Search - Babe: Pig in the City on DVD

Babe Pig in the City
Actors: Magda Szubanski, Elizabeth Daily, Mickey Rooney, James Cromwell, Mary Stein
Director: George Miller
Genres: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy

PG 1999 1hr 37min

Deservedly acclaimed as one of 1998's best films, this sequel to the beloved 1995 live-action fantasy proved a commercial catastrophe and a source of dismay to parents expecting another bucolic, sweet-natured fable. Every ... more »bit as sly and visually stunning as its predecessor, Babe: Pig in the City is otherwise a jolting ride beyond the Hoggetts' farm into a no less vivid but far darker world--the allegorical city of the title, which for the diminutive "sheep pig" proves truly nightmarish. Australian filmmaker George Miller (Mad Max, The Road Warrior), who produced and cowrote the first film, this time takes the director's reins, and he ratchets up the pace and the peril as effectively as he did on his influential trilogy of apocalyptic, outback sci-fi thrillers. From the opening scene, Babe: Pig in the City means to disrupt the reassuring calm achieved by the conclusion of the previous film. Babe's prior triumph proves short-lived, and within moments Miller has us literally peering into the depths as he sets up a horrific well accident that nearly kills the taciturn but good-hearted Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell), Babe's beloved "Boss." Journeying with the equally pink, even plumper Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski), the young pig finds himself in a city where animals are outcasts, staying in the lone hotel that allows pets. When Mrs. Hoggett is detained, Babe must contend with the suspicions and rivalries of the hotel's other four-legged guests. The film's G status doesn't fully telegraph the shock Miller induces: bad things happen to good animals, and Babe's new acquaintances are a far cry from his colleagues on the farm. In particular, he must contend with a cynical family of chimps given wonderful, dead-pan voice characterizations by Steven Wright and Glenne Headly. Miller's use of effects to transform his animals into "actors" is even more seamlessly integrated than in Babe. The sequel's production design is crucial to the creation of a complete, absorbing world, and purely visual ideas--such as a deluge of blue balloons during the climactic ballroom battle--achieve a splendor and originality that a room full of computer-graphics desktops couldn't muster. Ultimately, though, the film does more than amaze: as Babe's compassion and courage transform those around him, we're moved in ways that purveyors of by-the-numbers family fare can only dream of. --Sam Sutherland

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Movie Details

Actors: Magda Szubanski, Elizabeth Daily, Mickey Rooney, James Cromwell, Mary Stein
Director: George Miller
Creators: Barbara Gibbs, Bill Miller, Catherine Barber, Dick King-Smith, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell
Genres: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sub-Genres: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama, 3-6 Years, 7-9 Years, 10-12 Years, Adapted from Books, Comedy, Family Films, Fantasy
Studio: Universal Pictures
Format: DVD - Color,Full Screen,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Closed-captioned,Dubbed
DVD Release Date: 05/04/1999
Original Release Date: 11/25/1998
Theatrical Release Date: 11/25/1998
Release Year: 1999
Run Time: 1hr 37min
Screens: Color,Full Screen,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English
See Also:

Babe: Pig in the City - 15th Anniversary [Blu-ray]

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Movie Reviews

Add a c at the beginning and a p at the end of ham and you g

Susan K. Schoonover | Boulder, CO | 10/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, this movie is surreal, quirky, intense in parts and not for very small children. Yes, it is also hilarious, moving and teaches that right really can triumph over wrong in the end. After a series of misfortunes Babe finds himself alone in the big, cruel world - an unnamed fantasy city which has the combined attributes of many real life big cities. Here, Babe meets many well developed, memorable human and animal characters. Some of these characters are good, some are bad and most are somewhere in between. After a few difficulties our brave and good Babe soon becomes leader of this motley crew of city animals and ultimately leads them to safety on Hoggett's farm. There are laugh out loud funny scenes in this film as well as those that will lead you to the brink of tears. I would have cut some of the slapstick scenes near the end of Mrs. Hoggett racing around in a clown costume since that portion seemed to go on forever and detracted from the overall mood of the movie. All in all though this unusual film is pure quality and is very suitable for the upper elementary/middle school age group as well as teenagers and adults."