Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

merklekranz With the powerhouse cast on board, I expected much better. Willem Dafoe, Danny Trejo, John Heard, Mickey Rourke, Steve Buscemi, Seymour Cassel, is enough talent for two prison movies, but "Animal Factory" disappoints. The main problem is the entire production seems more like an expose on prison life, rather than a drama. I simply felt like an observer watching convict stereotypes on parade. There just wasn't enough story to keep an audience's interest. The longer "Animal Factory" went on, the more it approached total boredom. Sure an unrecognizable Mickey Rourke is a plus, and Willem Dafoe is always intriguing, but here they are mostly wasted, along with the rest of a fine cast. - MERK

insomniac_rod Vastly underrated prison movie with excellent characters, an interesting and sentimental plot, good score, and fast pace.The chemistry between Dafoe and Furlong is convincing and it seems that both actors got along really well. Their characters needed such a good chemistry because all the situations they go through require a good relationship.The way Dafoe protects Furlong inside prison (of course, a "light" prison compared to the one of, for example, "American History X" to say the least) is somehow tender and as their "friendship" evolves it gets more endearing."Animal Factory" won't add anything new to your life or will change your mentality but it's a pleasant watch with a positive message. So if you are looking for a movie to just watch once and are in the mood for a good "buddy" flick this might be a good option.For a more solid, deep movie in the likes of this one, try "American History X", also starring Edward Furlong.

ad-thompson Steve Buscemi lives up to the promise of his 1996 directorial debut, 'Trees Lounge', with this equally impressive, gritty prison drama: When young, inexperienced Ron Decker (Edward Furlong) is given a harsh sentence for minor drug offences, he is soon taken under the wing of Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) - a long-time inmate who is feared and respected in equal measures. Some take exception to the bond between the two, however, and the inevitable confrontations ensue. Having read many other comments on it, I'm quite perplexed at some of the criticism this film has attained. The Radio Times Guide To Films says that it is "overly subtle and unsentimental" and feels "dramatically undernourished because of this refined stance." For me, though, it is precisely this understated tone that lends the film an air of believability. Others have criticised it for handling the material too lightly. This is far from true; it certainly doesn't paint a rosy picture of prison life - there's plenty of violent confrontations - but it does show how friendship can make life on the inside a whole lot more bearable, which surely is an integral part of any life story. To know that this was written by Edward Bunker, and co-produced by Danny Trejo - both of whom have served lengthy stretches inside - is no great surprise, as evidently this has added further credibility to the piece. The acting, also, is uniformly impressive, Dafoe giving a strong, yet refined performance - one of his best in years. Furlong, too, is convincing as the inexperienced but not-entirely-naive understudy, following up his role in 1998's 'American History X' (another tough, true-to-life drama). There's also good supporting roles from veteran character actors like Seymour Cassel (as a tough but sympathetic prison guard) and John Heard (as Ron's dad), not to mention one Mickey Rourke in a truly memorable cameo as Ron's tranny cell-mate. Unlike Frank Darabont's 'The Shawshank Redemption' - which, although I love, I did feel was a tad overlong and over-boiled - Buscemi tells his story in a concise 90 minutes. It's neither as intrusive or as preachy as it might have been, and avoids many of the clichés these kind of films often fall into, simply telling the story as it is. The lack of comment by Buscemi on the subject matter was another criticism, yet I feel this is one of the film's strength's - do we really need to be told how we should feel about what we're seeing on screen? The aforementioned 'Shawshank' aside, this feels much closer in tone to Tom Gries's powerful 1972 TV-movie 'The Glass House' which, like Buscemi's film, was filmed in a real prison using real inmates as extras. If you want a spiritually-uplifting piece of pure escapism go for 'The Shawshank Redemption'. But if you're after something more like real life, give 'Animal Factory' a go.

Cristi_Ciopron Animal Factory (2000) is a good ,dynamic,frank movie about the prison life.The ferocious,keen and efficient Willem Dafoe plays an influential convict. Rourke gives a spectacular performance as a potty,saucy guttersnipe. His deftness is commanding.Willem Dafoe is much sober,and acts temperately as usual;he exploits all the role's valences.Rourke's role is useless and tasteless,extravagant and decorative.It's shameful they waste this man on such pointless parts.Some disgusting ignorants believe this to be one of Rourke's best roles!How crass an ignorance!They know nothing at all,absolutely nothing about Rourke's career in the '80s!This shows only one thing:it betrays their huge ignorance of Rourke's great '80s roles (in Diner (1982),Year of the Dragon (1985),Nine 1/2 Weeks ,A Prayer for the Dying ,Barfly ,Desperate Hours ).His part in Animal Factory (2000) is nothing compared with his performances in A Prayer for the Dying (1987),Francesco (1989) and Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)!With an intelligent B-movie script,two first-hand actors (Rourke and Dafoe), Furlong at least honorable as a kind of a soft,sullen Delon , Animal Factory (2000) is much better than The Shawshank Redemption (1994) .