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Babe: Pig in the
City
***
Cinema
Releases - December 4,
1998
Rated on a 4-star
scale; USA; Directed by George Miller. Written by Mark Lamprell, George
Miller, Judy Morris.
Starring James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Mary
Stein, Mickey Rooney; with the voices of E. G. Daily, Glenne Headly, Steven
Wright.
Look at the climax of "Babe: Pig in the
City". Esme Hoggett (Magda Szubanski), wearing a huge balloon connected
to a clown suit, swings across the ceiling of a giant ballroom and bounces
off assorted objects, while two other people swing at her for possession
of her pig. Take this moronic, over-the-top chase and compare it to any scene
in Chris Noonan's enchanting 1995 film "Babe". That was a spellbinding masterwork
built on sweet fairytale and captivating personalities, human and animal.
The sequel does not live up to it, and is built on brash sound and
fury.
That, however, does not make it a tale told by
an idiot, or an idiotic tale. "Babe: Pig in the City" has been co-written
and directed by George Miller, the filmmaker behind "Mad Max", "The Witches
of Eastwick" and "Lorenzo's Oil", and co-writer and co-producer of the original
"Babe". Although that picture was subtle and magical, and this sequel is
neither, it's still not as annoying as most talking animal movies, and has
more than its fair share of imagination. Interestingly, the film does
not attempt to remake the first, in structure or style -- a refreshing
declaration that it is not trying to out-do it.
It begins where "Babe" left off, after the eponymous
pig's victory as a sheepdog (or sheep-pig) in a county tournament. We see
the farm of Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell) descend into near-bankruptcy
after he suffers injury and is forced to take temporary leave from work.
It is then decided that Esme, Arthur's wife, shall collect some money by
bringing Babe to be a guest at a fair in the city. Through wickedly funny
circumstances, they miss the event, and are stuck in the city for several
days.
The first film took place in the countryside of
an anonymous country. The locations here keep the mystery intact, and in
'the City' we see hundreds of styles and periods of architecture piled next
to each other -- Venetian streets, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building,
the Statue of Liberty, the Hollywood sign. Is this idea too smart for its
own good? Actually, I enjoyed it, and the film deserves an Oscar nomination
for Best Art Direction.
Most of the fun takes place in or around an infamous
boarding house, run by an eccentric landlady (Mary Stein) who talks with
frenetic paranoia, occasionally slowing down to speak of her adoration for
animals. The reason the boarding house is infamous is because it is filled
to the brim with them.
These creatures are colourful characters, if not
as interesting as those in the first film. "Babe" was such a thoroughly
well-written fable that if you took its creatures and made them human, they
would be just as oddly interesting. Those of "Pig in the City" would just
be irritating. Of course, they are animals, and are amusing, just
not with as much depth. It's all surface frolics.
Still, although "Pig in the City" is a branch
off of "Babe", it does not try to achieve the same peak of legendary charm,
and as such, it is not fair to judge it on that level. The truth is that
it stands on its own as a good flick. Depth is not a necessity, and with
so many bad films out there, it's satisfying enough to see one where the
gags work on any positive level.
Universal Pictures would not have the gall to
release the movie if the technical elements weren't up to scratch.
Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie returns for this instalment, giving us as beautiful
a glow as he did in the first. The visual effects are seamless and the music
is stirring. "Babe: Pig in the City" may not touch the heart too often, but
it's always a feast for the senses.
COPYRIGHT©
1998 Ian Waldron-Mantgani
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