The older I get, the more Chris Noonan’s masterwork, Babe, resonates with every fiber of my being. A simple story of a pig in a harsh world dictated by a station whose acts of kindness and understanding change not just those around him but the world for the better. Thirty years later, the Best Picture nominee is still as refreshing and new as the day it was released.
Babe is not a children’s film but rather what I would call a film with universal appeal. Yes, it does sometimes aim to satisfy children’s appetite for the twee and cutesy (the Mice who act as a Greek Chorus singing Blue Moon is one such example). Though the film never panders, there is an omnipresent sense of darkness that engulfs the edges of the film. From the opening moment, we are given the harsh reality of a pig’s life that, though shot like an enchanted fairy tale hue by cinematographer Andrew Lensie, it has the shape and darkness of Miller’s Beyond Thunderdome’s pig refinery.
It is that dichotomy of fairy tale and nightmare that gives Babe its power. The struggle between director Chris Noonan’s brighter impulses and producer George Miller’s darker instincts that push and pull in a conversation throughout the film. Not only the screenplay, but also the visual style. In the original film, it’s the perfect balance of light and dark, giving a complexity to the story and world that feels both wonderful and dangerous. The way that Babe chooses to learn lessons of kindness and understanding rather than ignorance of violence, with a few missteps, of course, is the genius of the film and something that so many could learn.
Babe by those actions affects not just the animals on the farm but that of humans in the form of Farmer Hogget (James Cromwell in a stoic performance for the ages). It is those moments that Hogget pushes beyond his own understanding and builds a relationship with a pig to teach it to become a sheep herder. That relationship and bond formed, Babe, the film and character, soars in its final act, giving something beautiful, showing us we can all change, even by the smallest of increments. In the final moments of Chris Noonan’s masterpiece, those final words by Hogget hit your heart and soul like a ton of bricks… It’s at that moment that Babe becomes not just a Children’s classic but a Classic.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent example of the amazing work they are doing in the UHD realm. The image looks as good as the 35mm release prints on opening day. The transfer is sharp with beautiful, luminous blacks and contrast levels. The Dolby Vision encoding gives a warmth and pop to the Andrew Lensie shot film that was inspired by the Technicolor films of the 1940s, specifically John Ford’s The Quiet Man. Bravo to Kino Lorber and their continued amazing and varied restoration work in upgrading titles to 4K UHD. Babe may be one of the finest of 2026.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff
Audio Commentary by Writer/Producer George Miller
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff
Audio Commentary by Writer/Producer George Miller
That’ll do, Pig: NEW Interview with Actor James Cromwell
Making Pigs Talk: NEW Interview with George Miller
The Making of Babe: Featurette
George Miller on Babe: Featurette
Concept Art & Storyboard Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
The first of two Audio Commentaries is an archival track by Writer/Producer George Miller, opening with his credits and the intent of the title sequence. Some of the other details include that they had another composer on the film, the reasons why, and how they ended up with composer Nigel Westlate; the difficulty that the long training span and short time they could film with pigs that posed to the production; how the pups were adopted by various crew members including a great story about one that eventually ended up with one of Miller’s nephews; a detailed account of the training of the animals by Karl Lewis Miller and the complexity of it all with multiple animals working together on screen; the reasons why they chose the specific location in Australia to film; a larger discussion of the adaptation itself and what they brought to the story; a larger discussion of the post-production process and examples of how certain scenes were accomplished through editing; a larger discussion of the various effects work done by computer and animatronics that brought the various characters to life; a larger discussion of the various voice actors that voiced the animals and actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The second Audio Commentary is an all-new track by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff, which opens with introductions before diving into their love of their film. Some of the other details include Kirgo and Hankoff professing to stop eating pork after watching this film; a discussion of actor James Cromwell’s activism, including animal rights; a discussion of the work here and the career of animal trainer Karl Lew Miller; how the truck featured on the Hogget farm became an in-demand vehicle; the various pig movies, including Charlotte’s Web; the work and career of actor Magda Szubanski; the work and career of James Cromwell – including a larger discussion of how important his performance is to the entire film; the work of cinematographer Andrew Lensie; the work and career of Chris Noonan – and how George Miller effectively sidelined Noonan from any of the awards and credit for the massive success of the film; Noonan’s other film Mrs. Potter; a context of what was happening in the world when the film was released in 1995; a discussion of the films that were released in 1995; a larger discussion of the various voice actors that voiced the animals and actors that appear in the film; and much more.
That’ll do, Pig (24:54) – this all-new interview with actor James Cromwell begins with how he got into the family business, acting, after his father took him along to a film production in Europe. Cromwell goes on to discuss his early life in the 1960s with political activism and acting in the theater, eventually getting roles in TV Shows and commercials. The actor discusses the details about the audition process; his initial confusion with the film and script; his time in Australia; the uniqueness of the production; the process of the song and dance number; the number of pigs portrayed Babe; how he spent his time on set; working with director Chris Noonan; his relationship with producer George Miller – and his protection of Noonan; the difference between Miller and Noonan and the reasons he feels the second film was rejected; the reason he became a vegetarian – which wasn’t because of this film; the finale and how it was accomplished; and much more.
Making Pigs Talk (30:36) – this all-new interview with co-writer/producer George Miller opens with a discussion of the post-production on Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, where he heard a review of the children’s book The Sheep Pig and began the process of bringing what would eventually become Babe to the big screen. Miller goes on to discuss the long preproduction process with initially Dean Selmer as director; the challenges at the time in how they were going to make live action animals speak; and how cinematographer Allan Davieau was the first to suggest waiting for digital tech to catch up; how Universal became involved; how they adapted the book to screen, including what they added; why they chose cinematographer Andrew Lennie; the reason he chose director Chris Noonan and he didn’t direct the film; the involvement Miller had during the production and the collaboration with Noonan during the project; the importance of the accents and clarity of dialog in the film; the post-production process and solutions they came up with to solve narrative tension problems with the first few cuts; delaying the film because of another pig film; the surprising success, universal appeal, and Awards Run the film made; and much more.
The Making of Babe: Featurette (3:56) – the archival making-of featurette specifically looking at the VFX work done to bring the animals’ speech to life.
George Miller on Babe: Featurette (6:19) – the archival interview with co-writer/producer George Miller on the origins, the castings of James Cromwell, the casting of Babe’s voice, the cat as a villain, real-life pigs being very intelligent, and much more.
Concept Art & Storyboard Gallery (2:20) –the gallery consists of various concept designs for Hogget Farm, and storyboards from the film by Peter Pound, all set to the score by composer Nigel Westlake.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Babe (2:14); Babe: Pig in the City (2:33); Mad Max (2:10); Lorenzo’s Oil (2:30); Fluke (2:44)
The Final Thought
Kino has done it again. Giving a dyed-in-the-wool (pun intended) Classic a wonderful 4K UHD upgrade. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
The unexpected hit and Best Picture Nominee Babe comes to 4K UHD thanks to Kino Lorber.
The Films
The older I get, the more Chris Noonan’s masterwork, Babe, resonates with every fiber of my being. A simple story of a pig in a harsh world dictated by a station whose acts of kindness and understanding change not just those around him but the world for the better. Thirty years later, the Best Picture nominee is still as refreshing and new as the day it was released.
Babe is not a children’s film but rather what I would call a film with universal appeal. Yes, it does sometimes aim to satisfy children’s appetite for the twee and cutesy (the Mice who act as a Greek Chorus singing Blue Moon is one such example). Though the film never panders, there is an omnipresent sense of darkness that engulfs the edges of the film. From the opening moment, we are given the harsh reality of a pig’s life that, though shot like an enchanted fairy tale hue by cinematographer Andrew Lensie, it has the shape and darkness of Miller’s Beyond Thunderdome’s pig refinery.
It is that dichotomy of fairy tale and nightmare that gives Babe its power. The struggle between director Chris Noonan’s brighter impulses and producer George Miller’s darker instincts that push and pull in a conversation throughout the film. Not only the screenplay, but also the visual style. In the original film, it’s the perfect balance of light and dark, giving a complexity to the story and world that feels both wonderful and dangerous. The way that Babe chooses to learn lessons of kindness and understanding rather than ignorance of violence, with a few missteps, of course, is the genius of the film and something that so many could learn.
Babe by those actions affects not just the animals on the farm but that of humans in the form of Farmer Hogget (James Cromwell in a stoic performance for the ages). It is those moments that Hogget pushes beyond his own understanding and builds a relationship with a pig to teach it to become a sheep herder. That relationship and bond formed, Babe, the film and character, soars in its final act, giving something beautiful, showing us we can all change, even by the smallest of increments. In the final moments of Chris Noonan’s masterpiece, those final words by Hogget hit your heart and soul like a ton of bricks… It’s at that moment that Babe becomes not just a Children’s classic but a Classic.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent example of the amazing work they are doing in the UHD realm. The image looks as good as the 35mm release prints on opening day. The transfer is sharp with beautiful, luminous blacks and contrast levels. The Dolby Vision encoding gives a warmth and pop to the Andrew Lensie shot film that was inspired by the Technicolor films of the 1940s, specifically John Ford’s The Quiet Man. Bravo to Kino Lorber and their continued amazing and varied restoration work in upgrading titles to 4K UHD. Babe may be one of the finest of 2026.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
The first of two Audio Commentaries is an archival track by Writer/Producer George Miller, opening with his credits and the intent of the title sequence. Some of the other details include that they had another composer on the film, the reasons why, and how they ended up with composer Nigel Westlate; the difficulty that the long training span and short time they could film with pigs that posed to the production; how the pups were adopted by various crew members including a great story about one that eventually ended up with one of Miller’s nephews; a detailed account of the training of the animals by Karl Lewis Miller and the complexity of it all with multiple animals working together on screen; the reasons why they chose the specific location in Australia to film; a larger discussion of the adaptation itself and what they brought to the story; a larger discussion of the post-production process and examples of how certain scenes were accomplished through editing; a larger discussion of the various effects work done by computer and animatronics that brought the various characters to life; a larger discussion of the various voice actors that voiced the animals and actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The second Audio Commentary is an all-new track by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff, which opens with introductions before diving into their love of their film. Some of the other details include Kirgo and Hankoff professing to stop eating pork after watching this film; a discussion of actor James Cromwell’s activism, including animal rights; a discussion of the work here and the career of animal trainer Karl Lew Miller; how the truck featured on the Hogget farm became an in-demand vehicle; the various pig movies, including Charlotte’s Web; the work and career of actor Magda Szubanski; the work and career of James Cromwell – including a larger discussion of how important his performance is to the entire film; the work of cinematographer Andrew Lensie; the work and career of Chris Noonan – and how George Miller effectively sidelined Noonan from any of the awards and credit for the massive success of the film; Noonan’s other film Mrs. Potter; a context of what was happening in the world when the film was released in 1995; a discussion of the films that were released in 1995; a larger discussion of the various voice actors that voiced the animals and actors that appear in the film; and much more.
That’ll do, Pig (24:54) – this all-new interview with actor James Cromwell begins with how he got into the family business, acting, after his father took him along to a film production in Europe. Cromwell goes on to discuss his early life in the 1960s with political activism and acting in the theater, eventually getting roles in TV Shows and commercials. The actor discusses the details about the audition process; his initial confusion with the film and script; his time in Australia; the uniqueness of the production; the process of the song and dance number; the number of pigs portrayed Babe; how he spent his time on set; working with director Chris Noonan; his relationship with producer George Miller – and his protection of Noonan; the difference between Miller and Noonan and the reasons he feels the second film was rejected; the reason he became a vegetarian – which wasn’t because of this film; the finale and how it was accomplished; and much more.
Making Pigs Talk (30:36) – this all-new interview with co-writer/producer George Miller opens with a discussion of the post-production on Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, where he heard a review of the children’s book The Sheep Pig and began the process of bringing what would eventually become Babe to the big screen. Miller goes on to discuss the long preproduction process with initially Dean Selmer as director; the challenges at the time in how they were going to make live action animals speak; and how cinematographer Allan Davieau was the first to suggest waiting for digital tech to catch up; how Universal became involved; how they adapted the book to screen, including what they added; why they chose cinematographer Andrew Lennie; the reason he chose director Chris Noonan and he didn’t direct the film; the involvement Miller had during the production and the collaboration with Noonan during the project; the importance of the accents and clarity of dialog in the film; the post-production process and solutions they came up with to solve narrative tension problems with the first few cuts; delaying the film because of another pig film; the surprising success, universal appeal, and Awards Run the film made; and much more.
The Making of Babe: Featurette (3:56) – the archival making-of featurette specifically looking at the VFX work done to bring the animals’ speech to life.
George Miller on Babe: Featurette (6:19) – the archival interview with co-writer/producer George Miller on the origins, the castings of James Cromwell, the casting of Babe’s voice, the cat as a villain, real-life pigs being very intelligent, and much more.
Concept Art & Storyboard Gallery (2:20) –the gallery consists of various concept designs for Hogget Farm, and storyboards from the film by Peter Pound, all set to the score by composer Nigel Westlake.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Babe (2:14); Babe: Pig in the City (2:33); Mad Max (2:10); Lorenzo’s Oil (2:30); Fluke (2:44)
The Final Thought
Kino has done it again. Giving a dyed-in-the-wool (pun intended) Classic a wonderful 4K UHD upgrade. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of Babe is out now.
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