Babe

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!

"Babe" is one of those films that is so warm, wholesome, funny, and dramatic that it is near impossible to dislike. All the animals on Farmer Hargett's land (played quietly by Oscar-nominated James Cromwell) are as real and vulnerable as regular people. One animal, the titled pig, has a heart of gold that will forever alter all the beings in the film for the better. Chris Noonan's direction (Oscar-nominated) and the amazing special effects, which were done primarily by Jim Henson's creature shop, give the film a genuine feel to it. There was no over- indulgence either as the film runs a crisp 92 minutes minutes. Stands very tall with "Braveheart" and other notable pictures of 1995. 5 stars out of 5.

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.

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.

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.