Babe/Babe: Pig in the City (Double Feature) (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Chris Noonan/George MillerRelease Date(s)
1995/1998 (January 13, 2026)Studio(s)
Kennedy Miller Productions/Universal Pictures (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: See Below
- Video Grade: See Below
- Audio Grade: See Below
- Extras Grade: A
- Overall Grade: A
Review
For those that didn’t spring for the 2025 4K Kino editions of 1995’s Academy Award juggernaut Babe and 1998’s lesser Babe: Pig in the City—Kino has you covered with this Blu-ray special edition double feature set containing both films. Spread out across two Blu-ray discs, both films feature 1080p encodes taken from 4K scans of the original 35mm camera negative, pretty much guaranteeing the best look for either of these films on Blu-ray. Sound is presented in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks (with optional English subs) and both are very balanced and have some atmospheric play, but nothing to showcase your superior sound systems.
The extras on these discs are the same as the 4K releases. Babe features two audio commentaries, one with writer/producer George Miller talking about everything from the origins of how he came to want to make the film, on through production and the film’s legacy. There’s also a fun track with film historian Julie Kirgo and filmmaker Peter Hankoff where they play off each other offering trivia, bits of production lore and their opinions on all sorts of subjects. It’s a fun track. There are also two new video interviews, one entitled That’ll Do, Pig with James Cromwell where he discusses his life, his father, the entirety of his storied career and the film—it’s about 18 minutes and if you’re a Crom-head, everything you ever wondered is in here. There’s also a Zoom-y info-dump from George Miller called Making Pigs Talk, where he repeats and adds to a lot of what’s in the commentary track, but seeing him talk is fun. There are also two archival featurettes The Making of Babe and George Miller on Babe and the film’s trailer.
The disc for Babe: Pig in the City is pretty much a “part two,” extras-wise, where everything just picks up where we left off on Babe. Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff are back hamming it up, this time laser focused on this film. They discuss choices made to make a darker film, casting choices and their feelings on whether this film deserves its place as an all-ran to the original. Continuing that Zoom session with Miller from the Babe disc, A Darker World offers up his take on the film, which runs a bit longer than his session on the first disc in lieu of a commentary. There’s also the film’s theatrical trailer.
Babe is a sweet fable of a film, well worth the love it received and continues to receive. Pig in the City is a darker turn, but certainly worth your time and simply a different kind of fable, maybe one you appreciate more as you get older. Either way, if you’re not a 4K devote but want these films in your library, this is an excellent way to bring them in.
BABE (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): A/A/A/A
BABE: PIG IN THE CITY (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B+/A/A/A
- Todd Doogan