A satirical fable following an animal revolution as pigs seize power and the farm descends into a ruthless dictatorship-fulfilling Orwell’s warning about the dangers of communism.
Chuck says:
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more timely piece of literature than George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” As this cautionary tale continues to become our reality, the novel’s message hits home with the kind of power considering its theme in the abstract could never achieve. As such, it makes sense to try and convey its subject matter and warning to a younger generation, though it would be foolish to think they might learn from the past when we and so many others have failed to learn from history.
Obviously, this is the intent of Andy Serkis, the director of a new version of “Farm,” one that goes out of its way to modernize the story and, in the process, cheapens the story. Like the 1954 production, this too is animated and, for the most part, looks good. It doesn’t have the high-gloss look of Disney productions nor the computer aesthetic the Pixar films are known for. It manages to combine elements from both of these to create a more modest but still effective brand of cartoon that, at times, is very impressive.
However, the look of the film is not where the problems lie. The story has been updated to appeal to today’s young viewers, with some of the changes logical, while others are woefully misguided. What with Mr. Jones’ farm in foreclosure, his animals have been rounded up to go to the slaughterhouse. However, before leaving the property they realize what their fate’s to be, revolt and take over the farm. Led by the visionary pig Snowball (voice by Laverne Cox), the animals all work together to create a thriving, profitable farm that gets the attention of Freida Pilkington (Glenn Close) who hopes to seize the property and make it part of her corporate, farming conglomerate.
She gets her chance when the boar Napoleon (Seth Rogan) begins planting the seeds of discontent among the animals and spreading lies about Snowball’s intent, which leads to her exile. Once this is accomplished, Napoleon, Squealer (Kieran Culkin) and the other pigs lord over the other animals, living in high style thanks to the fruits of their labors, while the rest live in squalor.
Woody Harrelson and Kathleen Turner do fine work as the doomed horse Boxer and the ever-cynical donkey Benjamin, respectively. Serkis has added new characters to the mix, chief among them a goat named Carl (Jim Parsons), whose efforts to speak the truth go for naught, and a young impressionable pig named Lucky (Gaten Matarazzo). The latter is meant to be a surrogate for the young viewers as through his eyes we see Snowball’s Utopian vision sour under Napoleon’s corruption.
It’s a sound approach yet the tone of the film is all wrong. There’s an in-your-face crassness to the story that’s off-putting. Serkis’ efforts to give the story a sense of cool modernity fall flat what with his use of blaring hip-hop tunes, overzealous action sequences and lazy inclusion of blatant stereotypes. His ham-fisted approach ends up undercutting his intent, the message lost in the tumult, headaches the result rather than feelings of righteous indignation.
Whether this version of “Animal Farm” succeeds in conveying Orwell’s message to children of the 21st century remains to be seen. However, it will prove useful to many English teachers. Any student who would write a book report after watching this instead of reading the novel will be found out immediately. Referring to Lucky as the story’s hero, mentioning that Moses is the name of Pilkington’s drone and that Napoleon drives a Ferrari we be dead giveaways.
2 Stars
