It's only human to pick on the little guy, so when 10-year-old titch Lucas is wedgied by the local bully for the umpteenth time, he vents his frustration by hosing down the anthill on the lawn.

Unsurprisingly, the hill's residents are also getting fed up of being flooded out every day. It is a situation that ant wizard Zoc (Cage, sounding out of place) intends to remedy with his new shrinking potion.

On a night-time raid, Zoc brings down to size with the magic eardrops then hauls him underground to face the ant-music.

The Queen (Streep) decrees that 'The Destroyer' must learn the ways of the colony before he can leave.

His mentor is Zoc's nurse girlfriend Hova (Roberts – remember her?). Zoc is suspicious but Lucas gets on the right side of her friends - puffed-up scout ant Fugax (the great Bruce Campbell) and foraging expert Kreela (Regina King).

Lucas eventually makes himself a valuable part of ant society following a trip back to the house and close encounters with vicious wasps and a hungry frog.

But the whole ecosystem is threatened by the arrival of an evil exterminator (Giamatti)...

Didn’t we just have a cartoon showdown between defenceless animals and a mean pest controller in Over The Hedge?

And after Antz and A Bug's Life, does the world really need another computer-animated insect adventure? Two just about got away with being company; three is definitely a crowd.

The only remarkable thing about The Ant Bully is how unremarkable it is.

The animation is up-to-scratch but unimaginative by modern standards, the characters are a familiar lot, and it’s produced by Tom Hanks... if that makes a difference?

Patience is rewarded with the odd decent gag. The best involves a near-dud firecracker and Flash Gordon fans will appreciate the climactic air attack.

The film's heart is in the right place. But in keeping with its patronising tone, it should be noted that the right place for an ant's heart is somewhere near its backside.

Elliott Noble