I was privileged to see this in the cinema in Melbourne years ago when it first came out and the buzz was just starting. A young-ish, single man at the time, I was dragged along oozing skepticism - but came out loving it unreservedly. I just watched it again with my two kids, aged seven and five, and watched them lap up the magic. It was wonderful to re-visit the film through their eyes. When The Boss takes the shotgun to the barn thinking Babe has savaged the sheep, they were genuinely fearful. They hated the laughter of the crowd at the sheepdog trials when Fogget appears with a pig. They cried when that derisive laughter turns to cheers (though not as much as me...).

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who love Babe. And the lost. Stay away from the latter.

All too often, children's movies are simply insipid for adults who get suckered taking the kids. The kids are happy but the parents are continually checking their watches to see when the film ends! BABE is a rare family film in that it has appeal to all ages. I know when I took my then five year-old to come see it, we both enjoyed it and now 14 years later, we still adore this film as much as ever.

There have already been a ton of reviews for this film and trivia on IMDb explains the complicated process by which the film was made, so I really don't want to get into this. Just suffice to say that by using very realistic puppets from the Henson Workshop and lots of live creatures, they managed to convincingly tell a story where the audience is pulled into it--and actually can accept that the animals talk and do other extraordinary things.

What I love about the film is its tremendous sense of style. Not only does it have a wonderful idea, but the combination of great music, amazing cinematography, storybook farms that look like David Winter cottages, the best voice actors you can imagine and those wonderful mice all work together to make a film that is a truly unique viewing experience.

Overall, what's not to like? I know some have actually seen this as a PETA or vegetarian plot, but I cannot imagine anyone not loving this film. And, if anyone you know doesn't like it, you should get some new friends! By the way, as excited and in love with this film as I was and am, I feel almost 180 degrees different about the abomination that was the sequel, BABE: PIG IN THE CITY. Lost is all the charm and grace that made BABE one of the best family films in history. In its place is a cruel and dark film with nothing at all to recommend it. How could they have missed the boat so badly with the sequel?

Babe is such a charming and enchanting film, that even the fussiest adult can't help finding it easy to like. Babe himself, voiced by Christine Cavanaugh(Darkwing Duck and Dexter's Laboratory) is an adorable character, and one scene in particular when his mother is taken away is a genuine tearjerker. The other animals are also just as engaging, including Ferdinand, and are well voiced by the likes of Miriam Margoyles and Hugo Weaving. The human characters were very warm and likable, and James Cromwell and Magda Szubanski were both wonderful. The film looks lovely, there is a nice story and the music is just superb, with Saint Saens' Organ Symphony and Delibes' Pizzicato. And I loved the singing mice, they were really sweet and funny. All in all, a true classic. 10/10 Bethnay Cox