CHARLOTTE'S WEB — ** 1/2 — Dakota Fanning, voices of Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, etc.; G (violence, vulgarity).
Author E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web" is one of those tales that stand the test of time. It's also a story that doesn't require trickery and lowbrow humor to hold our attention.
That makes it all the more distressing that this new live-action adaptation of the beloved children's book falls back on trickery (mostly CGI enhancements) and lowbrow humor, at least to a certain degree, as if the filmmakers didn't believe in the material as much as they should.
Still, there is some magic left in the story. And a first-rate cast of live actors and voice performers ensures that the material wins out. Though at times, just barely.
Dakota Fanning stars as Fern, a young girl who forms a close bond with the runt of a recent litter of pigs. She even stops her father (Kevin Anderson) from killing the piglet, whom she names Wilbur.
Still, it's only a temporary reprieve. Fern's uncle (Gary Basaraba) is planning to make Wilbur into a feast come Christmas.
Fortunately, the piglet has made another new friend — Charlotte A. Cavatica (the voice of Julia Roberts), a resourceful arachnid with a plan to spare Wilbur's life for the long term.
Obviously, there's a certain darkness to some of the material, which perhaps explains why screenwriters Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick decided to play up the comic elements — and even introduces a few new things. (Not that it's an excuse for the more crass moments.)
This is certainly one of the more celebrity-laden cinematic projects in recent memory. In addition to Roberts as Charlotte, other farm animals are voiced by Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, Reba McEntire and Kathy Bates. In addition, Thomas Haden Church and Andre Benjamin voice wisecracking crows, and Sam Shepard narrates.
The relationships between girl and pig, and pig and spider, are what really fuel the film. As the animal-loving Fern, Fanning is as good as expected. And Roberts' work here seems to have been inspired by Debbie Reynolds, who voiced Charlotte in the 1974 animated version.
"Charlotte's Web" is rated G, though it does feature some animal-related violence (mostly slapstick) and some peril, as well as some crude flatulence humor and gags. Running time: 96 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com