Animal Farm (1999)

Maybe you remember the 60s animated version of this classic tale by George Orwell. I certainly do, and it was a gutpunch every time. In 1999, someone decided it was time to make a fresher version, this time for television and with real animals combined with puppetry by the Henson Studios (you know, of Muppet fame?)

I wish I could say this was on equal footing with the animated film, but alas, it is not, even though this one does an admirable job and both the animal direction as the puppetry are well done.

By now, you probably know that 'Animal Farm' is the story of the rise and eventual corruption and downfall of the Soviet Union. It all starts off with great ideas when Old Major, a massive boar, lays out his ideas for animalism, thus wanting to ensure that all animals are equal and everyone works for the greater good of all involved. Unfortunately, the pig Napoleon has other plans. Soon, the pigs rise to power and they become corrupt and self centred and do nothing but exploit the other animals, until it  becomes clear that they themselves have become like the humans they once fought so hard to remove from power.

The story is timeless, so where doth the trouble lie? Well, certainly not in the voice acting. They gathered quite an impressive cast for this. If you want a few names: Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Peter Ustinov, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pete Postlethwaite... The list is pretty extensive. Not everyone feels right, though. I get the distinct impression Patrick Stewart was asked to ham it up (yes, that's a pig joke) as his voice sounds off and unnaturally coarse. It is very distracting. Compare that to Ian Holm's devious slithering as Squealer, something that makes more sense yet is also slightly overdone.

The biggest problem is that it is immediately made clear that the pigs (besides Snowball, who is chased off) are powerhungry and downright evil. In the novel, as in the animated version, this slowly builds to the point of no return, but here the pigs are already scheming even when Old Major is giving his speech, thus leaving nothing to the imagination or development of the tale. A real shame, actually, as it deflates any tension. Also, the most gutwrenching part of the entire story where Boxer the horse finally collapses after having giving his all and is unceremoniously sold to the glue factory, has no real impact here. No real dramatic build-up, no sense of sadness, it just passes and then it's on to the next part.

Noble though it is, this version does not do the story justice. It is useful for introducing younger audiences to the tale, but if you want the full experience, just read the book or see if you can still find the 60s animated version.