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Animal Rights

Like much of popular culture, many movies are preoccupied with the conflict between right and wrong aka good and evil. The audience sides with the heroic protagonist (who stands for what's right against evil and adversity) safe in the knowledge that good (that's us) will triumph before the credits roll. Films with 'animal rights' themes turn this cinematic convention on its head as the villainous shape of evil which harries our hirsute hero-folk is revealed to be ourselves. For some viewers this is a bitter pill to swallow (sugar-coating is almost mandatory) and thus a hard sell to investors, resulting in precious few films on the subject. All praise then to Alice's vast and mighty catalogue from which this humble offering has been gleaned! Food for thought from Alice's cruelty-free restaurant! Bon appetit! Pictured: Sales of bacon and pork dropped dramatically after the release of family classic 'Babe' (1995).

McLibel (1998)

6.8/10
Director: Ken Loach, Franny Armstrong
Starring: Dave Morris, Helen Steele, John Safran, Rob Newman

When McDonald's decided to sue two young English protestors for libel, they didn't expect to be in court for years on end. The true story of England's... Read more

Princess Mononoke ( Blu-ray ) (1997)

8.4/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver,...

This stunning masterpiece by animation wizard Hayao Miyazaki is set during Japan's Muromachi era, when a maddened Boar God infects a prince with a dea... Read more

Princess Mononoke (1997)

8.4/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver

This stunning masterpiece by animation wizard Hayao Miyazaki is set during Japan's Muromachi era, when a maddened Boar God infects a prince with a dea... Read more

Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997)

4.7/10
Director: Sam Pillsbury
Starring: Jason James Richter, August Schellenberg

Not just another installment - here it's whaling, the livelihood of ten-year-old Max's (Vincent Berry) dad. Some stunning whale photography and introd... Read more

101 Dalmatians (1996)

5.7/10
Director: Stephen Herek
Starring: Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson

Glenn Close plays the perfectly wicked Cruella De Vil, the fur-loving fashion maven who's obsessed with obtaining dalmatian pelts for her new line in... Read more

The Island of Dr Moreau (1996)

4.4/10
Director: John Frankenheimer
Starring: Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Temuera Morrison

This remake of the classic H. G. Wells story stars Marlon Brando as the not-so-good doctor, whose experiments with genetics have resulted in horrific... Read more

Babe (1995)

6.8/10
Director: Chris Noonan
Starring: Magda Szubanski, James Cromwell

An orphaned piglet named Babe is won by a farmer at a fair and is taken home to a barnyard where the animals have the ability to talk to one another.... Read more

Fluke (1995)

6.7/10
Director: Carlo Carlei
Starring: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Nancy Travis, Jon Polito, Max Pomeranc

Touching, often funny family drama about a driven businessman who is killed in a car accident and reincarnated as a dog. As memories of his human life... Read more

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)

4.9/10
Director: Dwight Little
Starring: Jason James Richter, Jon Tenney, Michael Madsen

This time an oil tanker runs aground and traps Willy in a small inlet with thousands of gallons of crude inching their way towards him. Lucky for him... Read more

Free Willy (1993)

5.9/10
Director: Simon Wincer
Starring: Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, Michael Madsen

Jesse, a homeless orphan who spends his days evading the police, finally gets caught spray painting a whale tank at a local park. Because he distrusts... Read more