Rating: 
Summary: Quality prison movie...
Review: A compelling film simply because in essence it is the love story of two convicts...Willem Dafoe is both brutal and gentle as a prison lord who befriends the young and naive Ed Furlong. Throughout the movie, I was silent with fear...Bravo Buscemi for creating such a raw and human prison film without gratuitous violence and sex. In fact, more violence would've ruined the intensity of the film as a whole. And thank god for the few moments of comic relief'some of the only chances a viewer gets to release some of the pent up tension carried throughout the film. My only warning to possible viewers is this...be certain you are in the mood for a serious prison film when you watch, this is not a user-friendly piece of art.
Rating: 
Summary: Buscemi squanders a good cast
Review: Basically, if you're an actor who decides to get into directing, you'd better have something either very IMPORTANT or very ORIGINAL to say, or face the wrath of the viewing public. "Animal Factory," the second movie (after "Trees Lounge") directed by indie renegade Steve Buscemi is a prison movie we've seen a million times before: kid gets busted for marijuana possession, is put in the can, and is taken under the wing of a streetwise con who plans the classic breakout. Like "Trees Lounge," this movie is competently made but there's nothing endearing or memorable about it; the prison scenes lack any sense of grittiness and on the whole feel sugarcoated. "Animal Factory" was too user-friendly for me, I guess.
Rating:
Summary: Seen it all before...
Review: Good actors and no bad preformances. That's really all the praise I can give this movie. Otherwise, it was completely recycled pieces of a dozen other "prison" movies. I did't detect one original thought or scene in the entire move. To wit: Young, naive boy thrown into tough prison population. Seen it. Tough lifer who runs the prison. Seen it. Lifer takes newcomer under his wing. Seen it. Blacks and whites don't get along. Seen it. Have chance for parole but are denied (with cliche "I'll get you out!" father scene.) Seen it. Talk about and plan an escape. Seen it.I was really disappointed in this movie. The cliches' just kept piling up. Any I won't even bring up the lame ending!
Rating:
Summary: good
Review: good movie with good performances by dafoe, fulong, and others, and i was satisfied with the extra features!
Rating: 
Summary: THE BESTEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!
Review: I don't know why no one liked the movie, but I enjoyed it soo much, that the next morning I watched it again, I ADORE Edward Furlong for the last 8 years and I think that he's very talented and all his movies are great, and The Animal Factory is one of the bestest! Danny Trejo is always great as well, such great actors, great movie, a great story, great acting!!! I recomended the movie to all my friends and they all agree with me, even those who don't like Eddie! Soo those who don't like it, should watch it again and think twice! Because it is a movie to remember, and now I own it at home ( as all the others Edward Furlong's movies ) and I'm very happy to have it, 'cause I ADORE THE MOVIE! Xenia
Rating:
Summary: Almost there
Review: Like his first directorial attempt - Tree's Lounge - Steve Buscemi's second full-length film as a director, Animal Factory, falls just short of leaving a long-lasting impression on the viewer. It's certainly a great improvement over Tree's Lounge as far as production is concerned, and all the right elements - directing, dialogue, acting, cinematography - are in place, but the characters and plot are just not interesting enough to make it unique and memorable. There are tons of prison dramas out there; Animal Factory just isn't news
Still, for what it is, it's a great film and certainly worth your time. More realistic than most prison dramas tend to be, Animal Factory shows a picture of prison life that is much less shocking and brutal than we're used to see in this kind of film, and focuses more on the difficulties of actual day-to-day survival. The story focuses on young inmate Ron Decker (the very talented Edward Furlong, memorable as Edward Norton's younger brother in American History X) and tough guy Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) and on the relationship forming between them. Nothing new, really, but with two excellent actors and some great, unpretentious directing we get a really lovely film. The rest of the excellent cast includes Chris Bauer, Danny Trejo, Tom Arnold, an unforgettable Mickey Rourke and Buscemi himself in a small part.
A very slow and intimate movie, Animal Factory is not much of a masterpiece but it shows a lot of potential and promise for Steve Buscemi as a director. If you're a fan, if you like Trees Lounge, or if you're fond of prison dramas, Animal Factory is well worth a watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't live up to the book
Review: The enjoyed the movie but it was missing some continuity. I don't think I would have enjoyed the movie much at all if I had not read the book and been to fill in some of the parts that were left out. I worked in a large county jail for a few years and can say that the attitudes among the prisoners as well as some of the relationships between guards and prisoners were realistic.
Rating:
Summary: a small, amazing film
Review: This film skates the thin line between friendship, brotherhood and homosexual desire. (Mind the bathroom scene with the suggestive moans and screams in the background.) As usual, Williem Dafoe delivers an amazing performance, but I think it was the cameo roles that really shone out. I still can't get Tom Arnold out of my head. He played the role of a rapist in persuit of the protagonist so well it just made me wonder why he wasted his talent on a bunch of B grade comedy films when he could have easily gone into high quality independent films. Amazing, I still can't get him out of my mind. Mickey Rourke as a transvestite... has so much screen presence. The plot and script's generally okay but the acting is top rate.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Movie
Review: This is a very interesting movie, not to mention Steve Buscemi directed it. I disagree and agree with Kenecia; prison is a miserable experience - BUT this movie is based off a novel, it's not a docmuntary, so ofcourse is going to be "watered down" and have some unexplaineble weird twist of an ending. Kenecia, you remind of those people who watch cartoons and say " WHAT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
But for others, i recomend this movie. It's worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: PRISON BUDDY FLICK WITH AN ORIGINAL TWIST
Review: This is an intellgent film with a lot of good acting. It does not capitalize on abuse and violence, as a lot of prison films do and gives it a realistic treatment. The only comparable prison pixcture would be ON THE YARD out of the 70's, but this one is more positive in that it offers hope, and that in itself makes Animal Factory more realistic.
Willem Dafoe is a living great, and whenever he makes a film he brings in great theatrical elements to his roles. His portrayal of feigning insanity in the hole is a Dafoe original. This film brings in other artists and allows them perform as well. The classic shot pans the yard as you hear the soundtrack and then you actually see a con singing the blues and you realize that it's not just the background music, the guy is actually performing live. Like other prison flicks, this one has its share of the inevitable rape and shankings you would find in a prison film, but this one does not give them the center stage. It doesn't shy away from the difficult issues that other films avoid, but at the same time you can make a claim that it does hold back on repression, abuse and violence you are bond to find in a real prison. It strives and does a good job breaking stereotypes. Tom Arnold is barely recognizable in a cameo that breaks his mold and I did not recognize Mickey Rourke in the aging drag queen he was playing. You can not fault this film for being unrealistic because films are works of arts and this one actually redeems itself.
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