Andy Serkis Movie Based On 81-Year-Old Dystopian Book Debuts To Underwhelming RT Score

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Despite being based on a classic story, Andy Serkis‘ new film isn’t living up to expectations.

The actor known for his role in Planet of the Apes has moved into directing, with credits including Breathe, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. He’s currently working on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for release in 2027, and fans are hoping it will be a strong addition to the Lord of the Rings franchise, despite early impressions of his latest film.

Andy Serkis’ animated movie, Animal Farm, based on George Orwell’s classic 1945 story, is receiving mostly negative reviews. The original Animal Farm is a famous allegory for the Russian Revolution, showing how a revolt aiming for equality can become a new, oppressive dictatorship. However, critics say this new film doesn’t live up to the quality of the book.

As of today, the movie Animal Farm has received mostly negative reviews, scoring only 36% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 critic reviews. Critics agree that the film fails to capture the essence of the original story and doesn’t work well as a movie on its own. Despite featuring a talented cast, it’s been criticized for its awkward humor and overly simplistic, family-oriented plot.

In a review for ScreenRant, Liz Declan criticizes the film Animal Farm, stating it fails to meaningfully explore the dangers of authoritarianism and the rise of dictators. She argues the movie simply states that power corrupts, rather than showing it, making the message feel obvious and unsupported by the story. According to Declan, the film doesn’t earn its central point and presents it in a heavy-handed way.

In a review for The A.V. Club, Jacob Oller claims that the movie Animal Farm is creatively bankrupt, and suggests a single song encapsulates its failings. He didn’t feel the film deserved a full review, instead starting his piece by saying that it seems designed to offend the ghost of George Orwell, and is a confused, silly adaptation filled with childish humor.

The scene shows the farm animals rebelling and forcing the humans off their land, set to the song “Break Down the Barn” by Pigeon John. But in the story, things take a dark turn. After successfully overthrowing the humans and renaming the farm “Animal Farm,” the animal leaders start acting like the people they defeated, claiming some are “more equal” than others and violently maintaining their power.

The animated film Animal Farm boasts a remarkable voice cast featuring stars like Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson, and Glenn Close. Despite a poor initial reception from critics, the film’s star power and family-friendly nature could still lead to success in theaters. Andy Serkis directs and also lends his voice to a character in the film.

Animal Farm will release in theaters on May 1, 2026.

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2026-04-24 01:01