Like many of you around here, I’m not a big fan of ABL, but Molt was a definite high point of the film for me. I think it’s safe to say that Molt isn’t pushed around by Hopper as easily as the Ants are for most of the movie. As Hopper’s brother, he’s probably been Hopper’s doormat his whole life so he isn’t as affected or intimidated by it as the Ants are. Another thing I love about Molt is that he’s what I like to call a ‘plot-pusher’, meaning that he forwards the plot rather than slow it down. I’m referring to when he accidentally plants (pardon the pun) the idea in Hopper’s head about going back to Ant Island. This was important because I feel that at that point in the movie there had been too much focus on the circus bugs and we had to get back to some action (well, you had the Bird scene which was action-packed to beat the band, but that was about it). Lastly, I love the voice of Richard Kind, who I’ve been a fan of since ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’. Actually, it wasn’t until recently that I realized that he did Molt’s voice, and then I thought “Oh yeah, I know him from Curb!”. So, what do the rest of you think of Molt?
I do quite like him as a character, and I definitely think there’s more history between him and Hopper than the movie goes into. I agree with you on most points, WheezeysBestBud, and I especially like the idea that he’s a ‘plot-pusher’, though I disagree that he isn’t intimidated by Hopper, because I don’t think that Hopper has pushed him around for his whole life- or rather, Molt once had someone on his side to defend him (his mother, I presume, since that quote of Hopper’s about promising their mother on her death-bed that he wouldn’t kill his brother has always stuck in my head) but since his mother passed away, Molt hasn’t had anyone to defend him and so finds himself being bossed around by Hopper without the authority of a parent to stop this happening. He isn’t as afraid of Hopper as the ants are, certainly, but he does seem very nervous around his brother and seems to want to please him all the time.
I’ve always had the idea that Hopper and Molt were very competitive as brothers even as children, and that their mother (and possibly father as well) favoured Molt over Hopper causing Hopper to be jealous and to therefore treat his brother in a derogatory way in the hope that such dominance would win over his mother’s approval of him. I’m not sure if this worked or not, probably not as Hopper continued to treat his brother in this way, and because of their relationship I wouldn’t be surprised if both Hopper and Molt just got into the habit of treating each other in the way that they do. If Molt didn’t cower as much, Hopper wouldn’t treat him as badly.
These are just ideas, though. Neither Molt nor Hopper get enough screen-time or explanation of their backstory to prove any of this, but it’s interesting to think about nonetheless. Nice idea for a topic, WheezeysBestBud! 
I love Molt. He’s so cute.
When I wrote a sequal to A Bug’s Life in High School, I gave him a girlfriend … a pretty grasshopper princess named Clover. 
Molt was pretty funny. I liked how at the end of the film they had him redeemed and join P.T. Flea’s circus instead of being scared away (or eaten in Hopper’s case) like all the other grasshoppers, and I think it’s cause he was just too likable as a character even though he was in a very bad crowd. John Lasseter said in the DVD commentary for A Bug’s Life that Molt was made Hopper’s brother so he would have to keep him around, because if he wasn’t then Hopper would think he’s too stupid to be in his gang.
Molt reminds me a lot like Dug from UP and Rex from Toy Story. He’s initially working for the bad guy, but he’s just way too comedic and insecure to actually do anything cruel or malicious. In fact, if there was going to be a Bugs Life 2 (which I hope there isn’t), I can definitely see him returning in a protagonist’s role in the film.
What bad guy does Rex work for?
I think he just means the insecurity of Rex.
I love Molt, and I think he serves a great, important role in the movie because he helps us “get” Hopper. I think Hopper is a really well-developed character, and Molt gets a lot of credit for that: telling the story of Hopper nearly getting eaten by the bird, provoking the “If I hadn’t promised Mother…” exchange - the relationship between Hopper and Molt as brothers really helps develop both of them as characters with a good backstory.
Molt joining the circus is a great punch line (yeah, he’s really just a big lovable lug and we want to see him end happily). I always had this crazy idea that it would be cute if he and Rosie ended up together - there’s the gag about her being a Black Widow Widow, and how all her husbands keep dying - I could see Molt being indestructible enough to actually survive being married to her.
^ An interesting concept. And hey, they won’t be the only inter-species couple .
I find myself becoming fonder of Molt as I watch the movie more. I noticed that he was the ONLY grasshopper who didn’t take delight in Flik getting beaten by Thumper. That boosted his lovability for me. There is a fanfiction out there of how he came to join the circus and learning about Hopper’s death, written by Sparky (who has seemed to disappear 
).
I kinda wondered how he’d feel about Tuck and Roll keeping Hopper’s antenna around though.
I know this happens a lot, but I love how much he looks like Richard Kind
On the commentary, they said that they actually CHANGED his design to look more like him. And thank goodness for that!
Yeah, I love John’s commentaries he’s my hero, right next to Walt Disney and Jesus. That was a great commentary. I liked the part about the birds XD I laughed so hard
Make them so cute, it’s ironic ! I personally would have liked it if they said that they had tried to go into more depth with the characters they couldn’t have time for, and explained their history during their commentary…except perhaps Tuck and Roll for comedic purposes. Like Mole’s history in Atlantis…one of those “You don’t want to know” types of things. But like how they all met and such.
Yeah, I wonder about the circus gang and even the grasshoppers. I wtched Atlantis: The Lost Empire last night!! How weird That’s one of my favorite Disney movies
Somehow I feel like if Hopper had a say in it, he wouldn’t let Molt have a grasshopper princess girlfriend unless he already had one himself. XD
Of course at the end of the movie, Molt is free of Hopper.
I wonder why he’s always molting anyway…do you think it’s because he’s kind of chubby and maybe often gaining weight? I don’t know, it’s just a random thing I wonder. Nothing wrong with being chubby/fat of course, I just wonder if that’s why he molts a lot since I think molting has something to do with growing/gaining in size? I know sometimes it’s just getting rid of old skin though.
My theory was that molting was the grasshopper equivalent of sweating; humans sweat when they get nervous. Since Molt is by nature a nervous type, his dropping flakes of skin could be interpreted as the same is dripping beads of sweat.
That’s definitely a possibility also…you’re right.
Infact I do actually remember a scene(I think it was the fake bird scene)…when Molt shed his entire skin at once.
So your theory would make sense actually.
I mean in real life that’s not why anything sheds…but in animated/fictional stories I know it can be different.
Awwah! I’ve been out there in internet-land! 
I don’t think I ever tackled that in any of my fics (its been so long)…I’ve wondered the same thing! Tuck and Roll are among my favorite ABL characters too, after Molt. I think they’re tied with PT, who I always thought of a more complex character than he appears.
As for why Molt molts: I had a theory I never got around to writing about. I thought that maybe he was sickly and weak at birth so his parents/mother overcompensated by overfeeding him. Thus his weight issues (I can relate), and perhaps this resulted in an overproduction of chitin that never switched back off.
Haha! Oh, poor guy!
I watched A Bug’s Life last night and I realize I like Molt more than I did before. My favorite part is seeing him get so excited over the circus. I agree that he pushes the plot forward instead of distracting from it, and also that even though he was intimidated by Hopper he was still rather happy-go-lucky and actually a nice guy. I also agree that molting could just be his equivalent of sweating when nervous.
Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but since in the fake bird scene he flees out of his old skin all at once, that could symbolize how he redeems himself later? Leaving his old skin, his old ways of being trapped in the grasshopper gang? I get that it was just meant to be funny, but maybe it could also mean that.
^I like that theory, BDD! Whether it was intended or not, it works well for Molt 
He really is a fantastic character, and Richard Kind did awesomely on his voice!