BABE: PIG IN THE CITY (Universal) Starring: Magda Szubanski, Mary Stein, Mickey Rooney, James Cromwell, voices of E. G. Daily, Danny Mann, Glenne Headly, Steven Wright. Screenplay: George Miller, Judy Morris and Mark Lamprell. Producers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell and Bill Miller. Director: George Miller. MPAA Rating: G (mild bodily function reference). Running Time: 95 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
Like a classic storybook tale, 1995's BABE was set no-where and no-when in particular. The singular world in which the rosy, glowing Hoggett farm and its chattering menagerie existed added to the charm that made the original film a surprise hit and an Oscar-nominee. BABE: PIG IN THE CITY takes that anywhere-ness a step farther...actually, a step too far. The story begins as Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) suffers an unfortunate accident, making him unable to work the farm. With financial ruin imminent, Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski) decides to take the now-famous Babe (E. G. Daily, replacing Christine Cavanaugh) for a lucrative state fair appearance, only to end up stranded in The Big City. Where, exactly, _is_ that Big City? Well, a view from Babe's hotel window includes The Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, and the Hollywood sign.
It's a cute gag the first time, but it also signals a not-so-subtle shift in tone from BABE. The setting is no longer Anywhere, but Everywhere; the story isn't just a fantasy where anything could happen, but one where the film-makers try to make everything happen. Babe and Mrs. Hoggett contend with suspicions that they are drug smugglers; Mrs. Hoggett goes to jail when she inadvertently causes a mess in downtown Metropolis; Babe comes to the rescue of a massive collection of sort-of-homeless animals. BABE: PIG IN THE CITY is so full of plots and sub-plots that saving the Hoggett farm practically becomes an afterthought, with a resolution so silly it almost seems a waste of time.
You might suspect that a pace that frantic would be a sop to younger viewers, but it's hard to imagine George Miller (who produced the original and also directs here) had kids in mind making this film. A catastrophic performance by a low-rent circus (featuring Mickey Rooney in a weird cameo as a clown of indeterminate personality) turns into a moody and murky slow-motion sequence like something out of PLATOON; later, a dog with a bad heart has a near-death experience with pastoral visions. BABE certainly had a few dark moments, but nothing like the consistently creepy feel of PIG IN THE CITY. Miller may have been playing to the kiddies when Mrs. Hoggett goes bouncing around a reception hall in inflatable pants, but not when a dog insults a cat with an epithet that could be interpreted as quite vulgar.
Ironically, that strangely mature tone introduces the film's only truly compelling element, a melancholy performing orangutan named Thelonious (voice of James Cosmo). He's a mysterious presence who can't seem to bear the idea that he's not human, and both the animal and vocal performances are wonderfully sympathetic. I sat just a bit forward in my seat every time Thelonious appeared, gradually realizing that this one character also served to point out how bland the rest of the characters are in BABE: PIG IN THE CITY. There are too many animals milling about to care about any of them all that much; even the little pig himself seems to have been sapped of personality. The easy rapport between Babe and Farmer Hoggett (relegated here to little more than a glorified cameo) is sorely missed.
Then again, a whole lot of things from BABE are sorely missed. It's a nice change of pace to find a sequel that doesn't merely try to remake the original, but BABE: PIG IN THE CITY lack any of the original's endearing gentle spirit. It's so hyped-up and busy, it's almost as though John Hughes got hold of our sweet little pig and tossed him into a HOME ALONE sequel. Too many chuckles in BABE: PIG IN THE CITY are too forced; too many others are too close to a shudder. This is one major holiday disappointment, a storybook tale that should have quit with its original happy ending.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 pork chops: 4.
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