Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
60%RT Audience Score: 41%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 win & 17 nominations total
Not quite as good as the original and has some dark subject material that might not be appropriate for children
Babe: Pig in the City is like a rollercoaster ride that takes you to unexpected places. It’s not your typical kiddie movie, but it’s definitely a masterpiece that deserves more recognition. The film’s darker tone and quirky characters make it stand out from the usual family-friendly fare. Plus, the production and costume design are so impressive that you’ll feel like you’re in a storybook. If you’re looking for a movie that’s both heartwarming and subversive, Babe: Pig in the City is the perfect choice. Just don’t forget to buckle up!
Production Company(ies)
Lilies Films, Arte France Cinéma Hold Up Films,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1998
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 37m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 25, 1998 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 1, 2005
Genre(s)
Fantasy
Keyword(s)
Babe: Pig in the City, G-rated, fantasy, James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, directed by George Miller, written by George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell, produced by Bill Miller, George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Universal Pictures, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, Flat (1.85:1), $18.3M box office, reviewed by Rob Humanick, Nell Minow, Pat Graham, Steven D Greydanus, Sean P Means, starring Magda Szubanski, James Cromwell, Mary Stein, Mickey Rooney, Julie Godfrey, E.G Daily, voice acting, sheep herder, adventure, debtors, city, friends, animals, dark subject material, inappropriate for children
Worldwide gross: $69,131,860
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $126,866,711
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 910
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 13,834,974
US/Canada gross: $18,319,860
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $33,619,526
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,236
US/Canada opening weekend: $6,162,640
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $11,309,313
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 921
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $90,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $165,162,691
Production budget ranking: 186
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $88,940,109
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$127,236,088
ROI to date (est.): -50%
ROI ranking: 1,691
James Cromwell – Farmer Hoggett
Mary Stein – The Landlady
Mickey Rooney – Fugly Floom
Julie Godfrey – Suspicious Neighbour
E.G. Daily – Babe (Voice)
Director(s)
George Miller
Writer(s)
George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell
Producer(s)
Bill Miller, George Miller, Doug Mitchell
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 win & 17 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (23)
Carries its predecessor’s torch into darker, quixotic territories, bursting at the seams with folkloric witticism and hellzapoppin’ imagery.
November 12, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
Rob Humanick
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Darker than the original, not for very young kids.
September 16, 2010 | Rating: 2/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
It’s George Miller’s masterpiece, maybe even the best commercial film of 1998.
January 29, 2010
Pat Graham
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Would anyone go for a sequel to The Wizard of Oz that catapulted Dorothy and Toto into the world of Once Were Warriors or Escape From New York?
May 8, 2002 | Rating: F
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
A sequel that lacks the quiet beauty and subtlety of the original!
January 1, 2000
Sean P. Means
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
It’s a bracing shot of inspiration: the darker it gets, the more important kindness becomes. It could’ve been made yesterday.
November 5, 2019
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
It’s so beautifully designed and everything looks like it’s from a storybook.
July 2, 2019
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
The audience isn’t coddled, and the film doesn’t talk down to anyone. We are, all of us, subjects to unbearable emotions, and Pig in the City is a rare film that more or less encompasses all of them.
January 2, 2019
Andrew Todd
Polygon
Babe: Pig in the City is one of the most subversive films ever marketed to children.
August 22, 2017
Sean Nelson
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
A brilliant, grotesquely underrated family film criticised at the time of its release for being too dark for young audiences.
March 1, 2016
Luke Buckmaster
The Daily Review/Crikey
Has no small amount of merit, especially in the areas of production and costume design, but… [not] in any meaningful way a successful or even appropriate follow-up.
June 17, 2014 | Rating: 7/10
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy…
Plot
After Babe’s great victory in the shepherding contest, Farmer Arthur Hoggett turns down all offers to make money with his pig’s talents. But when he gets hurt severely in the well, his wife has to take up farming. She does her best but cannot meet the bank’s requirements, which results in the necessity of getting back to Babe. Soon, Esme Hoggett is sitting in a plane headed for “the” city. There, Babe unwillingly causes deep trouble. He has to stay with Mrs. Hoggett in the only hotel in town that accepts pets. Friendly neighbours send officials who catch all animals from the hotel: Cats, dogs, chimpanzees and many others. Babe, who managed to stay free, decides to help his new friends and gets unexpected help – not only by Ferdinand, who flew all the way to the city.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Mickey Rooney voices the character Fugly Floom in Babe: Pig in the City.
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