For someone who is not a big fan of the insect world, delving into the world of “Bugs!” was quite an enjoyable experience. This film was shown in the IMAX format enhanced with 3D technology. This of course increased the “cool!” factor as well as the “eeew!” factor. The serene voice of Dame Judi Dench takes us into the middle of a tropical rain forest and introduces us to two main characters – Papillio, a caterpillar, and Herodula, a praying mantis. We view the entire life cycle of these two insects and meet a few others along the way. I must warn the viewer that unlike an insect hiding from an enemy, the natural course of life is not camouflaged. We see insects being eaten for food, mating, and eventually dying. In my opinion, this may be more disturbing to young children because these are not just two of the billion insects on earth; we get to know these characters by name.
“Bugs!” is approved by Dove for family viewing and would make a perfect teaching companion, especially when discussing the life cycle of a butterfly.