Finally, a sequel has emerged that does more than simply rehash
the original. Anyone expecting this Babe to follow in the path
of its Academy Award-winning predecessor is in for a big surprise.
Where Chris Noonan's film won people over with its pleasing charm and
easy-to-swallow niceness, George Miller's follow-up confronts the
audience with a darker vision that satisfies on an entirely different
level.
As you probably remember, the end of Babe found
the pig riding high on the hog after winning the sheepherding
competition. Babe: Pig in the City picks up immediately
afterward with a homecoming victory parade for Farmer Hoggett and his
prize-winning dumpling-to-be. However, it isn't long before Hoggett
suffers a debilitating accident (the actual event is jarringly
violent) and the farm is threatened with evil men in black who are
looking to foreclose. Mrs. Hoggett decides to capitalize on one of the
many offers made to Babe and takes off for the big city, hoping that
Babe will once again come through and save the farm. Aside from
the previously mentioned accident, the first sign that we're not in
Kansas anymore is when Mrs. Hoggett is suspected of drug-trafficking
and strip-searched at the airport. Miller (whose other films--the
Mad Max series, The Witches of Eastwick - have all been
tainted by a similarly bleak world view) takes the franchise in a new
direction, presenting the city as a pre-apocalyptic amalgam of big
cities (Babe can see no less than six world monuments from his hotel
window, including the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Opera House). The
dark foreboding of the city is a rather stark contrast from the
idyllic pastures of the original, and Miller holds nothing back. Even
the animals are jaded, like the monkey family who tries to sacrifice
Babe to a guardian pit bull so they can get some scraps. In the end,
it's the pig that makes it work, smoothing the film's rough edges with
his courage, joviality and determination.
Babe gets a
lot of help from cinematographer Andrew Lesnie and production designer
Roger Ford, both of whom have combined to create a surreal world of
gorgeously rendered anxiety. The city is at once claustrophobic and
inviting, a teeming metropolis that unfolds like a Chinese box before
Babe and the viewer. Each startling vision is soon replaced by another
that is equally, if not more, startling. By the time the film reaches
what is essentially its climax, the viewer is in a world that Noonan
never would have imagined. The film is a sheer delight from beginning
to end, though not even remotely like the original.
Video:
How Does The Disc Look?
The film's theatrical aspect ratio
of 1.85:1 is presented in anamorphic video. The film's transfer very
much resembles the transfer of Babe with a few minor
exceptions. The palette is still warm, but the subtle orange tint on
skin tones is gone, leaving a pink glow. Bright, primary colors are
again richly conveyed without chroma noise or smearing. Shadow detail
during the night scenes around the hotel is quite good. Edge halos are
a little more apparent than in Babe, and the overall appearance
is ever so slightly softer than the first film. Even though I didn't
notice any compression artifacts, I was left with the impression that
I was looking at a transfer that may date back to the original release
of this film several years ago. A second transfer in full screen -
very likely identical to the original release - is included on this
disc and stored on a second layer. A menu offers the choice of either
aspect ratio.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
The
audio is presented only in Dolby Digital 5.1; unlike Babe, a
DTS track is absent from this disc. The surrounds are used more
aggressively than in Babe, adding a welcome dimensionality to
the sound. EX decoding will benefit this track, even though it isn't
an official EX mix. Sounds that draw characters' eyelines to behind
the viewer will be heard in their proper locations. Like its
predecessor, deep bass is reasonable but not dramatic. Jet engines are
heard rather than felt. Sound effects are conveyed well, with little
noticeable dynamic range compression. I missed the more frequent
excerpts from classical pieces used by film composer Nigel Westlake as
witty counterpoints to his orchestral score. His music is presented
with pleasing fidelity across a soundstage that sounds like it may
have been broadened with some leakage into the surrounds. As with
Babe, the dialog remains crystal clear throughout, without a
hint of digital compression raspiness.
The alternative
language is French Dolby Surround 2.0. Optional subtitles have been
included in English.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
I'm pleased to report that, unlike Babe, there are no
forced trailers on this disc. That's the good news. The bad news is
that the supplements are extremely modest. Several screens of
Production Notes retread in text some information provided on
the Babe DVD before expanding to include the sequel. Interesting but
limited. Cast & Filmmakers lists a few of the principles
and provides short biographies and filmographies. There are three
trailers, all in non-anamorphic widescreen, two for Babe: Pig
in the City and one for Babe.
The 95-minute feature
is organized into eighteen chapters. Babe: Pig in the City is
available for sale as a single title and as part of a two-pack that
includes Babe.
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get
when you pop the disc in your PC?
A text screen suggests
finding a file on the disc that points to the Universal web site. This
is an obsolete approach and indicates that much of this disc is a
retread (with at least one notable exception, the anamorphic
transfer).There is also a Babe screensaver waiting on the
disc.
Parting Thoughts
Not as touching or
sentimental as the first film, nor as funny, the film is a worth
sequel to a charming film. I'd recommend springing for the two-pack
and make your collection of Babe complete.
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