Babe: Pig in the City

Director: George Miller

Overview

George Miller's stunning sequel to Babe is as groundbreaking as talking animal movies get. On DVD, the fantasy world of Babe and pals is infinitely believable. Colors are lush. The transfer is excellent. The DVD allows the film to be viewed rightfully as a work of art. The Dolby Digital soundtrack is also superb; narration, dialogue, sound effects, and musical score all impress to no end. Sadly, the "Bonus Materials" menu doesn't provide access to much information. The "Production Notes" section presents about ten pages of information, in text that is difficult to read (light text on a light background), regarding the making of the movie. The information would be more successfully presented in the form of a production featurette. The "Cast and Filmmakers" section gives standard biographical filmographies of the director and five of the film's stars (including the actor who gives voice to Babe). A "Scene List" provides quick access to all 18 chapters, complete with full-motion video to make sure viewers select the correct scene. Two theatrical trailers for the film and one for the original Babe film are included, which are fun to watch (thanks to the singing mice). Babe: Pig in the City might not be revelatory fare, but in watching the movie on DVD, viewers will find it easy to believe that Babe and all of his animal friends are actually talking and going about their human-like lives -- it's a can't miss treat.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/04/1999
UPC:	0025192052729
Original Release:	1998
Rating:	G
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	6,667

Special Features

Babe screensaver; Production notes; Cast and filmmakers' bios; Film highlights; Theatrical trailers; Web links

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Cromwell	Farmer Hoggett
Mickey Rooney	Fugly Floom
Magda Szubanski	Mrs. Hoggett
E.G. Daily	Babe,Babe
Glenne Headly	Zootie
Steven Wright	Bob
James Cosmo	Thelonius
Adam Goldberg	Flealick
Julie Godfrey	Suspicious Neighbour
Kim Story	Judge
Danny Mann	Ferdinand
Richard Carter	Detective
Simon Westaway	Detective
Margaret Christensen	Haughty Woman
Janet Foye	Mrs. Hoggett's Friend
Pamela Hawken	Mrs. Hoggett's Friend
Basil Clarke	Doctor
Cecelia Yates	Flight Attendant
Damian Monk	Customs Guard
Terrell Dixon	Customs Guard
Gabby Millgate	Female Officer
Anthony Phelan	Security Guard
Van Epperson	Night Cleaner
Mark Gerber	Motorcycle Cop
Ken Radley	Motorcycle Cop
John Samaha	Van Cop
Paul Moxey	Tough Guy
Gareth Clydesdale	Tough Guy
Ken Johnson	Court Stenographer
Jennifer Kent	Lab Lady,Lab Lady
Richard Huggett	Cop
Nathan Kress	Easy
Myles Jeffrey	Easy
Stanley Ralph Ross	Pitbull,The Doberman / The Bull Terrier/The Pitbull
Russi Taylor	Voices
Eddie Barth	Voices
Bill Capizzi	Voices,Snoop, The Sniffer Dog/The Sniffer Dog
Miriam Margolyes	Voices,Fly
Hugo Weaving	Voices,Rex
Roscoe Lee Browne	Narrator,The Narrator
Katie Leigh	Voices,Kitten
Evelyn Krape	Voices
Charles Bartlett	Voices,Cow
Michael Edward-Stevens	Voices,Horse
Al Mancini	Voices
Larry Moss	Voices
Jim Cummings	Voices
Lisa Bailey	Voices
Blayn Barbosa	Voices
Victor Brandt	Voices
Jeannie Elias	Voices
Pippa Grandison	Voices
J.D. Hall	Voices
Mark Hammond	Voices
Julie Oppenheimer	Voices
Mary Stein	Landlady
Micheline Presle	Actor
Nigel Westlake	Composer

Technical Credits

George Miller

Judy Morris

Mark Lamprell

George Miller	Director,Screenwriter,Producer,Producer
Judy Morris	Screenwriter
Mark Lamprell	Screenwriter
Alison Barrett	Casting,Casting
Tom Davies	Special Effects
Barbara Gibbs	Executive Producer
Doug Mitchell	Producer
Guy Norris	Stunts
P.J. Voeten	Producer
Ross Boyer	Sound Effects
Brent Burge	Sound Effects
Rhythm & Hues Studios	Special Effects
Barbara Harris	Casting
Animal Logic Film	Special Effects
Mill Film	Special Effects
Ben Osmo	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 -- Babe- Pig in the City
0. Chapter List
1. The Hero Pig [1:30]
2. If Only... [1:20]
3. To Save the Farm [1:15]
4. A Trip to the City [1:10]
5. The Drug Smuggler [3:59]
6. Stranded [:20]
7. A Place for a Pig [1:45]
8. Give Back My Bag! [3:03]
9. Uncle Fugly [1:07]
10. Chaos Theory [:49]
11. A Pig Gets Wise [3:57]
12. Duck in the City [2:12]
13. The Kindest Heart [1:42]
14. Sanctuary's End [2:02]
15. Chaos Revisited [3:16]
16. I Want My Pig! [:48]
17. Something Afresh [4:38]
18. End Titles [1:11]

Menu

Side #1 -- Babe- Pig in the City
   Bonus Materials
      Production Notes
      Cast & Filmmakers
         James Cromwell
         Magda Szubanski
         Mary Stein
         Mickey Rooney
         E.G. Daily
         George Miller
      Theatrical Trailers
         Babe: Pig in the City trailer 1
         Babe: Pig in the City trailer 2
         Babe
      Universal Web Links
      Babe Screen Saver
   Language Selection
      Spoken Languages
      Captions
   Play
   I
      English
      Francais

Editorial Reviews

The sequel to the 1995 sleeper hit Babe, Babe: Pig in the City may have been deemed occasionally too intense for the child audience, but that didn't prevent it from being as inventive and enchanting as the first film. Directed by Babe producer (and Mad Max auteur) George Miller, Babe: Pig in the City surpasses the original's visual riches when the guileless sheep pig, Ferdinand the duck, and the chorus of Edith Piaf-singing mice become stranded in a stupendous megalopolis that is an amalgam of several major international cities. The slew of animals Babe meets, including antagonistic dogs and cats, a dignified chimp, working circus monkeys, and a canine enforcer who sounds like a famous mafia don, may all sport an urban edge, but Babe's boundless generosity of spirit still prevails -- though he does acquire a punk collar. The animatronic beasts and lip-synched animal dialogue are as seamless and literately witty as in the first film, while the numerous urban perils -- particularly the city pound -- provide another lesson on animal rights and self-worth within elaborate, outrageously choreographed adventures. Opening against stiff competition from the animated A Bug's Life (1998), Babe: Pig in the City failed to match its predecessor's success.

All Movie Guide - Lucia Bozzola