Review of Babe: Pig in the City

Let's address the "it's too dark/scary for kids" issue. If we look at the original "Babe," we had one scene where Ma, the sheep, was killed by wild dogs. We had another scene where Farmer Hoggett was going to shoot Babe because he thought that Babe had somehow killed Ma. The opening of the first movie, which takes place in a dark slaughterhouse, is pretty grim. In "Pig in the City" we have an accident happening to Farmer Hoggett, which we are shown was not fatal. We have another accident happening to Flealick the wheelchair bound dog, from which he bounces right back and continues onward. We have the chase scene with the angry pit bull who almost drowns - until Babe saves him. Now how is that too "dark" for kids? The only person who actually comes to any harm in this movie is Mickey Rooney's character, but despite arguments to the contrary it's no more traumatizing to see Mickey Rooney carried off in a stretcher than it is to see poor old Rex muzzled and given tranquilizers in the first movie! I think there are a good many people who are overprotective of their children. The kids that I know who watched this movie loved it. Now, why is this movie the best one of 1998? It has a better plot, more likeable characters, and a better resolution than any movie I can think of from 1998. Period. All of the critics, except Siskel and Ebert (RIP Gene!) missed the boat on this one. Hello critics, does the phrase "magic realism" ring a bell? And what great images. When the chandelier falls and hundreds of electric blue balloons descend on the golden/yellow ballroom, and the little pink pig rises out of the mass of blue balloons -- the colors and contrasts of this one shot, and the way it was executed, is brilliant. The scene where Thelonius turns around and says, "But I'm not dressed!" - the scene where the animals slip through the children's hospital ward while one boy watches in wonder - these and many more images from the movie deserve close and careful study. These are the points I wish to argue from this excellent movie. I suggest that you not take any critic's word for it, nor should you pay attention to the overprotective whiners who would shield children from life itself if they could. Buy this movie and see for yourself. In years to come it will be known as a classic.