 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Babe: Pig in the City
- Review Date: May 19, 2003
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1998
Common Sense Media says
Darker than the original, not for very young kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while generally directed at kids, this sequel is scarier and more suspenseful than Babe, the very light-hearted original. There are a number of life-threatening incidents involving dogs, cats, and monkeys, as well as Babe and Ferdie, the duck; they're in danger throughout the film. Included are chase sequences (some with snarling dogs and bared teeth), falls, near drownings, and run-ins with frightening authorities who capture and cage the animals. In addition, numerous accidents happen to Farmer Hoggett and Mrs. Hoggett, and Babe is separated from his owner for a lengthy period of time in a turbulent city.
What's the story?
Once again, Babe is called on to save the day, as the Hoggett's farm is threatened with foreclosure. Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski) and Babe must appear at a fair to raise money to save the farm. But everything goes wrong. They miss their connecting flight and are stuck in the strange and menacing city.
Is it any good?
Families who loved the adorable and heartwarming Babe need to know that BABE: PIG IN THE CITY, co-written and directed by Mad Max's George Miller, is a much darker and more unsettling movie, not suitable for most small children. Mrs. Hoggett and Babe are beset upon by every kind of predator, and the warm and cozy scenes of redemption and reconciliation we expect never come. Mickey Rooney plays a genuinely creepy clown. A mildly happy ending is almost coincidental and anti-climactic.
The movie is easier to admire than like, which may be why it ended up on several critics' end of the year "10 best" lists, and was picked by the late Gene Siskel as the best film of 1998. The visuals are wonderfully imaginative. The city is a miracle of production design, brilliantly conceived. There are special effects of breathtaking skill and small moments of genuine charm. Babe and some of his new friends are adorably endearing. Older kids and teens who are not too embarrassed may appreciate the film's artistry. But younger children should stick with the original.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about tolerance and accepting others.
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AGE
We turned this movie off about 15 minutes in. There were just too many tense scary moments for my 5 year old including threatening DEA officers drug searching an old lady (try to explain that one), Babe getting kidnapped by a man and some monkeys, and a scene with a stage catching on fire.
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Kid, 12 years old
July 2, 2009
AGE
A bit violent-but it was a great movie
Babe was so cute! This movie had a great story and Babe was a pretty good role model. There's some violence-I pretty much forgot what it was, but I liked this movie. It was cute and funny. I recommend it for families who like animal movies.
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AGE
Disappointing, nothing like the original
Weird movie, very inappropriate for young children. Very dark, not the happy go lucky animal movie you're probably expecting.
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AGE
Shows a drowning dog...seriously, need I say more?
From the opening scene it is horribly dark and dismal. Trust me, it only gets worse. I actually turned it off during the scene where a dog is hanging from a bridge by its feet, head first in the water, fighting and twitching in the throws of a drowning death. Yeah, that's a real scene from the movie. If your kids like animals AT ALL...do NOT rent this one.
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AGE
It was ok
It was a bit violent its not one of my fav movies but it was ok.
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AGE
Stick to the original...
The 1st babe was adorable and sweet and had a positive message. This one is scary, sad, full of animal abuse (dogs on the brink of drowning,etc) and negative tones.
Not a good movie for anyone no matter the age!
If your kids want to watch babe, stick with the original.
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AGE
A Not-so-good Sequel...
BABE captured our hearts and imagination with a clever storyline and an adorable hog in the title role. Filmakers tried to recreate the magic in this 1998 sequel. They might have tried hard, but not hard enough.
The film is rated G (Commonsense made a slight error there), and rightly deserves the rating, but what we get is a sequel darker than the original where Babe goes to a strange city filled with thugs and creepy cops and scientists, and where horrible things happen to good, undeserving animals.
There is no violence, just some tense "mad dog" chase scenes and some slapstick falls. Sex is very minor. Airplane officers mistakingly think that Mrs. Hogget is carrying drugs, so they must "search" her (a woman agent saying "step into the cubicle and remove your clothes" is all the graphic it gets.) No language or drugs.
The quality is down as well. The original was a classic that earned an easy five out of five stars. This one might get two, for Magda Szubanski's performance as Mrs. Hogget.
It's suitable for kids, but it's not a good movie. Stick to the first one.
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AGE
Inappropriate movie!
It was sad and dark, not a very fun movie to watch. Also, it had a very inappropriate scene with girls dressed in bikini's/lingerie. Totally did not expect that to be in this type of a movie, I have no idea why they had that in there. Not recommended for families at all.
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| Topics: | adventures, book characters, horses and farm animals |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | George Miller |
| Cast: | Elizabeth Daily, James Cromwell, Mickey Rooney |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 97 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 25, 1998 |
| DVD release date: | May 4, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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