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I was given some free passes to see this film right before it came out. I had seen the trailers, and they looked cute, but if I hadn't gotten the free passes, I might have skipped over this gem. This is far more than a children's movie.

The voice of the pig is absolutely perfect... sweet, innocent and believable. Babe's tender heart will remind you of Wilbur from E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web" but this is a story in its own right... and there is no talking spider.

James Cromwell received an Oscar nomination for his role as Farmer Hoggett, a sweet, somewhat hen-pecked sheep farmer who wins the piglet as a prize in a county fair.

Babe is a lonely little piglet... he's had to say goodbye to his siblings and his mother at a tender age and is thrust into a barn with all sorts of strange animals he's never seen before. All of the animals, dogs, horses, the cows, etc. feel sorry for Babe and look out for him. There is rivalry with the top Border Collie, but Babe's sweet and innocent disposition wins the hearts of all reluctant farm dwellers.

The farmer's wife initially sees Babe as just a ham on legs, but the farmer sees more and finds a friend that changes his life.

It is impossible to see this film and not get at least a lump in your throat and many scenes will make you laugh outloud. I wish the DVD included more features, like a behind-the-scenes featurette outlining how they got the animatronics (which won a much deserved Oscar) to work. Perhaps it was felt that children would be dismayed that the pig really can't talk or that it took nearly 30 pigs to make the film due to the speed in which they grow into 1-ton hogs... I'm not sure, but as an adult, i would have enjoyed seeing more features on the DVD. This is still a wonderful family film and unforgettable and sweet characters.

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Several previous reviewers are dead-on. Babe, is of course, a clever, funny, touching movie. It's one of the few movies that I and my 3-year old can both enjoy over and over. But the marketing jerks at Universal have seen fit to force several lengthy advertisements on you every time you try to watch the movie. What's more, they've coded them to be non-skippable, so you MUST sit through them every time you want to watch the movie (you can fast forward, but you can't skip over them). This is offensive and intrusive in any dvd you've purchased (and arguably fraudulent as it's not disclosed on the package), but it's even worse with a movie like Babe that's targeted largely at kids. First, it illustrates that Universal has outright contempt for parents' rights to decide what types of films are, or are not, appropriate for their kids. Second, if you have a small child who really wants to watch Babe (or whatever), it's difficult for them to understand why they should have to sit through 15 minutes of Universal's marketing crap before the movie starts (something that's not true with numerous other children's DVD's). Shame, shame Universal. I'd encourage you to rent, download, pirate, or borrow this DVD rather than buying it, at least until Universal ceases its offensive, dishonest marketing tactics.

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Babe was a runaway success in 1995. It even got a best picture nomination and in my mind should have won. This is a fantastic movie, sure to delight children from 2-100. Chris Noonan has created the modern farmyard parable. He deftly brings you into his world of talking animals centered around that most amicable of pigs, Babe. While the sheepdogs rule the farm, Babe warms the heart of sheep and dog alike, and eventually farmer Hoggett much to the chagrin of his wife who is counting the days to the next big feast. Ultimately Babe is spared as farmer Hoggett comes to realize he has a most unusual pig on his hands. Babe finds himself welcomed into the fold, rising to the ultimately status of being able to come into the house on miserable nights, at the expense of the house cat. All these animals are played wonderfully off each other. The voices couldn't be better. Farmer Hoggett eventually puts Babe to the ultimate challenge, the great sheepherding competition, which brings out a raucous reaction from the crowd. But Babe soon silences them. This movie has everything one could want in a children's movie and more. It deserves its place among the classics of all time.

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I stayed away from the theaters when this movie was playing, suspicious that it was just another over-hyped Disney-like film. I rue that decision now, for I missed the chance to share it firsthand with dozens of undoubtedly delighted families. As the critics have duly noted, this movie is already a classic in every sense of the word. Far better than "Charlotte's Web" and indeed all the other "animal" films, it has inaugurated a cinematic genre. Neither the brooding parody of Orwell's "Animal Farm" nor the frivolous antics of Looney Tunes, "Babe" has shown that it is possible to entertain with animals while making one think about the unavoidable lessons of life. This movie succeeds on so many levels, as its many Oscar nominations indicated, that one has to believe that creative genius was behind it. The screenplay is accessible to children yet retains moments of adult wit reminiscent of "Peanuts." This careful use of language to convey simple truths may explain some of the film's broad appeal. But its heart-warming, life-affirming message, delivered as it is by the most unassuming of characters--a pig--explains the rest. If you've been hesitant like me to even watch, much less buy this film, do yourself a favor and rush out to rent it. (Indeed it has almost made me into a vegetarian, but that's another story). Then the film itself will convince you to add it to your home video library. You and your family will treasure it for years to come.

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The movie Babe is so completely filled with memorable and hilarious gags and scenes and one-liners that it's hard to pick a favorite.

I'm a sheep pig.

Baa-Ram-Ewe.

The goose flapping outside the window.

The farmer's wife passing out on the motel bed.

Etc., etc., etc...

Marvelous, marvelous tale of a little pig on an Australian farm who is adopted by the farmer's border collie and trained to herd sheep. The improbable movie turned into the surprise hit of 1995, the video has probably been bought by more families than any other film of recent memory. With its message of hope and salvation, it's a hilarious and sentimental film you can watch again and again.