deserves a second season if possible.

There’s always something new to learn with each episode of A REAL BUG’S LIFE. Of course, the intricate lives of bugs and their incredible connections to the natural world around them shows how marvelous, wise and beneficial the design of God is to every being’s life here on Planet Earth.

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