Directed By: George Miller
Written By: George Miller, Judy Morris & Mark Lamprell
Based On Characters Created By: Dick King-Smith
Cinematography By: Andrew Lesnie
Editor: Jay Friedkin & Margaret Sixel
Cast: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Mickey Rooney, Mary Stein (With the voices of) E.G. Daily, Steven Wright, Miriam Margolyes, Adam Goldberg, Roscoe Lee Browne, Glenne Headly, Danny Mann
After Babe's great victory in the shepherding contest, Farmer Arthur Hoggett turns down all offers to make money with his pig's talents. But when he gets hurt severely in the well, his wife has to take up farming. She does her best but cannot meet the bank's requirements, which results in the necessity of getting back to Babe. Soon, Esme Hoggett is sitting in a plane headed for "the" city. There, Babe unwillingly causes deep trouble. He has to stay with Mrs. Hoggett in the only hotel in town that accepts pets. Friendly neighbours send officials who catch all animals from the hotel: Cats, dogs, chimpanzees and many others. Babe, who managed to stay free, decides to help his new friends and gets unexpected help - not only by Ferdinand, who flew all the way to the city.
This film is not as magical as the first film. Where as the first film was more warm and cuddly. This film like it’s title suggests take place in the city. Which leaves the film not only darker but cold and sleek. It doesn’t help that while the animals still talk they don’t talk as much and even when babe does speak it seems to be more out of despair. The subdued talking was probably due to Elizabeth Daily replacing Christine Cavanaugh as the voice of babe. The Filmmakers probably didn’t want the audience to notice so the dialogue was thrown out until it was decided they had to talk to help the film move forward.
It works more if you know what is going to happen going in as most of the animal scenes are well choreographed and play more like a silent comedy due to they are more based on action than anything else. Simple action not explosive action. That makes you admire George miller as a filmmaker for not exactly copying the formula and taking the familiar characters and sending them on a new adventure that Is clearly different from the first film. That let’s this film have it’s own identity. So if you go into this film expecting it to be a copy of the first one you will be disappointed. It’s still family friendly yet carves out a adventure that feels a little more for a older audience. Maybe the plan was to gear the film towards the audience that was so young when the first film came out’s advanced age.
It is disappointing as one of the beautiful things about the original was the blossoming relationship between babe and the farmer played by James Cromwell. In this film James Cromwell has just a cameo. Which is strange considering the first film got him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Here his wife is the one in charge of Babe though she doesn’t seem that warm to him at first throughout the film she goes through hell to find him and get him back. Her scenes are more played for slapstick comedy filled with gags and mechanisms.
I have to say that I enjoyed the film. At first I was taken aback but once I got into the rhythem of the film I got more into the film. It’s a Sequel that doesn’t surpass the original but does work as a continuation story. A new chapter for the characters if you will.
This is the type of children’ film that I feel is in short supply these days. This film doesn’t seem preoccupied with product placement or trying to sell toys like so many others do today. This is a film that allows children to not only use their imagination. It also allows them to see that there is no limit to whatever they can think of. I believe one of the strengths of children’s films other then to educate is to inspire them. This film shows actual creativity at work and a certain kind of passion and logic. Sure it has some cheap laughs and is goofy. IT is also well put together and the story works like clockwork so that everything comes together naturally to tell a complete story. This leads to that, that leads to this and so forth with precision timing .
A great addition to the home library, but get the first film before you get this one.
GRADE: B
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