Andy Serkis’ ‘Animal Farm’ – Review Thread

Animal Farm traces how a movement for equality is systematically corrupted. As the pigs consolidate control, truth is erased, dissent is crushed, and the farm descends into a ruthless dictatorship–fulfilling Orwell’s warning about the dangers of communism. Releases May 1st.

Director: Andy Serkis

Cast: Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Andy Serkis, Kathleen Turner

Rotten Tomatoes: 33%

Metacritic: 42 / 100

Some Reviews:

Variety – Peter Debruge

Sloppy Animated Adaptation Trades Political Insights for Potty Humor | Director Andy Serkis has hatched an all-new computer-animated version (adapted by Nick Stoller) that makes Orwell’s masterpiece seem like a relic of the Cold War. That’s not to say such anti-totalitarian arguments no longer apply — one could argue they’re more relevant than ever today — but the message feels muddled amid all the pratfalls and fart jokes.

The Telegraph – Tim Robey – 1 / 5

This Animal Farm is so bad, it’s enough to turn George Orwell fascist. Converting Animal Farm into a shudder-worthy nightmare is certainly one way to go with it. The misjudgments of the new animated film, directed by Andy Serkis, are so legion that it’s hard to know where to start. Perhaps the bouncy musical montages to grating chart pop, while the pigs go on shopping sprees? The hideous character designs? Or maybe the contemporary US setting, which leads this film so grimly astray with its universalising intentions. Orwell may have loathed capitalism just as much as communism, but he’d have hated this film even more. I watched it in a room full of families for whom I felt desperately sad on a sunny autumn day. It was an hour and a half packed with so little joy, poignancy or intellectual nourishment that I fled the damn thing taking huge gulps of air, like Andy Dufresne busting out of Shawshank.

Next Best Picture – Max Borg – 7 / 10

Book purists may cry foul at the liberties Serkis and Stoller take, but that’s always been par for the course when it comes to this particular novel. In some ways, it feels like a missed opportunity but a grim reminder of how difficult it can be in this day and age to make an animated film in America outside of the Hollywood studio system, even with some of the industry’s biggest names attached. However, on its own terms, as a distinctly contemporary adaptation still rooted in the text’s timeless topicality of totalitarianism, the corruption of ideals, class inequality, and the control of how information is spread, this is a far more intriguing interpretation than one might initially assume.

Screen Rant – Liz Declan – 2 / 10

Serkis' Animal Farm swaps out Orwell's brave questions for a different one: What if an animated movie spent millions of dollars bringing to life a classic work of literature with a legendary cast, only to target entirely the wrong demographic, completely abandon the message that's endured for 80 years, and tell a story that has nothing instructive or valuable to offer its audience? Some adaptations, it seems, are far less equal than others.

Consequence – Liz Shannon Miller – 'D'

The animation is theoretically clean and inoffensive, and its rendering of the human world as a high-tech dystopia does feature some visual flair reminiscent of the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer. However, the bright color palette and kid-friendly character designs only emphasize how misguided a project this is. Parables about the corrupting influence of power and crude fart jokes can theoretically co-exist, just like animals in the barnyard. However, they need proper shepherding. As opposed to what Serkis did — drive the whole damn movie off a cliff.

RendyReviews – Rendy Jones – 0.5 / 5

Better resembling the pig crap silo that destroyed Springfield than it does its source material, Andy Serkis’ Animal Farm is a shallow, commercialized waste of time, like it was made by Pig Brother to keep smooth-brained viewers under control.

The Hollywood Reporter – Frank Scheck

This bland, family-friendly adaptation seems less the product of the CIA than the PTA, sacrificing the story’s powerful anti-Stalinist message for a dumbed-down critique of corporatization featuring human villains. Now, we all know that there’s nothing children appreciate more than a fart joke. But — and this is a deep philosophical question — does that mean every animated film has to have one? It’s been a long time since I’ve read Orwell’s novella, but I don’t think there was a moment in which Napoleon (Seth Rogen), the Saddleback boar who becomes the villain of the piece after rising to power on the farm, lets loose a big wet one and exclaims: “This is the sound of freedom!”

IGN – Rafael Motamayer – 7 / 10

Andy Serkis reimagines George Orwell's Animal Farm by simplifying the lit-class staple. It’s a family-friendly movie that doesn't bite as hard as Orwell’s novella, but nevertheless offers timely commentary as well as a fun adventure. Seth Rogen shines as a charismatic would-be dictator of the barnyard, his signature chuckle hiding nefarious goals.