What is the story about?
Animal Farm 2025 is a remake of George Orwell's novella of the same name from 1945, which is directed by Andy Serkis and stars a host of recognizable names such as Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Gaten Matarazzo, and many others, This is the tale of a band of farm animals fed up with their human farmer, Mr. Jones, They become leaders of the farm, they establish their own society and their rule is that all animals are equal. No more oppressions, no more hunger, and no more people running the show, It seems like a fantasy, and for a time, it even appears that way as well.
When The Dream Begins To Fracture
But gradually the pigs begin to take more control than the others, Napoleon, voiced by Seth Rogen, makes himself at the top, and the rules that everyone agreed to at the onset begin to get re-written, one by one, All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others , that famous quote hits differently when you actually watch it play out on screen, What started as a revolution becomes something else entirely, and by the time the other animals realize what's happened, it's already too late.
The Good Stuff First
First, let's begin with the things that work, The best thing about this film is Gaten Matarazzo as Lucky the Pig, He is warm and sincere as the character the rest of the movie can't necessarily match, you actually care about Lucky, that's also saying something since things get pretty messy around him in the script, Sweet and heartbreaking, Woody Harrelson's Boxer the horse is hardworking and loyal, giving his all for the farm and taking the raw deal at the end of the day. There are also moments that are quite funny from Kieran Culkin as Squealer, Napoleon's propaganda mouthpiece, which are actually quite funny and at the same time unsettling, that's what that character needed to be, anyway.
Where It Goes Wrong
The truth is, though, this movie suffers from a bit of an identity crisis and it is evident, but It is obvious that Animal Farm the novella is dark, bleak and deeply uncomfortable for some reasons, It should make you feel uncomfortable, yeah, However, this 2025 version can't quite figure out if it should be a political allegory or a rollicking family friendly animated movie, and it is hard to be both at once, In here there is a rap version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm, pigs are dressed up in designer clothes and driving Lamborghinis, there are gags that could be in a whole other movie, Every time a serious emotional moment starts to land, something pulls you back out of it before it can really sink in.
The Boxer Problem
Boxer's tale was far from deserving of its fate. He was supposed to be one of the biggest and most devastating parts in the original story, and a good, honest soul destroyed by a corrupt system that he trusted too much. But the way this movie told his journey, some of which takes place in the afterlife, makes it seem gentler than it should, though. You end up laughing at moments that should have your heart breaking and that's the worst thing about the movie.
The Bottom Line
You can see here where there's a great movie, but it's frustrating, The cast are good, animation is decent and the story itself is one of the most strong stories that has ever been written. However, the movie's appeal was lost somewhere between making it easily digestible and making it somewhat funny, the whole point of this story is that it's supposed to be uncomfortable. It should sit with you long after you are done with it to reflect, It is too easy to get off the hook in this version.
This is a good casual viewing for those who have never read the book or seen the older versions.
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Rating: 90/100
