Looking back, I don't know why I felt excited when I first heard that 'Babe', one of the most charming and delightful films that 1995 had to offer, would be next to go down with superfluous sequel syndrome. After all, you'd only need to look at how it ended to see that it was a perfectly satisfying story told well enough within itself, and that any additional material would surely be grasping the straws for ways to extend it. It shouldn't really have been too surprising that 'Babe: Pig in the City' (a generic sequel set-up if ever there was one - remember the follow-ups that 'Home Alone' and 'Homeward Bound' were afforded?) would have so much trouble in justifying itself and finding our porcine protagonist something worthwhile to do in his 90-odd minutes of extra time. I'd been swayed enough by his unwavering charm to head along in Christmas 1998 regardless, and pay up for a second instalment, little knowing I was in for an evening of eyebrow raising and shuffling uncomfortably in my seat.
Granted, for a sequel which existed primarily to cash in on the unexpected acclaim of the original - which, of course, it didn't - it at least made the effort to do something a little different on this occasion, instead of just retreading the same routine in an altered context (which is more than can be said for the sequels to 'Home Alone' and 'Homeward Bound'), so some credit for that. I just wish they'd found a better alternative than this strange plethora of tiring clichés (those evil folks in black suits at the bank want to buy out the farm and it's up to Babe to save it - what is it about that scenario that I find so uninspiring?), muddled plotting and blunted messages. I presume it was intended as a heart-warming caper about how one innocent little piglet winds up in the despondent city and brings hope and salvation to the masses of abused pets and outcast strays that roam the streets. But the charm of the original is sorely lacking - instead, it's been sidelined to make room for the elaborate extravagance that runs rampant through this sequel, and whatever teachings it may offer about charity and selflessness can never overcome the chaotic and surprisingly unpleasant feeling of the movie as a whole. When the champion sheep-herder isn't being abducted by creepy performing primates for use in their routines and inadvertently setting a children's ward on fire, he's having to rescue dogs from hanging themselves off bridges or becoming road kill on the freeway. Personally, I have nothing against family films that are willing to get a little sombre every now and then (moreover, I usually applaud them), but 'Pig in the City' tackles this in overkill, and with a fist too ham and a hand too heavy for its own benevolence.
True, the original film had its sprinkling of darkness, which the viewers, if not Babe himself, could easily pick up on, but more than enough lure and feel-good merriment to balance things out. Its sequel, meanwhile, has gone for immensity over quality - instead of subtle darkness, we get extreme grotesquery (as exemplified by Mickey Rooney's creepy clown guise) and all-out theatrical slapstick where the warmth and heart should have been. Everything on its agenda - humour, drama, animal welfare messages - is executed accordingly, and by the time we reach the (rushed and, let's face it, overly-idealistic) conclusion, it hasn't succeeded in being nearly as cheerful and uplifting as it thinks it has.
That in mind, I guess I also shouldn't have been too surprised that James Cromwell (ask any fan of the previous movie, and they'll tell you that he was easily as essential for making 'Babe' what it was as any of the animals on board) would be given such a minimalist hand in screen time. Hey, Farmer Hogget was always a deep, modest and understated man who obviously could never fit in the overblown approach that this outing adopted. It would also account for the severely diminished roles of the more restrained of the farmyard critters - Rex, Fly and Duchess have been appropriately excluded, while Ferdinand and the singing rodent trio have tagged along for little other reason than to raise their voices whenever necessary. As for the fresh horde of characters that Babe encounters on his threadbare adventure, they lack depth and dimension in just about every way possible, and if not for their varying range of visual characteristics, would be impossible to distinguish altogether (as before, the mix of trained animals and animatronics works wonders, but the addition of CGI to the visual equation - in the form of baby chimps, goldfish and some truly dreadful-looking pelicans - sticks out like a sore thumb). The only thing it really has to keep it going is Babe himself. At least he's still the charming mass of sincerity he's always been (even if his original vocal chords have bolted - wisely so, Christine Cavanaugh) and remains the one ray of positive light which keeps this film from getting swallowed up in its own profligacy.
There have been worse follow-ups, I suppose. Babe's charisma, some decent visuals and its willingness to innovate are what keep me from writing this off as a total scrap-heap - just about enough merit to avoid disgracing its forerunner, but it doesn't exactly do it a great deal of justice either. Watch it if you must, but are you sure you wouldn't rather pay the original another visit instead? I assure you, that film is very re-watchable. This one, as I discovered when I finally gave it a second chance, really isn't.
Grade: C
Granted, for a sequel which existed primarily to cash in on the unexpected acclaim of the original - which, of course, it didn't - it at least made the effort to do something a little different on this occasion, instead of just retreading the same routine in an altered context (which is more than can be said for the sequels to 'Home Alone' and 'Homeward Bound'), so some credit for that. I just wish they'd found a better alternative than this strange plethora of tiring clichés (those evil folks in black suits at the bank want to buy out the farm and it's up to Babe to save it - what is it about that scenario that I find so uninspiring?), muddled plotting and blunted messages. I presume it was intended as a heart-warming caper about how one innocent little piglet winds up in the despondent city and brings hope and salvation to the masses of abused pets and outcast strays that roam the streets. But the charm of the original is sorely lacking - instead, it's been sidelined to make room for the elaborate extravagance that runs rampant through this sequel, and whatever teachings it may offer about charity and selflessness can never overcome the chaotic and surprisingly unpleasant feeling of the movie as a whole. When the champion sheep-herder isn't being abducted by creepy performing primates for use in their routines and inadvertently setting a children's ward on fire, he's having to rescue dogs from hanging themselves off bridges or becoming road kill on the freeway. Personally, I have nothing against family films that are willing to get a little sombre every now and then (moreover, I usually applaud them), but 'Pig in the City' tackles this in overkill, and with a fist too ham and a hand too heavy for its own benevolence.
True, the original film had its sprinkling of darkness, which the viewers, if not Babe himself, could easily pick up on, but more than enough lure and feel-good merriment to balance things out. Its sequel, meanwhile, has gone for immensity over quality - instead of subtle darkness, we get extreme grotesquery (as exemplified by Mickey Rooney's creepy clown guise) and all-out theatrical slapstick where the warmth and heart should have been. Everything on its agenda - humour, drama, animal welfare messages - is executed accordingly, and by the time we reach the (rushed and, let's face it, overly-idealistic) conclusion, it hasn't succeeded in being nearly as cheerful and uplifting as it thinks it has.
That in mind, I guess I also shouldn't have been too surprised that James Cromwell (ask any fan of the previous movie, and they'll tell you that he was easily as essential for making 'Babe' what it was as any of the animals on board) would be given such a minimalist hand in screen time. Hey, Farmer Hogget was always a deep, modest and understated man who obviously could never fit in the overblown approach that this outing adopted. It would also account for the severely diminished roles of the more restrained of the farmyard critters - Rex, Fly and Duchess have been appropriately excluded, while Ferdinand and the singing rodent trio have tagged along for little other reason than to raise their voices whenever necessary. As for the fresh horde of characters that Babe encounters on his threadbare adventure, they lack depth and dimension in just about every way possible, and if not for their varying range of visual characteristics, would be impossible to distinguish altogether (as before, the mix of trained animals and animatronics works wonders, but the addition of CGI to the visual equation - in the form of baby chimps, goldfish and some truly dreadful-looking pelicans - sticks out like a sore thumb). The only thing it really has to keep it going is Babe himself. At least he's still the charming mass of sincerity he's always been (even if his original vocal chords have bolted - wisely so, Christine Cavanaugh) and remains the one ray of positive light which keeps this film from getting swallowed up in its own profligacy.
There have been worse follow-ups, I suppose. Babe's charisma, some decent visuals and its willingness to innovate are what keep me from writing this off as a total scrap-heap - just about enough merit to avoid disgracing its forerunner, but it doesn't exactly do it a great deal of justice either. Watch it if you must, but are you sure you wouldn't rather pay the original another visit instead? I assure you, that film is very re-watchable. This one, as I discovered when I finally gave it a second chance, really isn't.
Grade: C