Andy Serkis’ long-in-the-works animated adaptation of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” has been a passion project of his for nearly 15 years. With a screenplay by Nicholas Stoller (“The Muppets”), the film is finally nearing release via Angel Studios.
The film, which hits theaters tomorrow, has a budget of $35M, but if reviews are any indication, it’s a slow march toward a doomful fate that awaits this film. “Animal Farm” sits at 24% on Rotten Tomatoes and 33 on Metacritic.
What seems to be the main cause for disapproval is that Serkis has taken certain, err, liberties with Orwell’s source material, including changing the ending to a happier one. Its tonal shift from Orwell’s bleak satire toward a more family-friendly narrative is a dumbfounding decision that’s left most perplexed.
Oh, and apparently Serkis inserted lots of flatulence. The film veers in an unexpectedly juvenile direction—including, notably, fart jokes! The decision to inject lowbrow humor into such weighty source material is certainly a choice. A kiddie-friendly “Animal Farm” must have Orwell rolling in his grave.
Furthermore, “Animal Farm” actually features a voice cast that probably didn’t realize what they were signing up for — including Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Kathleen Turner, and Serkis himself.
Orwell’s classic novella, first published in 1945, is a scathing political allegory in which farm animals overthrow their human owner in the name of equality—only to watch their dreams decay as the pigs in charge become as tyrannical as the humans they replaced. The story is a sharp indictment of authoritarianism and a cautionary tale about the corrupting nature of power.
Adapting “Animal Farm” has always been a challenge; its subtlety, layered meaning, and dark tone make it difficult to translate to screen. But Serkis, known for pushing performance capture and digital storytelling forward, has decided to go in the complete opposite direction. “Sausage Party” meets Orwell!
“Animal Farm” is scheduled to open theatrically on Friday.
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