User reviews

My god, a 6.7 average score and nominated for 7(SEVEN) oscars?? It has been a very long time since I've seen this movie but it's great. Very original and wonderfully done.

This is a family film in the classic sense of the word, and it'd be hard to find a more charming and heartfelt tale. Ideally for children, but it can be enjoyed by adults too. It is a fantasy world where animals speak just like humans do.....albeit not in Australian accents, which is where the film is meant to be set.

The hero of this tale is a young pig named Babe, who is transfered from the pig pen, to the village fête, to the hands of Farmer Hoggett who wins the little fellow in a prize raffle(James Cromwell). It is on the farm he meets the locals, and is taken under the wing by a kind sheepdog named Fly, who has been characterised as the warm and motherly type. Not so warm is Rex (voiced by Hugo Weaving of Agent Smith fame), her growling no nonsense other half, who believes pigs do not belong with sheepdogs.

Babe is portrayed as the personification of innocence, and his gleeful and inquisitive nature brings him into contact with a host of farmyard animals. Not too sure why they felt he needed a furry little toupee between his ears, but each to his own. As Babe gets closer to Fly and the sheepdog role, he even begins to assume this role, much to Rex's dismay. But Babe has an awful lot of ambition for a little animal, and his heart is set on being a "sheep-pig".

There are moments of sadness in this film, such as loss and death, but it is mainly sweet natured and enchanting. It is one of the few Universal rated films I enjoy watching, and that is saying something for me!

I think genre preferences go out of the window when a film like 'Babe' comes along. It's easy to see why this film is so universally popular, the story is delightful and the main characters so likable and endearing. The idea of a having a film centre on a cute pig may have raised a few eyebrows at first, but after only a few minutes any doubts anyone had will have gone.

There isn't much I can write about this film other than saying how much I enjoy it every time I see it (and that's a good few times now). I never get tired of it and it's probably one of my go-to films when I'm in the mood for a family film. I'm yet to meet anyone who doesn't like 'Babe', I'm sure there are people out there who don't like it and I'd be interested to hear their reasons, but you'd be hard pushed to find a family film as universally popular as this one.

I was dragged to this film by my girlfriend (now wife) when it first came out in fall of 1995. I had zero interest in what seemed to me nothing more than a kids movie. I recall sitting in the theater before the movie commenced, looking at my watch and estimating the time it would end, when my life could begin again after this rude 90 minute interruption.

Then the film began. The moment Babe said a tearful goodbye to his mother as she was being led off to the slaughter house ("Pig Paradise", the narrator says), I was hooked. What stood out to me was not the tearful "Goodbye Mom", but the fact that after we see Babe's mom loaded into the truck, the camera goes back to Babe, siting in the corner of his industrial pen, sobbing profusely. This moment, maybe 90 seconds into the movie, is filmed so well, so perfect, that instead of coming off as melodramatic, it is heartrending. I know that word is used often to describe this film, but I do not know how else to describe it. This is one of many "heartrending" moments in this beautiful film.

This is by far the best childrens film I have ever seen, but it really is a mistake to even call it a childrens film. It is simply a great film. A film that shows how wondrous things can happen as a result of common decency; how any individual can triumph if they believe in themselves; how vital is the help of family and friends in life's arduous journey.

This a film not to be missed. It should have beaten Braveheart.

Each character is beautifully brought to life. From farmer Hoggett to Dutchess the cat, no matter how little is said, how little they are on screen they are pleasure to watch. Nothing is over stated or over explained. And it's all there before you: the beauty and the horror that is life. Now before I scare you thinking you will get some type of lecture shoved down your throat, let me say again: it is like a fairy tale. You are welcomed into both worlds of humans and animals and the story of what happens when their paths cross and you mix in a little love, patience and that belief that your dreams have a right to come true.

When it comes to children's movies, "Babe" pretty much corners the market on successful genre characteristics with its talking animals, simple humor, & heartfelt story.

For a basic plot summary, "Babe" tells the story of a pig who, after losing his mother, gets brought to a small family farm. Having lived in a pen most of his young life, the pig (christened Babe) must quickly acclimate to life with other animals. After viewing the sheep dogs and their respected place in the eyes of Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell), Babe sets out on an unlikely quest to become a sheep-herder of his own.

For kids, "Babe" will enthrall in nearly every scene. There is oddball humor (always a favorite for the youngsters), crazy sight gags, and enough emotional moments to even make the kiddies care about little Babe.

For adults, the film does juuuust enough to keep you interested. Cromwell's performance as the farmer is very nuanced, while the overall farming atmosphere will appeal to many older viewers.

Overall, then, I consider Babe to be a solid children's effort. I'd recommend not frying up a pan of bacon anytime soon after viewing, however, lest your child(ren) become a little weepy (!). All in all, a great family film.

"Babe" is one of my favorite movies.

A lot of people laugh at me when I say that. But I know that this film is one of the best ones ever made. It's simple, beautiful, positive and original.

The story is about a farm pig who wants to become a sheep dog. Pretty strange considering a pig's place is in people's plates. But Babe has something the sheep dogs don't have: gallantry. His kindness, determination and good intentions will make him a truly unique individual, one that stands out from his peers, proving that no matter who you are, you can make a difference.

I love the way the story is made. It is cut into chapters with a bit of narration, giving us the warm "grandfather story" or "old school" feeling. It's a very comfortable ambiance, and every animal brings its personality into making an awesome story.

Now I am sure you've all seen talking animal movies before, with voice-overs. Babe took it one step further with the animals' lips being in sync with their lines! Talk about realism! The sets are very friendly to the eyes and contribute into making this movie a classic.

Babe is one great movie for everyone to see, it's magical and enchanting!

The Master T Score: ***** out of 5 Stars

George Miller is my favorite Aussie film maker. He started his career with Mad Max (the road warrior for the Yanks). To do that he quit being a doctor and started Australia's most successful independent production company.

Through lots of twists and turns he finds himself writing the screen play for a children's movie called babe also produced by his production company.

So here we have the story of a little pig who ends up on a small farm where there are no pigs. So she has to find a place for himself. Due to mostly dumb luck and being very friendly Babe becomes a sheep pig (much to the ire of the sheep dog).

Well this is the favourite children's story theme. Give it a go, you never know what you can be. But there is also a dark element here. Life on a farm for a pig means death and being eaten by humans. But of course the gallant pig will endear herself to everyone and not be eaten so a sequel can be made.

To get this movie made in Australia George had to convince the yanks that Aussies can do the sort of technical production this movie needed. He succeeded and probably paved the way for movies such as the Matrix to be made in Australia.

Enough of the trivia, it is a feel good movie which doesn't shy from brutal truth of farm life. You may never eat pork again (Certainly Thai restaurant owners complained bitterly that the sales of suckling pig dropped sharply when this movie was released in Thailand).

An extremely quirky film that you won't mind watching with the kids. Not full of sappy platitudes, this strange little tale of a pig that wants to be a sheep dog is extremely effective in it's message without hitting you in the head with it. No doubt because it wasn't made in Hollywood... we Americans have never been good at telling children's stories without being condescending and heavy-handed with the moral message.

The story takes place in some fairy tale amalgam of all the rural cultures of the English-speaking world - Sometimes it seems like England, other times Kansas, Australia, New Zealand, it's really never anywhere particular. The acting is superb, the animatronics are unrecognizable as such, and James Cromwell is superb as the taciturn farmer willing to give the little pig a chance.

Totally attractive tale has intelligent piglet Babe going to a farm and suffering various adventures . In the enjoyable first part Piglet Babe beats the slaughterhouse and is adopted and raised by a matriarch sheepdog who coaches him in the art of rounding up or herding sheep along with his canine brothers , while he has complex relations with all the other animals on the farm . As Babe makes good friends, like Ferdinand the duck who thinks he is a rooster and Fly , the sheep dog he calls Mom. Along the way , Babe is cared by Mrs Hoggett (Magda Szubanski) and the taciturn farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) . As Babe bonds with motherly border collie Fly and discovers that he can herd sheep too. There Babe befriends and learns about all the other animals on the farm. Babe's secret is politeness which gets better results than barking and raising lots of laughs . Babe stays with a Border Collie named Fly, her mate Rex and their puppies, in the barn. Mr Hoggett decides to show him at the next fair, to participate at a contest in order to Babe's skill and get a little cash , resulting in a breathtaking spectacle .This little pig went to the farm , there he learns that a pig can be anything that he wants to be ! . In the heart of the farm , a pig with heart ! . A little pig goes a long way !. A little pig goes a long way !.

In this first installment farmer Hoggett wins a runt piglet at a local fair , as Babe goes to a countryside farm where he becomes involved into multiple adventures . Charming eccentric and very amusing flick with funny scenes , entertainment and diversion enough . Whimsy and agreeable that never crosses the line into treacle or bad taste . Degree difficulty apart , including difficulty involved making an entire farmyard of real animals talk , these merits of Babe are those of Dick King-Smith's classic ¨The Sheep-Pig¨ , and , of course , ¨Jim Henson's Creature Shop¨. The best scenes are those in which Babe uses all possible means to carry out a career in sheepherding . Various different special effects were used to make the surprising animals talk and walk . Shot on location in several locations in Australia , being colorfully photographed by cameraman Andrew Lesnie , adding a sensitive as well as emotive musical score by composer Nigel Westlake . Technically well done and sporting an imaginative story , but may be a little sinister for the very younger kiddies.

The first part ¨Babe¨(1995) was well directed by Chris Noonan (Miss Potter, Crownies , Vietnam) with voices from Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margolyes , Danny Mann , Hugo Weaving ; continued by an inferior follow-up ¨Babe : Pig in the city¨ (1998) with Magda Szubanski , James Cromwell, Mary Stein , Mickey Rooney in a creepy clown suit and voices from Elizabeth Daily , Danny Mann , Glenne Headly , Steven Wright, James Cosmo , this second outing being professionally directed and in similar style by George Miller (author of the excellent post-apocalypse Mad Max trilogy) , though with no originality. Dealing with Babe who's gratified with a prize and wins the rosette at the trials , he goes back to the farm , but the joy doesn't last long . Mr Hogget has an accident and before an imminent foreclosure Babe along with farmer's wife , go to the city , they eventually stay at a peculiar hotel , only one in town that accepts pets , then neighbours send officials who catch all animals from the hotel ; after that , Babe embarks on a career in saving his friends. George Miller takes over the filmmaker's chair for this trip and he brings more effects , more money, more animals and more unsettling frames than anyone saw the original would expect . Rating Babe (1995) : 7/10 . Decent and attractive family fare .

Although better than most talking animal films, I couldn't get into "Babe". I know there is a huge fan base for this movie. But in some ways I found it disturbing. You have to admit that a talking pig can freak you out a little bit. Babe is a pig who wants to become a sheep herder. So his friends around the farm help train him to become one. Big woop. I'm not sure how the film got a 7.4. It's one of those mysteries of life I guess.

For kids, the movie is great. But for adults, the pig just freaked me out too much. Stick to the cartoons if you want talking animals. This is just too disturbing for me.

5/10

When this came out -- years ago, I thought, "Wow, this is pretty amazing" and since then movie audiences have been amazed at a number of camera tricks, computer-enhanced people, animals, monsters, and who knows what....so this kind of story with fun special effects is no longer is unique.

However, it's so charming, so nice a story that it should hold up as solid entertainment for a long, long time. It has proved to be anything but a flash-in-the-pan. This movie will endure. It's also a beautiful film on DVD with brilliant colors and some very rich visuals.

Filmed in rural Australia, the scenery is magnificent and so is the house that is featured in the film. It looks like some old-fashioned gingerbread house. The animals are entertaining, talking to one another like humans but not looking hokey in the process. In other words, the dubbing is well done.

The main character, "Babe," the little pig, is the nicest, most innocent "character" you could ever hope to find. Listening to him talk is heart-warming most of the time and sometimes it's heart-breaking. The best comic relief is provided by the goose who wants to be a rooster. That may sound like it's geared toward little kids, but it isn't. I haven't found an adult friend yet who didn't like this film.

It also was good to see James Cromwell play a nice guy, too. Most other times he seems to play profane and corrupt cops or government officials. Here, he's just a nice old farmer who blends in perfectly with the surroundings. His wife is a bit annoying, but not too bad.

This is a wonderful, sweet-hearted comedy-drama with a nice ending, too, guaranteed to leave you with a smile or a tear, or both. This is one of the best "family" movies of all time.

Babe (1) (1995) -

This film was actually quite dark right from the beginning and throughout. It had me wondering whether it was suitable for kids, but I realised that actually the harshness was supposed to be a lesson for them in the same way that it was in the book, which I was read at school and didn't seem to bother me.

It was almost cartoon like in its production values, which I liked, because it also gave it a sort of a cheery glow and fun about it, but like 'The Borrowers' (1997) it was a tad Americanised and somewhat corny as a result. And the daughter and son-in-law were just awful actors. Mrs Hoggett was a bit dodgy too.

James Cromwell on the other hand was superb and I could see why he was Oscar nominated for his character here. He must have been born looking old though.

The animatronics and other special effects were very good for 1995 and I really did feel for Babe at times. It was funny how they managed to get him to emote so well with such simple expressions.

All in all it seemed like an odd conglomerate of elements from around the world. Filmed in New Zealand, set in England with an American way of things, it maybe lacked the full polish that it could have had, but there were only a couple of moments that stood out as bad. In general the story was sweet and fun and entertaining.

I can see it being a pleasure for families to watch together for still many more years yet to come, because despite its slightly old fashioned settings and characters it also managed to be somewhat timeless too.

684.11/1000.

There is so much wrong with this misguided piece of @%*! One thing that disturbed me was the fact that a pig wants be a dog and that the pig is the film's hero. If a human wanted to be a dog, we would say he is insane but if a pig wants to be a dog, it's supposed to be cute. Come ON! The film is billed as a comedy but I wasn't laughing. The idea that it won over "Apollo 13" for "Best Visual Effects" still amazes me to this day.

Personally, I want to strangle this hog!

Remember the times when a parent or a grandparent would read to a child in bed, so that the child can visualize the story and comfortably sink into his/her dreamworld? Well, 'Babe' feels like such a story. It is a heartwarming tale about a Pig (called Babe by her 'Mom') and her friends at the farm. Chris Noonan executes it in such a wonderful way. The film is broken into chapters (just like in a book) and the lovable talking animals appear like very real and humanistic characters. the lip-syncing is impeccable. Also, I liked that the film doesn't completely refrain from reality as it does show that pigs are killed for meat or that puppies are given away or sold to others. It stays honest. The voice-acting is very well done. Christine Cavanaugh's childlike voice remarkably fits Babe. Miriam Margolyes, Danny Mann, Hugo Weaving and Miriam Flynn are all pleasing. James Cromwell is wonderfully restrained. The setting is a make-belief story-book farm. I found myself wondering, 'Is this an English farm?' and at the same time being confused that the people were speaking with an American accent but there's really no need to pick on that because it simply doesn't matter. Just enjoy the beautiful farm and the lovely characters. 'Babe' is one of the finest family films. Kids will surely love it. Heck, even I loved it when I saw it during my late teens...and I still love it as an adult.

I have to say I'm not a fan of the whole 'sappy happy kids movie', but when given the chance to watch one, I don't turn it down. Babe is a good movie, with generous effects and a whimsical story to entertain the kids. the story sets up simply enough - a small piglet, befriended by the sheepdog mother on the farm, begins to learn what life is like through a series of conflicts. The movie is colorful, playful, and friendly, with lots of cute little things to amuse you. The life lessons are also very effective - those little things, like how to triumph over the odds stacked against you. I recommend this movie for every one in the family. Even if you're a sullen teenager who thinks talking animals is stupid, you'll certainly be able to identify with the characters and their various struggles.

I walked into this film with my eyes shut, that is I mean to say that I had no idea of where this one was going. On the face of it, animal life on a farm made for kids. The first few minutes soon got my intellectual capacities stirred up, and the strident tones of Saint-Saëns' `Organ' Symphony soon stirred up my red and white blood globules, such that my attention was unwavering.

`This is a film for kids' is simply an understatement; children will love it. However, for those of us with a few more years/quite a lot of years loaded on top, this story is a rather clever inspiring allegorical fantasy with just the right touch of `human' values and moral-making, such that no preachiness comes out of this tale. No, this is not an updated version of Orwell's `Animal Farm' and far from being a cinematographic creation of Richard Adam's masterpiece `Watership Down'.

Another thing which threw me off course was that on seeing genuine Border Collie sheep-dogs, my mind went rushing over to my sister's farm in Yorkshire where I spent last summer, and I can assure you that `Fly' (the feminine sheep-dog) is the double of her Border Collie `Holly'. So thinking we were somewhere in lovely Yorkshire (`nine months winter and three months bad weather' so the locals say), I took advantage in the first advert. break to crank up IMDb – and lo, and behold! we are in my much loved Southern Highlands, New South Wales! Effectively, one of the very few (too few) panoramic views in the film gave us a slightly misty shot lasting a bare 3.8 seconds over to the Burragorang Lake, looking in a northerly direction, taken from somewhere a little north of Bowral and Mittagong, possibly Balmoral Village or from farther west near High Range on the Wombeyan Caves dirt-road.

Splendid photography. Even more interesting was Nigel Westlake's music, which at times was his own, but mostly were his variations on a varied selection of classical pieces. I immediately recognised the Saint-Saëns Symphony, but it is worth mentioning a little of Ponchielli's `Dance of the Hours' (in no way should rooster-calls be done away with by new-fangled alarm-clocks) and the Song of the Toreador from Bizet's `Carmen'. There were also variations interwoven rather cleverly on `Jingle Bells' and other carols, as well as other pieces I was not able to put an exact name to.

All in all, a nicely-constructed warming fable, with some very human – oops! sorry – animal values, such that children of all ages can get different levels of interpretation from it.

I was one of the biggest detractors of this film when I initially found out it was nominated for an academy award back in 1995. A talking pig? You gotta be kiddin' me! Then, months after Braveheart walked with the award, I finally saw the infamous "Babe." Wow! Was I ever wrong. This movie not only deserved the nomination, but was a close, close second out of the five nominees in my book (Braveheart rightfully won, but I would have had no trouble had Babe won). I love this film because it has a sweet lining, yet tells a deep story about resolve, goodness, and the struggles of life in a very large sense. It makes you think, but more importantly, it makes you WANT to think about how all our lives are interconnected and what can be done by each seemingly insignificant individual to make the world a better place. That's saying a lot, when a guy who loves stuff like True Romance digs on a piggy movie. If you haven't seen this, buy it immediately.

"Babe" is a charming, subtle sleeper that's filled with suspense, humor, and genuinely touching drama...in other words, it has all the elements mainstream movies seldom deliver. The fact that the movie's central characters are barnyard animals makes it even more of a fascinating achievement. Examples:

An early scene in which Babe, the orphaned piglet on Hoggett's farm, cries "I want my mom" is more emotionally effective than all of the sappy melodrama squeezed into three hours of "Titanic."

The scene in which Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell), despondent over a sick Babe, does an Irish jig to cheer the porker up, is funnier than anything I saw in "There's Something About Mary."

And finally, the climactic sequence, in which Babe participates in a sheep-herding competition (reserved for dogs), is more suspenseful and exciting than anything you'll find within "The Matrix."

And everything in between these moments is sensational, as well.

7/10

Babe was quite a big hit upon its initial release and I rewatched recently and it holds up fairly well. The talking farm animals concept still works and this film is not trying to be overly clever like many subsequent films of the type can't seem to resist being. No clever dialogue here but just a wholesome story, simply told. The look of the film is still good and Babe has maintained many of his charms through the years. As for the humans, they all play their parts well and collectively come together to create a sunny, cohesive world that is enjoyable to spend a little time in. In the end a solid family film.

When Babe premiered in the UK, apparently bacon sales fell by quite a large amount, except in Yorkshire in Northern England. In Yorkshire bacon and pork sales increased by 15%.

This shows that Yorkshire people have excellent taste in films. "Babe" in my view is a disgustingly sentimental piece of rubbish, totally value-free and simply calculated to push the "aah" button. It's probably sponsored by the vegetarian lobby. Even the voice chosen for the character is enough to make me scream. I stood 30 minutes of this rubbish before I gave up and went to make a bacon sandwich.

Babe is the runt of the litter who was born in a factory farm. He gets picked as the worthless prize in a country fair. Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) who doesn't keep pigs, wins him in a guess the weight contest. Babe ends up being raised by the sheep dog mother Fly. He befriends the various animals. With the help of Ferdinand the Duck, he gets into trouble and slowly learns the way of the farm. He is doomed to be Christmas dinner for Esme Hoggett but Farmer Hoggett convinces her to save his life. Then Farmer Hoggett notices something strange about the pig.

There is a great sense of wonderment and joy in this movie. It plays like one of those kids books and it's so terrific for it. Roscoe Lee Browne's narration is the perfect tone. It doesn't use any modern references or knowing sarcasm. It is a sincere old fashion melodrama and part modern feel good charmer.

Somehow, a little movie about a piglet topped the movie charts and sent a crazy wave of fandom throughout the general population for a few months in the mid-1990s. I ask: 'why did people love this film?' I am not sure about the answer, but it must have something to do with a 'cute' baby animal. I, on the other hand, did not understand the popularity of this movie. I still don't. The movie was so dull and bad that I could not even watch the whole thing. Scenes changed too quickly, and I found the general experience to be very dull and frustrating. (I can honestly say that this is the only film I've ever walked out on.) Besides remembering how frustrating the constant scene changes and characters made me, the only other thing I remember about this film is during one of these infamous scene changes, there were some ducks out on the pond being naughty, if you know what I mean. Choosing between a roll in the mud and watching this film again, I'd choose the former.