Animal Farm

The various creatures of Manor Farm gather around to hear Old Major, the wise prized pig, give a speech on the selfishness of their owner Mr. Jones and how the "beasts of England" need to unite, rise against all humans, and live as equals. Sooner than expected, the animals have run Jones off and taken the farm, but only to find him being replaced by Napoleon the pig, a tyrant far greater than they had ever experienced under Jones. From the British animation studio of Halas and Batchelor, "Animal Farm" is an adaptation of George Orwell's modern classic parable dispelling the myths of Stalinist Russia. Although the film does often bear too close a resemblance to a Merry Melodies cartoon, and the ending is given a slight happy twinge, it is refreshing such excoriating material presented in the animated form, which is superbly drawn to boot.