making a sequel to a widely beloved film is a weighty proposition indeed , especially when the first film is considered by many to be a masterpiece .
when it comes to living up to expectations , a filmmaker is almost doomed to some degree of failure .
for a sequel to live up to or even surpass the original 's greatness is very rare indeed .
and whereas " babe : pig in the city " misses equaling the greatness of its best picture nominated predecessor babe
, it is a worthy companion piece .
more than that , it is a spectacular work of art that deserves to stand alone in its own right .
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babe : pig in the city " warrants the classification of being recognized with such classics like " the godfather : part ii " and " the empire strikes back " as being one of the greatest sequels ever produced .
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babe : pig in the city " picks up precisely where " babe " left off .
having won the sheep herding competition , farmer hoggett ( james cromwell ) and his pig are elevated to fame status .
a series of unfortunate circumstances and hilariously freakish events leads to mrs .
hoggett taking babe from the small country farm into the big city .
in doing so , the film transports us into a wonderfully imaginative world that simultaneously mirrors and exceeds the creative design seen in the original .
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babe : pig in the city " flourishes where so many sequels fail .
most sequels simply rehash the events of the first film .
not " babe : pig in the city " .
this is a completely original tale that offers up a story drastically different than the first .
also , by not being content to utilize most of the old characters , this film gives us many new ones to enjoy .
in essence , it does n't attempt to copy itself .
instead , it strives to achieve an originality of its own .
and it succeeds .
that 's not to say the familiar is absent .
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babe : pig in the city " retains some of the best core elements and characters from the first film .
along with babe himself , ferdinand the duck comes along for the ride , as does mrs .
hoggett ( one of this decade 's best and most underappreciated comic characterizations , hilariously performed by magda szubanski ) .
the three singing mice also make the journey , chiming in with their cute high - pitched vocals .
the story structure is also similar as each segment is introduced with title cards read by the aforementioned mice .
from there , we are guided once again by roscoe lee browne 's soothingly deep narrative .
composer nigel westlake also returns with his whimsical music style that is perfect for cinematic fables such as these .
but these elements are simply the frame that surrounds an entirely new painting .
while staying at the flealands hotel , babe encounters a veritable ark - full of new animals .
monkeys , kittens , and dogs of various breeds and sizes are some of the new " urbanites " that babe befriends , as well as some wonderfully comical pelicans that ferdinand the duck happens to encounter .
each character is distinctly unique , some of which are imbued with personal human - like struggles that are endearing and touching .
and while this world focuses largely on these animals , we are introduced to two new human characters as well .
mary stein plays the owner of the flealands hotel , an animal - loving young spinster who harbors these lost creatures much to the dismaying anger of her fellow neighbors .
stein 's landlady is a wonderfully odd caricature .
we also meet fugly floom , an old soft - spoken clown who owns many of the animals in the flealands hotel , utilizing them as a part of the act that he performs at different parties and functions .
not having known who portrayed fugly floom prior to seeing the film
, it came as an unexpected pleasant surprise to see who it was .
so as not to ruin this well - kept secret , i wo n't reveal the actor 's identity here .
it was a treat indeed to see one of cinema 's legends grace the screen again in what was a superbly gentle and heartwarming performance .
the greatest triumph of " babe : pig in the city " is the art direction .
simply put -- it bleeds creativity , taking the look of the original film to a whole new level . restricted primarily to a farm the first time around , this second installment creates an entire city , dazzling us with unique fable - like architecture .
but the stroke of pure genius by production designer roger ford is his use of our world 's architectural landmarks .
designing a skyline that includes the statue of liberty , the sydney opera house , the brooklyn bridge , the hollywood sign and the eiffel tower , ford has created a singular city that encompasses all of our cities ( as seen in the film photo and pre - production drawing to your right ) .
added to that , many of this city 's streets are the twin siblings of venice 's gondola - trekked rivers .
the metropolis that has sprung from ford 's vision is a wondrous sight to behold .
it is a world that you want to walk around in .
norma moriceau 's costume designs belong in this world , vibrant in color and style equal to that of the ford 's landscape .
most of the costumes are imaginatively cartoonish , with the most exotically grand design going to that of fugly floom 's clown outfit .
andrew lesnie 's photography captures these elements with various lighting moods that are beautifully effective in creating the film 's multiple emotional tones .
much press fodder has been made over the weeks leading up to the release of " babe : pig in the city " .
reports stated that its original cut was branded with a pg-13 rating .
these reports were discovered to be false as it was assigned a pg rating .
but even so , to be anything harsher than the original ' s
g rating had many parents and fans up in arms .
by deleting a minimal number of shots , " babe : pig in the city " was eventually given the coveted g rating .
although appeased , many fans were still concerned that it would be too dark , fearing that the film may have come to be possessed by tim burton himself .
well , to coin a phrase , the reports of " babe : pig in the city " 's death at the hands of a dark , scary , felliniesque interpretation have been greatly exaggerated .
granted it has its moments of pseudo - morbidity , but all - in - all " babe : pig in the city " is the funny and charming adventure that everyone was hoping it would be .
whatever " dark " moments it may have can be attributed to director george miller ( the " mad max " trilogy , " the witches of eastwick " , " lorenzo 's oil " ) . having served as a producer and co - writer on the first film , miller moves into the director 's chair for this one , putting his own unique sense of style into this budding franchise .
the story of " babe : pig in the city " is an enchanting yarn , but one that does n't achieve the emotional or character depth of the original .
missing here is the attempt to broach such heady themes as personal identity , an individual 's worth , challenging conformity , and one 's purpose in life .
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babe " dealt with this weighty subject matter , creating a timeless fable .
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babe : pig in the city " should not have rehashed these themes , but i do wish it would have attempted to explore new ones .
this film is not bereft of moral or message as it parallels such issues as urban strife , class differences , sacrificial courage , and so on .
but this film 's goals are n't as lofty as the first 's , instead choosing to take a more straightforward approach , allowing its themes to take a back seat to an exciting , sometimes intense , fable adventure that is undeniably clever and inventive .
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babe : pig in the city " also decides against developing a relationship to the level of which was present in the first film , specifically the one between farmer hoggett and babe .
hoggett 's love for babe , which grew ever so gently , is what gave that film its charming and endearing quality .
best exemplified in hoggett 's dance for babe , this moving relationship was truly unique .
it is something that i wish would have been present again ( and could have through fugly floom ) , but was not .
please understand , these are not negative criticisms , per se ' , but simply statements of what i see as the differences between " babe : pig in the city " being a very good film and the original being a great one .
but having said that , these observations are minor critiques at best .
as an overall piece , " babe : pig in the city " is a thoroughly enchanting and entertaining fable from beginning to end .
sure , it is n't a great film , but it is an excellent one that possesses elements of greatness .
it is a film that is magical with its charm and humor , exciting in its adventurous exploits , funny with its dry wit and cute voices , and breathtaking in its presentation .
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babe : pig in the city " may not be moviemaking at its absolute best , but it is on level of cinematic quality that is rarely achieved or seen in cinema .
as a result , if you choose to let this film pass you by , you will be missing of the year 's best cinematic treats .
the stroke of pure genius it is a worthy companion piece retains some of the best core elements an excellent one a treat indeed it strives to achieve an originality of its own . and it succeeds magical with its charm and humor , exciting in its adventurous exploits , funny with its dry wit and cute voices , and breathtaking in its presentation an enchanting yarn a completely original tale flourishes where so many sequels fail the funny and charming adventure the year 's best cinematic treats a superbly gentle and heartwarming performance a thoroughly enchanting and entertaining fable from beginning to end a spectacular work of art