Customer Reviews
Pretty bog standard prison drama, but worth a look. - By: bendy01, 07 Jun 2008 
Not oscar worthy, but a solid film from actor turned director Steve Buschemi. I have always enjoyed his performances in movies, usaully in supporting roles or cameos with the emphasis on comic relief (Donny in The Big Lebowski the finest) so was a little surprised when I realised he directed this gritty prison flick. You can tell from the onset that they didn't have the biggest of budgets to work with, but recruiting the always excellent Willem Defoe as the shaven headed 'ruler' of the prison makes this otherwise B movie worth watching. Supported by the evergreen Edward Furlong (doesn't look a day older since T2, but he must be in his 30's!) the leads give strong performances & there are a lot of familier faces within the cast - obviously down to the directors Hollywood connections. The story plods along with the odd violent or graphic incident & does manage to keep your attention till the somewhat predicable ending. I did however find myself feeling a little emotion towards some of the characters so they managed to do their jobs effectivly. Solid prison film, but not in the same league as Shawshank.
unique - By: Ms. F. I. Macdonald, 10 Mar 2008 contary to other reviews i actuallly found this film to be an individual production which deals with real prison life & the friends & enemies that you are capable of making or loosing. Edward Furlong does his usual part of panic striken teenager (even though he is in his twenties)while William DeFoe produces his icy exterior which has a power over the other prisoners. A Good Film.
Engrossing and restrained Prison drama - By: russell clarke, 04 Jun 2004 
Based on Edward Bunkers(Who has a smalll cameo role ) book of the same name The Animal Factory is a prison drama, & a surprisingly restrained one at that, but it's also a rites of passage tale as Ron (Edward Furlong) forms a surrogate father/son relationship with long-timer & king of his wing Earl (Willem Defoe)
As I've intimated the most noticeable thing about this movie is how subtle & moderate it is when compared to some of the other prison based films. Compared to "Ghosts of the Civil Dead" or even "The ShawShank Redemption" this is kids stuff. There is violence but most of the scenes are over in a flash & the subject of male rape is hinted at broadly rather than confronted head on.This is a film more concerned about the mental torment of incarceration than the physical ones.
It's still an engrossing movie though, directed in a meretricious manner by Steve Buscemi, & played with admirable restraint by the entire cast of which Defoe is as usual excellent while Furlong is believably gauche as the new inmate. Mickey Rourke has a bizarre smalll role as Furlongs transvestite cell mate. The one nagging element about the film is that Defoe's character seems way too decent a human being to be as high in the prison hierarchy as he is, though his intelligent exploitation of the system lends him extra credibility.
The only reason this movie doesn't earn full marks is because I doubt it will reward repeat viewings but as a one off adult drama it's one of the best I've seen in a while.
Same old stuff!! - By: G. Gibson, 28 May 2004 
I watched this film recently, but i didnt think much of it am afraid. It was the same old story line, nothing new reallly. Vunerable young offender gets introduced to the top boy, they become friends & hatch a plan to escape, the end. This doesnt even compare to the likes of Shawshank Redemption, Great Escape, Midnight Run etc
An uncertain effort - By: , 01 Mar 2004 Prison dramas bear more than a passing resemblance to their submarine counterparts, although without, usuallly, the sense of impending doom, but invariably, they have the same claustrophobic possibilities as well as a neatly cicumscribed environment for the plot to play out.
Such is the scene for Animal Factory, which reminds me rather too much perhaps of Tom Selleck's "An Innocent Man", with an extra sprinkling of seriousness & good intentions. To some extent, Animal Factory transcends the superficial aspects of imprisonment, & concentrates instead on the relationship between Willem Dafoe & Edward Furlong; sounds dubious? Well, it is, & much of the movie focusses on the borderline inappropriate obsessions of Dafoe's character, & his unrealised motivations. Ultimately, however, the relationship turns out to centre on protectiveness & more positive values & it underlines a valiant attempt to highlight the transcendence of the human spirit in difficult & uncomfortable circumstances.
There were some good performances in this movie, with Dafoe in particularly good form, portraying as he does, a streak of ambiguous goodwill in an otherwise hard-bitten, cynical & uncompromising personality. Look out also for a superb cameo from the toothless Mickey Rourke as a sweet natured tranny, who outlines his unfulfilled dreams in his cell, providing a hint of security in an otherwise insecure world.
When alll is said & done, however, this movie somewhat misses the mark, despite several good performances & a thoughtful style it fails to grab hold of you & the direction seemed to me at least, to be a bit woolly & uncertain in places, especiallly considering what it appeared to be trying to achieve. Despite this, the movie is competent in alll areas, but not outstanding in any, so whilst it's worth a watch, don't expect too much or you might just be disappointed.
