Babe: Pig in the City
Encyclopedia
Babe: Pig in the City is a 1998 sequel
to the 1995 film Babe
. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter (the film includes a scene in which a dog almost drowns while hanging from a bridge), the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally mixed.
Babe is taken by the Landlady's uncle Fugly Floom, a clown who performs with a troop of chimpanzees and Thelonius, his loyal orangutan. He tells Esme that Babe has escaped and she leaves to search for him but is arrested after she causes an uproar with a motorcycle gang. Babe chooses to perform for the local children's hospital with the apes, hoping to earn money to save the farm but the show ends in disaster and Floom is taken to the hospital. The concerned Landlady stays by his side and leaves all the animals alone in the hotel unprotected. This quickly arouses the suspicion of a meddlesome neighbor across the street.
As Thelonius broods over his ailing master, the three chimpanzees leave to find food. Babe follows them and mentions his sheep herding skills. The leader of the chimpanzees uses Babe as a decoy to distract two malicious dogs guarding an alleyway while continue their search. Frightened, Babe runs away, but the spike keeping the dogs chained up breaks free and the dogs give chase throughout the city. Babe loses one in a junkyard but chooses to rescue the bull terrier from drowning. This earns him the respect of all the animals and the loyalty of the once-dangerous bull terrier.
Babe allows the strays into the hotel and one of the chimpanzees, Zootie, goes into labor and gives birth to twins. Babe sings to the newborns and the other animals join in. Ferdinand the duck, who has been trying to find Babe after he left the farm, is finally able to reach him. The neighbor realizes that the hotel is filled with animals and calls the officials to dispose of them. The animals are taken away. Babe and Ferdinand escape, as well as a wheelchair-using dog called Flealick.
Meanwhile, Esme Hoggett tells her story before a judge and is set free. She returns to the hotel and finds it empty except for the Landlady mourning her uncle's death and loss of the animals. As Esme's only dress is ruined, the Landlady lends her the only clothes that fit her — her uncle's clown costume — and they confront the meddlesome neighbor Esme asked "Where are the animals?".
Both women and Babe and his friends make their way to the hospital, where a banquet is in progress. Babe frees the animals. Esme and the landlady burst into the banquet shooting fire extinguishers to keep the guards away. Esme then ties the elastic straps from the suit to the chandelier and swings from it trying to catch Babe. As she is swinging, she bumps one of the waiters off a ladder while he is trying to keep a tower of champagne glasses from falling over. As Esme is regaining her balance, she hears a strange noise and looks down and sees that beneath the suit,an inflatable
flesh-colored, balloon is rapidly expanding. The waiter gets up and sees this and looks into his hand and sees that as he was falling he accidentally pulled off a tab on the suit marked "DO NOT PULL". Esme then begins to bounce around the room using the balloon as a cushion.She eventually retrieves Babe, but pulls down the chandelier due to their height, causing all the ballons to fall that were being held up by a banner. Zootie realizes one of her babies is missing and desperately searches for it. Babe sees it clinging to the broken chandelier cord and about to fall. He alerts Thelonius just in time to catch it. The chimpanzees are grateful to Thelonius, but he repeats the bull terrier's earlier words--"Thank the pig"--as a show of his newly earned respect for Babe. Esme than rolls over to Babe and says, "Pig, You get here now!"
The Landlady moves near the Hoggetts' farm, which was saved by the money from the hotel. The animals join them as well—the chimpanzees live freely in the trees, Thelonius shows his loyalty to Mrs. Hoggett by helping her with chores, the bull terrier tries to raise his puppies (whom he fathered with a pink poodle from the hotel who left the farm with another dog ) to be tough, and Flealick chases trucks that pass by clinging to them. Farmer Hoggett recovers and is successful in repairing the well. As the film comes to a close, he turns to Babe and says, "That'll do Pig. That'll do."
Additional Voices by Lisa Bailer, Lisa Bailey, Blayne Barbosa, Victor Brandt
, Jeannie Elias
, Pippa Grandison
, J.D. Hall
, Mark Hammond
, Wendy Hammers, Barbara Harris
, Scott Leavenworthy, Danny Mann
, Julie Offen, Julie Oppenheimer, Deborah Packer, Roger Rose
, Carly Schroeder
, Joseph R. Sicari, Aaron Spann, Drew Levi Thomas, Lexi Thomas, and Naomi Watts
. The TV spots for the film's theatrical release mentioned this rating. When the film was released in theaters, it was re-rated G by the MPAA
, so the TV spots for the film's theatrical release currently mentioned this rating instead of its original rating. The reason why the final cut was rated G by the MPAA
was because most of the dog violence was cut, leaving a shot that shows the bull terrier pushing down Babe into the river. Some people thought it was rated PG by the MPAA
as they saw the poster mentioning the film's original rating. The home video release still has a G rating from the MPAA
. This was Universal's last theatrically released feature-length film to be rated G by the MPAA
until 2006's Curious George
. It was also Universal's last theatrically released live-action film to be rated G by the MPAA
until 2007's Mr. Bean's Holiday. However, when the film aired on Superstation WGN
on November 18, 2007 and AMC
on December 9, 2007, the shot that shows Ferdinand almost getting shot by humans was removed.
The film takes place in an imaginative fantasy-like Metropolis
. It notably resembles Oz
, but in modern day form. The city has various styles of architecture from around the world. It also has a variety of waterways, noticeable by the hotel at which Babe stays. The downtown area appears to be situated on an island not dissimilar to Manhattan Island. The Downtown Skyline features various skyscrapers such as the World Trade Center
, Sears Tower
, Chrysler Building
, Empire State Building
, IDS Center
, MetLife Building
, Sydney Opera House
, the Hollywood sign
, the Golden Gate Bridge
, the Fernsehturm Berlin, Big Ben, Red Square
, the Statue of Liberty
,and the Tour Eiffel and many other landmarks.
The DVD covers feature a similar but different skyline, keeping the World Trade Center
, Golden Gate Bridge
, Big Ben, Sydney Opera House
, and Red Square
. Several skyscrapers added include 40 Wall Street
(Two of them), Empire State Building
, 500 5th Avenue, the Flatiron Building
, World Financial Center
, and several Los Angeles
Skyscrapers including the U.S. Bank Tower. The river near the
hotel is similar at the canal of Venice
, Italy
or Amsterdam
, Netherlands
.
An extended scene with Farmer Hoggett's accident (from the novel).
Esme Hoggett being striped searched. In the theaters it showed the guard put on the rubber glove, but this was not in the DVD or VHS version (junior novel).
Extended city scene after the bucket of glue fell on Mrs Hoggett's head. Her purse was stolen and she tries to fight her way to it, which let to her striking an officer, resulting in he getting arrested. Evidence of this scene remains in the final film with the Police officers being bandaged up (junior novel).
A scene where Babe is hungry and wants food, from watching Fugly Floom eating. Then Babe's snout gets stuck in a jar. The chimps build a tower of trash which leads to Babe climbing it, resulting in Babe falling out of the hotel window (scene from the trailer). The Trash falls on Fugly, injuring him which is why he was taken out on a stretcher. This whole scene was cut (junior novel).
An extended scene with the Animal Control: they originally used more force on the animals (from The novel).
Scenes with Esme Hoggett in jail in which she was booked and forced to sleep in a windowless cell with a snoring cellmate (junior Novel).
A scene where Fugly dies with his niece the landlady by his side (Novel).
Extended scene with Esme Hoggett arriving back at the hotel.
Extended ballroom rescue: someone pulled the piece of fabric on Esme's clown suit causing it to tear, and a shot of the chef and a waiter pulling on Esme's clown suit trick stockings and slinging her around the room. Babe dashed into their knees knocking them down (Trailer). Evidence of this scene remains in the final film where Esme is suddenly barefoot and looking out of breath.
, and a 56% "Rotten" rating from "Top Critics." Most of the negative reviews came from people who enjoyed the first Babe
, as well as those who were expecting a more family-oriented film, like the first installment. Like its predecessor, the film was banned in Malaysia. However, the film has developed a cult following
, and film critic Gene Siskel
named it as his choice for the best movie of 1998 and claimed it to be better than its original. Roger Ebert
also praised the movie, saying it was "more magical than the original 'Babe'." The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song
in 1998. Tom Waits
is apparently a fan of the film, as he expressed in a recent feature in Mojo Magazine.
The film was a box office failure. It grossed only $69 million worldwide from a $90 million budget, compared to the first movie's $254 million globally.
Both Babe movies are available on Netflix and Netflix Canada.
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1995 film Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter (the film includes a scene in which a dog almost drowns while hanging from a bridge), the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally mixed.
Plot
Shortly after the events of the previous film, Farmer Hoggett is injured and unable to work. Facing foreclosure, Esme Hoggett resolves to show Babe at a faraway fair for an appearance fee. On the way to the fair, Mrs. Hoggett and Babe are unexpectedly detained and forced to stay in an unfamiliar and hostile city. They find the only hotel in town that secretly accepts pets but soon become separated from each other.Babe is taken by the Landlady's uncle Fugly Floom, a clown who performs with a troop of chimpanzees and Thelonius, his loyal orangutan. He tells Esme that Babe has escaped and she leaves to search for him but is arrested after she causes an uproar with a motorcycle gang. Babe chooses to perform for the local children's hospital with the apes, hoping to earn money to save the farm but the show ends in disaster and Floom is taken to the hospital. The concerned Landlady stays by his side and leaves all the animals alone in the hotel unprotected. This quickly arouses the suspicion of a meddlesome neighbor across the street.
As Thelonius broods over his ailing master, the three chimpanzees leave to find food. Babe follows them and mentions his sheep herding skills. The leader of the chimpanzees uses Babe as a decoy to distract two malicious dogs guarding an alleyway while continue their search. Frightened, Babe runs away, but the spike keeping the dogs chained up breaks free and the dogs give chase throughout the city. Babe loses one in a junkyard but chooses to rescue the bull terrier from drowning. This earns him the respect of all the animals and the loyalty of the once-dangerous bull terrier.
Babe allows the strays into the hotel and one of the chimpanzees, Zootie, goes into labor and gives birth to twins. Babe sings to the newborns and the other animals join in. Ferdinand the duck, who has been trying to find Babe after he left the farm, is finally able to reach him. The neighbor realizes that the hotel is filled with animals and calls the officials to dispose of them. The animals are taken away. Babe and Ferdinand escape, as well as a wheelchair-using dog called Flealick.
Meanwhile, Esme Hoggett tells her story before a judge and is set free. She returns to the hotel and finds it empty except for the Landlady mourning her uncle's death and loss of the animals. As Esme's only dress is ruined, the Landlady lends her the only clothes that fit her — her uncle's clown costume — and they confront the meddlesome neighbor Esme asked "Where are the animals?".
Both women and Babe and his friends make their way to the hospital, where a banquet is in progress. Babe frees the animals. Esme and the landlady burst into the banquet shooting fire extinguishers to keep the guards away. Esme then ties the elastic straps from the suit to the chandelier and swings from it trying to catch Babe. As she is swinging, she bumps one of the waiters off a ladder while he is trying to keep a tower of champagne glasses from falling over. As Esme is regaining her balance, she hears a strange noise and looks down and sees that beneath the suit,an inflatable
Inflatable
An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their...
flesh-colored, balloon is rapidly expanding. The waiter gets up and sees this and looks into his hand and sees that as he was falling he accidentally pulled off a tab on the suit marked "DO NOT PULL". Esme then begins to bounce around the room using the balloon as a cushion.She eventually retrieves Babe, but pulls down the chandelier due to their height, causing all the ballons to fall that were being held up by a banner. Zootie realizes one of her babies is missing and desperately searches for it. Babe sees it clinging to the broken chandelier cord and about to fall. He alerts Thelonius just in time to catch it. The chimpanzees are grateful to Thelonius, but he repeats the bull terrier's earlier words--"Thank the pig"--as a show of his newly earned respect for Babe. Esme than rolls over to Babe and says, "Pig, You get here now!"
The Landlady moves near the Hoggetts' farm, which was saved by the money from the hotel. The animals join them as well—the chimpanzees live freely in the trees, Thelonius shows his loyalty to Mrs. Hoggett by helping her with chores, the bull terrier tries to raise his puppies (whom he fathered with a pink poodle from the hotel who left the farm with another dog ) to be tough, and Flealick chases trucks that pass by clinging to them. Farmer Hoggett recovers and is successful in repairing the well. As the film comes to a close, he turns to Babe and says, "That'll do Pig. That'll do."
Cast
- Magda SzubanskiMagda SzubanskiMagda Szubanski is a British-born Australian actress, comedian, television presenter, radio host and author.Szubanski's career began while she was studying at university and she progressed to television sketch comedy, as both a writer and performer...
- Esme Cordelia Hoggett - Mary SteinMary Stein-Early life:Mary was born in Marquette, Michigan, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She began an acting career performing in plays.-Acting career:...
- The Landlady - James CromwellJames CromwellJames Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
- Arthur Hoggett - Mickey RooneyMickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
- Fugly Floom - Paul LivingstonPaul LivingstonPaul Livingston, popularly known as his alter ego Flacco, is an Australian comedian who has regularly appeared on many television shows, predominantly on ABC TV and Network Ten, including Good News Week, The Sandman and Flacco Special, The Big Gig, DAAS Kapital, The Money or the Gun, The Fat and...
- The Hot Headed Chef - Julie Godfrey - The Suspicious Neighbor (who is called 'Hortense' at some point in the film)
Voice Cast
- E.G. Daily - Babe
- Danny MannDanny MannDaniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
- Ferdinand, Tug - Roscoe Lee BrowneRoscoe Lee BrowneRoscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing.-Biography:Browne was the fourth son of a Baptist minister, Sylvanus S. Browne, and his wife Lovie...
- Narrator - Glenne HeadlyGlenne HeadlyGlenne Aimee Headly is an American actress of film, stage and television.-Early life:Glenne Headly was born in New London, Connecticut and her first years were spent living under the care of her mother in San Francisco and her maternal grandmother in Pennsylvania...
- Zootie - Steven WrightSteven WrightSteven Alexander Wright is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes and one-liners with contrived situations.-Early life and career:Wright was born in Mount Auburn...
- Bob - James CosmoJames CosmoJames Cosmo is a prolific Scottish actor, with numerous credits in film and television since the late 1960s and Cosmo is still currently acting. Cosmo was born in Clydebank, Scotland, the son of actor James Copeland...
- Thelonius - Stanley Ralph RossStanley Ralph RossStanley Ralph Ross was raised in Brooklyn New York, starting his career in advertising, then soon going to work as a writer and actor on various television shows, most notably cult-classics such as the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West and also The Monkees...
- The Bull TerrierBull TerrierThe Bull Terrier or English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. They are known for their large, egg-shaped head, small triangular eyes, and "jaunty gait." Their temperament has been described as generally fun-loving, active and clownish...
/The Doberman - Russi TaylorRussi TaylorRussi Taylor is an American voice actress. She is the current voice actress of Disney's Minnie Mouse character. She has held this role since 1986, longer than any other voice actress...
- The Pink PoodlePoodleThe Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
, Choir Cat - Myles JeffreyMyles JeffreyMyles David Jeffrey is an American film, voice and television actor. His nicknames are Jaws, Smiles, Smiley Mylie, and MJ. He played Henry Paget on the U.S. TV show Early Edition.-Career:...
- Easy - Adam GoldbergAdam GoldbergAdam Charles Goldberg is an American actor, director, producer, and musician.-Early life:Goldberg was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Donna and Earl Goldberg, a former lifeguard. His father is Jewish and his mother is a "lapsed" Roman Catholic of Irish, French, and German descent...
- Flealick the Jack Russell TerrierJack Russell TerrierThe Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white... - Eddie BarthEddie BarthEddie Barth was an American actor and voiceover artist. Barth earned the nickname, Mr. Gravel, for his raspy vocals in his voiceover work.-Early life:...
- Nigel, Alan - Bill CapizziBill CapizziBill Capizzi was a voice actor who is also known as Bill Capeze and Bill Kapezi. He was born in North Hollywood, California.-Anime:* Digimon Adventure - Frigimon* G-Force: Guardians of Space - Galactor...
- Snoop - Miriam MargolyesMiriam MargolyesMiriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
- Fly - Hugo WeavingHugo WeavingHugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
- Rex - Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
- PelicanPelicanA pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae.... - Katie LeighKatie LeighKatherine "Katie" Leigh is an American voice actress best known for her role as Connie Kendall on the Focus on the Family radio program Adventures in Odyssey since 1987...
- Hungry Kitten - Charles BartlettCharles BartlettCharles Bartlett may refer to:*Charles W. Bartlett , English painter and printmaker*Charles Lafayette Bartlett , U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1895–1915*Charles L...
- Cow - Michael Edward-Stevens - Horse
- Nathan KressNathan KressNathan Karl Kress is an American film and television actor. A professional child model and actor since the age of three, he is best known for his role as Freddie Benson on the Nickelodeon television series iCarly.-Early life:...
- Easy, Tough Pup - Al ManciniAl ManciniAlfred Benito "Al" Mancini was an American stage, television and film actor, born in Steubenville, Ohio....
- Fish - Larry MossLarry MossLawrence “Larry” Charles Moss is an American artist who works mainly with latex balloons. Renowned in his field for his large and technically challenging sculptures, he has orchestrated the creation of several large scale installations in North America and Asia, including a successful Guinness...
- Fish
Additional Voices by Lisa Bailer, Lisa Bailey, Blayne Barbosa, Victor Brandt
Victor Brandt
Victor Brandt is an American actor mostly known for his voice-over performances.Brandt was born in Los Angeles, California. He has appeared as an actor in several classic shows such as Star Trek, Mission Impossible and T.J Hooker...
, Jeannie Elias
Jeannie Elias
Jeannie Elias is a Canadian American film and voice actress.-Anime Roles:* Blood+ - Young Haji, Nahabi, Additional Voices* Ergo Proxy - Kitty* Naruto - Kaori-Non-anime Roles:...
, Pippa Grandison
Pippa Grandison
Pippa Jody Grandison is an Australian musical theatre performer. She currently lives in Sydney, with husband Steve Le Marquand and daughter Charlie.-Career:...
, J.D. Hall
J. D. Hall
James Donald "J.D." Hall is an American actor and voice artist. He provided the voice of the character Blade in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and the Klingon Com voice in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "The Augments". From 2001 to 2009, he was the narrator of Walt Disney World's Hall of...
, Mark Hammond
Mark Hammond
Mark Hammond may refer to:* Mark Hammond , South Carolina Secretary of State* Mark Hammond * Mark Hammond, main character in the video game series The Getaway...
, Wendy Hammers, Barbara Harris
Barbara Harris
Barbara Harris may refer to:*Barbara Clementine Harris, first woman ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion*Barbara Harris , American actress*Barbara Eve Harris, Canadian actress*Barbara Harris , lead singer of the R&B group The Toys...
, Scott Leavenworthy, Danny Mann
Danny Mann
Daniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
, Julie Offen, Julie Oppenheimer, Deborah Packer, Roger Rose
Roger Rose
Roger Rose is an American voice actor and former VH1 VJ, known for his voice-work in many animated cartoons. Happy Feet, Rugrats, Scooby Doo, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Quack Pack are a few of examples of his previous work. He also narrates documentaries for Animal Planet.He was...
, Carly Schroeder
Carly Schroeder
Carly Brook Schroeder is an American film and television actress. She is best known for playing Serena Baldwin, the daughter of Scotty Baldwin and Lucy Coe in the General Hospital spin-off Port Charles. She also had a recurring role on the Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire...
, Joseph R. Sicari, Aaron Spann, Drew Levi Thomas, Lexi Thomas, and Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...
Production
Prior to the film's theatrical release, it was originally rated PG by the MPAAMotion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
. The TV spots for the film's theatrical release mentioned this rating. When the film was released in theaters, it was re-rated G by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
, so the TV spots for the film's theatrical release currently mentioned this rating instead of its original rating. The reason why the final cut was rated G by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
was because most of the dog violence was cut, leaving a shot that shows the bull terrier pushing down Babe into the river. Some people thought it was rated PG by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
as they saw the poster mentioning the film's original rating. The home video release still has a G rating from the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
. This was Universal's last theatrically released feature-length film to be rated G by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
until 2006's Curious George
Curious George (film)
Curious George is a 2006 traditionally animated film adaptation of the children's stories by H.A. and Margret Rey. Will Ferrell voices Ted. Matthew O'Callaghan directed...
. It was also Universal's last theatrically released live-action film to be rated G by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
until 2007's Mr. Bean's Holiday. However, when the film aired on Superstation WGN
Superstation WGN
WGN America is a Chicago-based American superstation feed of WGN-TV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting. WGN America offers its national programming across North America without the CW network programming and most syndicated programs that are carried on the Chicago area feed...
on November 18, 2007 and AMC
AMC (TV network)
AMC is a cable television specialty channel that primarily airs movies, along with a limited amount of original programming. The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics; however since 2002, the full name has been deemphasized as a result of a major shift in programming...
on December 9, 2007, the shot that shows Ferdinand almost getting shot by humans was removed.
The film takes place in an imaginative fantasy-like Metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
. It notably resembles Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, but in modern day form. The city has various styles of architecture from around the world. It also has a variety of waterways, noticeable by the hotel at which Babe stays. The downtown area appears to be situated on an island not dissimilar to Manhattan Island. The Downtown Skyline features various skyscrapers such as the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, Sears Tower
Sears Tower
Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
, Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
, Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, IDS Center
IDS Center
The IDS Center is the tallest building in the state of Minnesota at 792 feet . Opened in 1974 as the IDS Centre, it stood 775 feet 6 inches , though a 16-foot garage for window washing equipment was added at a later date...
, MetLife Building
MetLife Building
The MetLife Building, originally called the Pan Am Building, is a skyscraper located at 200 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-History:...
, Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, the Hollywood sign
Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign is a landmark and American cultural icon in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee, Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles, California. The sign spells out the name of the area in and white letters. It was created as an advertisement in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition...
, the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
, the Fernsehturm Berlin, Big Ben, Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
, the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
,and the Tour Eiffel and many other landmarks.
The DVD covers feature a similar but different skyline, keeping the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
, Big Ben, Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, and Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
. Several skyscrapers added include 40 Wall Street
40 Wall Street
40 Wall Street is a 70-story skyscraper in New York City. Originally known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust building, and also known as Manhattan Company Building, it was later known by its street address when its founding tenant merged to form the Chase Manhattan Bank and today is known as the...
(Two of them), Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, 500 5th Avenue, the Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building, or Fuller Building, as it was originally called, is located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper. Upon completion in 1902 it was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the only skyscraper...
, World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
, and several Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Skyscrapers including the U.S. Bank Tower. The river near the
hotel is similar at the canal of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
or Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Deleted Scenes
Babe: Pig in the City had to be edited due to some intense scenes and for some special effects due to adverse reaction to a test screening. This led to a rumor that Babe Pig in the city was rated PG 13. This was proven false and it was given a PG rating. Some of these scenes can be seen in the trailer and the novel.An extended scene with Farmer Hoggett's accident (from the novel).
Esme Hoggett being striped searched. In the theaters it showed the guard put on the rubber glove, but this was not in the DVD or VHS version (junior novel).
Extended city scene after the bucket of glue fell on Mrs Hoggett's head. Her purse was stolen and she tries to fight her way to it, which let to her striking an officer, resulting in he getting arrested. Evidence of this scene remains in the final film with the Police officers being bandaged up (junior novel).
A scene where Babe is hungry and wants food, from watching Fugly Floom eating. Then Babe's snout gets stuck in a jar. The chimps build a tower of trash which leads to Babe climbing it, resulting in Babe falling out of the hotel window (scene from the trailer). The Trash falls on Fugly, injuring him which is why he was taken out on a stretcher. This whole scene was cut (junior novel).
An extended scene with the Animal Control: they originally used more force on the animals (from The novel).
Scenes with Esme Hoggett in jail in which she was booked and forced to sleep in a windowless cell with a snoring cellmate (junior Novel).
A scene where Fugly dies with his niece the landlady by his side (Novel).
Extended scene with Esme Hoggett arriving back at the hotel.
Extended ballroom rescue: someone pulled the piece of fabric on Esme's clown suit causing it to tear, and a shot of the chef and a waiter pulling on Esme's clown suit trick stockings and slinging her around the room. Babe dashed into their knees knocking them down (Trailer). Evidence of this scene remains in the final film where Esme is suddenly barefoot and looking out of breath.
Reception
The film received mixed to generally positive reviews. Audience response was polarized, with viewers either finding it great, or disliking it strongly. The movie has a 60% "Fresh" rating from Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, and a 56% "Rotten" rating from "Top Critics." Most of the negative reviews came from people who enjoyed the first Babe
Babe (film)
Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
, as well as those who were expecting a more family-oriented film, like the first installment. Like its predecessor, the film was banned in Malaysia. However, the film has developed a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
, and film critic Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
named it as his choice for the best movie of 1998 and claimed it to be better than its original. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
also praised the movie, saying it was "more magical than the original 'Babe'." The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
in 1998. Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
is apparently a fan of the film, as he expressed in a recent feature in Mojo Magazine.
The film was a box office failure. It grossed only $69 million worldwide from a $90 million budget, compared to the first movie's $254 million globally.
Soundtrack
The score is again by Nigel Westlake, it also includes sound clips taken from the film. There is also a big band classic "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller, and "That's Amore" by Dean Martin. More tracks including "That'll Do", the Academy Award-nominated theme song, and a song at the end sung by Babe's voice actress.- That'll Do - performed by Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
- 3:51 - Babe: A Pig in the City - 1:22
- The Returning Hero - 1:16
- Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien - performed by Edith PiafÉdith PiafÉdith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
- 2:19 - Chattanooga Choo Choo - performed by Glenn MillerGlenn MillerAlton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, Tex BenekeTex BenekeGordon Lee Beneke , professionally known as Tex Beneke, was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. His band is also associated with the careers of Eydie Gorme...
, and the Modernaires - 3:14 - Scram, This Is Not a Farm - 2:27
- That's Amore - performed by Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
- 3:07 - Three Blind Mice - 0:41
- A Pig Gets Wise - 1:17
- Are You Lonesome Tonight? - performed by The MavericksThe MavericksThe Mavericks is a country music band founded in 1989 in Miami, Florida, United States. Between 1991 and 2003 they recorded six studio albums, in addition to charting 14 singles on the Billboard country charts...
- 2:59 - Protected by Angels - performed by the Chieftains and Black Dyke Mills Band - 3:39
- The Big City (Two Step Nadya)- performed by the Terem QuartetTerem QuartetTerem-Quartet is a musical ensemble from Saint Petersburg, Russia. The ensemble playing in the genre of Crossover was created in 1986. Since that time, Terem-Quartet has released 17 CDs, and its repertoire includes more than 500 musical compositions of classical and modern music.Terem-Quartet has...
- 3:12 - Babe's Lament - 2:38
- A Heart That's True - performed by Elizabeth DailyElizabeth DailyElizabeth Ann Guttman , better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician...
and Pat MethenyPat MethenyPatrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
- 3:58 - The End - 1:26
- That'll Do (Instrumental) - performed by the Black Dyke Mills Band - 3:57
Home media
- May 4, 1999 (VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, and laserdiscLaserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
) (Note: This DVD was in both widescreenWidescreenWidescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
and pan and scanPan and scanPan and scan is a method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
formats.) - May 22, 2001 (DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
- 2-Pack with BabeBabe (film)Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
) - September 23, 2003 (DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
- The Complete Adventure Two-Movie Pig Pack, this DVD box set was released in separate widescreenWidescreenWidescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
and pan and scanPan and scanPan and scan is a method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
formats, due to the DVD re-release of the first film) - February 1, 2005 (DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
- Family Double Feature, this contains BabeBabe (film)Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
) (Note: This DVD shows pan and scanPan and scanPan and scan is a method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
versions of both films and the widescreenWidescreenWidescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
version of this film.)
Both Babe movies are available on Netflix and Netflix Canada.