7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A piglet won by Farmer Hoggett as a raffle prize is raised by Fly, the matriarch sheepdog, as one of her own. His owner senses something special in Babe and makes sure he learns sheep herding along with his new brothers. Babe proves so adept, in fact, that Farmer Hoggett enters him in the world sheepdog championship!
Starring: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margolyes, Danny MannFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 12% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Mobile features
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Humans have been anthropomorphizing animals since time immemorial. What is it about Mankind that wants to project human emotions, thoughts and, yes, even speech onto these “alien” beings with whom we share this planet? Is it some attempt to understand creatures who may in fact be radically different than we are, and at the very least quite different than we think they are? Any pet owner will most likely sheepishly admit to “seeing” happiness or sadness on his or her pet’s face, and if they’re suitably enthusiastic enough, they may even profess to “know” what their pet is thinking. And so it’s little wonder that the media has also been filled to the brim with human-like animals, often dogs or cats or horses or mules who talk and think just like we do. From Snoopy to Francis to Marmaduke to Scooby-Doo to Mr. Ed to Flipper to. . .well, the list is seemingly endless. But a pig? Well, pigs have proven their multimedia savvy (so to speak) for ages, as well, with “starring” turns in everything from Animal Farm to, perhaps more charitably, Charlotte’s Web. But British author Dick King-Smith crafted a sweet little fairy tale in the 1980’s entitled The Sheep-Pig which, like all good fairy tales, cloaked some very grown up lessons in a suitably childlike world of talking farm animals. In 1995 King-Smith’s little tale was adapted as the film Babe, a film which rather improbably became a worldwide phenomenon and managed to garner a handful and a half of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Babe is undeniably big hearted, an ode to anyone who has ever yearned to be or do something they’ve been told they’re “ineligible” for by dint of their nature, race or other personal identifiers. Babe is a pig who more or less thinks he’s a sheepdog, and that in essence is the entirety of the film Babe. Not much there? Think again. This is one of the sweetest, most genuine films of the past 20-odd years. It’s simple, yes, but that simplicity is one of its greatest strengths. Babe is a like a pop-up storybook come magically to life, and it manages to convey some unexpectedly great truths about human—and animal—nature within its brightly colored surroundings.
Is Babe on Blu-ray a silk purse or a sow's ear? Delivered via an VC-1 encode in 1080p and 1.85:1, for the most part, this is a nicely silken journey that offers really beautifully saturated color that helps to make the candy coated looking world of the Hoggett Farm come vibrantly alive. Greens are especially resplendent in this transfer. Fine detail is often extremely good. Some of the opening shots of the piglets reveal a whole new level of fine hair on their smooth little bodies, and the initial close-up of Hoggett meeting Babe also brims with abundant detail. Some of the midrange shots of the countryside suffer from some very minor noise issues, and those same midrange shots are sometimes slightly gauzy in appearance. Some of the backlit countryside shots reveal edge enhancement, but grain is natural looking and intact. Aside from these passing qualms, this is a very nice looking Blu-ray and a considerable upgrade from the SD-DVD.
Babe's soundtrack isn't a typical summer blockbuster "wow" offering, but on its own relatively quieter terms, the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on this Blu is perfectly cinematic and does feature quite a bit of involving immersion. From the first haunting squeals of the "modern farming" pigs to the more sylvan ambient environmental noises of the Hoggett Farm, Babe's soundtrack is alive with various noises which are nicely posited around the soundfield. Voicework is excellent throughout the film and is delivered with sterling fidelity. The sweet underscore, including James Cromwell's now iconic singing, is also presented with excellent fidelity. There's not an abundance of low end in this track, certainly by design, but it's nonetheless a well proportioned and enjoyable sonic experience.
When a film is this unabashedly sweet, it's well nigh impossible not to give in to its charms. Babe has no pretensions about being Art with a capital A, but what a lovely, unassuming little film it is, one which will easily delight children while providing a heartstring tugging moment or two for the adults as well. It's almost mind boggling to think that Babe is the filmic brainchild of the same man who brought us the Mad Max films, but perhaps this was George Miller's way of paying penance. To paraphrase Farmer Hoggett, this Blu-ray "will do" just fine and Babe comes Highly recommended.
Universal 100th Anniversary
1995
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1995
1995
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1992
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1986
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Remastered
1977