# Arnie & Barney review – dimwit ant double-act from Maya the Bee are on mission to entertain

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/arnie-barney-review-dimwit-ant-double-act-from-maya-the-bee-are-on-mission-to-entertain/
- Published: 2026-10-27T11:00:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T13:05:46+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/27/arnie-and-barney-review
- Topics: Asia, Culture, Entertainment, Europe, Travel, TV, World

## Key points

- Two ants lead a mission to find fresh water.
- The review criticises the film’s design and script.
- Arnie & Barney reaches UK cinemas on 30 October.

## Summary

Arnie & Barney is a children’s animated spin-off from the Maya the Bee franchise, following two dimwit ants on a mission to find fresh water. The review says its weak script and unattractive character design make it a poor choice for families seeking half-term entertainment.

The film opens with a bee escaping wasp-like creatures in space, before revealing that the scene is a story told by the ants to their platoon. Arnie and Barney first appeared in the long-running Maya the Bee series, which began with a 1912 German book and later became a Japanese anime. The film is due in UK cinemas on 30 October.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.