By George & Josh Bate
Over 80 years since its original publication, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is arguably more relevant than ever. In a precarious political climate and amidst societal unrest, a new feature film adaptation of the satirical novella that took aim at totalitarianism and Stalinism seems not only appropriate but necessary. Shockingly, despite being regularly taught in classrooms and featuring lines and ideology that have become staples of regular lexicon, it’s been 26 years since Orwell’s work was adapted into a film and 72 years since it was seen on the big screen. That changes with director Andy Serkis and Angel Studios’ new animated film, a surprisingly faithful adaptation with a family-friendly tone that simplifies and undermines Orwell’s stark messaging.
Like its source material, Animal Farm chronicles the anthropomorphic animals of Manor Farm after they rebel against their human master and are left to reckon with the leadership of a totalitarian pig. Unlike Orwell’s novella, however, Serkis’ film follows a new protagonist named Lucky (Gaten Matarazzo), a little piglet who serves as the audience surrogate for the story that unfolds. Matarazzo is joined by an all-star cast, which includes Seth Rogen as the dictator Napoleon, Kieran Culkin as Napoleon’s propagandist Squealer, Laverne Cox as the initial leader of Animal Farm Snowball, Woody Harrelson as the unwaveringly moral horse Boxer, Kathleen Turner as the donkey Benjamin, Iman Vellani as piglets Puff and Tammy, Jim Parsons as Carl the sheep, Glenn Close as the film’s stand-in for Mr. Pilkington, and Steve Buscemi as Pilkington’s right-hand man Mr. Whymper.
Narratively, Serkis’ film parallels Orwell’s text with unexpected accuracy. Those familiar with the novella will notice that the movie progresses through every beat of the plot, from the initial overthrow of Manor Farm to the coup d’état of Snowball to the slow regression of quality of life under Napoleon’s rule. Even down to more subtle plot points, Animal Farm largely and commendably sticks to Orwell’s work, although it subverts the novella’s bleak ending by reworking the entire third act to end on a more hopeful, family-friendly note.
Apart from a few changes, including Snowball’s gender and the integration of modern technology, Animal Farm primarily forges an identity of its own through its safe and sanitizing tone, a decision that will make the film for some and break it for others. Serkis, working from a screenplay by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Muppets Most Wanted), chooses to approach his adaptation with a tone far more akin to a Minions movie than Orwell’s novella. There’s frequent use of pop music, scenes punctuated by juvenile humor (including fart jokes), and a softened approach to otherwise poignant and serious source material.
In adopting perhaps an overly family-friendly tone, Animal Farm threatens to dumb down Orwell’s powerful message. While it certainly still depicts the pitfalls of authoritarianism and explores the manipulative ways in which leaders use charisma and break their own rules to get to the top, the film loses sight of Orwell’s purpose in writing Animal Farm by couching its narrative in cutesy humor and upbeat tunes. The themes are still there, but the way in which they’re depicted and explored lacks the edge and poignancy that made Orwell’s text so powerful.
Running concurrent with Napoleon’s despotic rule over Animal Farm is a throughline that critiques over-corporatization. This throughline elevates Glenn Close’s Freida Pilkington, who is loosely based on the novella’s Mr. Pilkington, to a primary antagonist alongside Seth Rogen’s Napoleon, and sees the film branch out from beyond Orwell’s anti-Stalinist message to something more digestible and safe.
As mentioned, Animal Farm sports an impressive cast, even by animated movie standards. The highlight of the ensemble is Woody Harrelson, whose warm and distinctive voice brings the endearing Boxer to life and also narrates the film. Conversely, Seth Rogen feels miscast as Napoleon, portraying the dictator as too dopey and not cunning enough. His trademark gravelly and jovial voice admittedly sounds pretty creepy at times, but, overall, it poorly fits a tyrannical, ruthless, and calculated leader.
In gearing the film toward children and families, Serkis and Stoller make wholesale changes to the final act. Gone is the novella’s darker ending, which depicts the farm animals having difficulty distinguishing between their pig dictators and humans, and in its place is a frenetic, poorly-executed finale that goes for spectacle over substance.
On a final note, Animal Farm features animation that ranges from cute and simple to unfinished and unrefined. Certain shots of characters like Lucky and Boxer effectively capture their emotions and present animals that children would likely love to have as stuffed animals or toys, but other shots appear incomplete and lacking in detail.
VERDICT: 6/10
Animal Farm surprisingly mirrors the narrative of George Orwell’s iconic novella with unexpected accuracy and champions the source material’s anti-Stalinism and anti-totalitarianism themes, although its overly family-friendly tone undermines and simplifies the otherwise powerful messaging. Incorporating a secondary throughline that critiques corporatization finds the film stray further from Orwell’s text but thankfully does not detract too much from its main commentary. Despite animation that at times appears unfinished, Animal Farm manages to effectively bring George Orwell’s work to a new generation and, even if inundated by juvenile humor and upbeat music, still champions themes that are as relevant now as they were when Orwell wrote Animal Farm.