Diagonaldi Very well executed

AboveDeepBuggy Some things I liked some I did not.

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Vogul Probably the first prison movie I have seen that in no way glorifies prison life. This movie makes it very clear that prison is a dark place and the only people that dwell their are losers not winners (forget the rap music and OZ). There is no good and bad in this prison just those who will make it and those who won't.The movie follows Edward Furlong; a young drug dealer who is small, skinny and is eyed by every inmate but one (Willem Defoe) as an easy target for rape. I genuinely feared for him and I still shudder to this day over the thought of entering an American prison. However the film does get slow towards the end and it loses its atmosphere once your safe in the knowledge that Edward Furlongs character is well protected by his new friends.It has to be said though, Mickey Rourke stole the show as a drag queen. One of his best performances. A must see.

Raegan Butcher Pay no attention to these other reviews; the people who wrote them don't know what they're talking about: In 1996 I was convicted of armed robbery and sent to prison in Washington state for eight years (of which I did seven)and I'm here to tell you that ANIMAL FACTORY is the real deal; I was a lot like the character played by Edward Furlong and I was lucky enough to meet men like the character played by Wilem Dafoe, guys who didn't want to rape me, guys who didn't want to kill me, guys who acted decently amidst all of the indecency.Since my release from prison in 2003 I am invariably asked the two big questions when it comes to incarceration in this country: A) did I get raped? and B) is prison really like you see on OZ? Well, luckily, I didn't get raped and I've never seen OZ but anyone who wants to see what prison is like should get a gander at ANIMAL FACTORY. The entire film drips with authenticity. Within 2 minutes I felt that old queasy feeling in my stomach--exactly as if I were back there myself, all over again.For those of you out there who might think there is still a bit of rebellious glamour left in going to prison, watch ANIMAL FACTORY and take it from me: being locked up is not cool and its not fun and it is not something that anyone should aspire to.

ad-thompson Steve Buscemi lives up to the promise of his 1996 directorial debut, 'Trees Lounge', with this equally impressive, gritty prison drama: When young, inexperienced Ron Decker (Edward Furlong) is given a harsh sentence for minor drug offences, he is soon taken under the wing of Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) - a long-time inmate who is feared and respected in equal measures. Some take exception to the bond between the two, however, and the inevitable confrontations ensue. Having read many other comments on it, I'm quite perplexed at some of the criticism this film has attained. The Radio Times Guide To Films says that it is "overly subtle and unsentimental" and feels "dramatically undernourished because of this refined stance." For me, though, it is precisely this understated tone that lends the film an air of believability. Others have criticised it for handling the material too lightly. This is far from true; it certainly doesn't paint a rosy picture of prison life - there's plenty of violent confrontations - but it does show how friendship can make life on the inside a whole lot more bearable, which surely is an integral part of any life story. To know that this was written by Edward Bunker, and co-produced by Danny Trejo - both of whom have served lengthy stretches inside - is no great surprise, as evidently this has added further credibility to the piece. The acting, also, is uniformly impressive, Dafoe giving a strong, yet refined performance - one of his best in years. Furlong, too, is convincing as the inexperienced but not-entirely-naive understudy, following up his role in 1998's 'American History X' (another tough, true-to-life drama). There's also good supporting roles from veteran character actors like Seymour Cassel (as a tough but sympathetic prison guard) and John Heard (as Ron's dad), not to mention one Mickey Rourke in a truly memorable cameo as Ron's tranny cell-mate. Unlike Frank Darabont's 'The Shawshank Redemption' - which, although I love, I did feel was a tad overlong and over-boiled - Buscemi tells his story in a concise 90 minutes. It's neither as intrusive or as preachy as it might have been, and avoids many of the clichés these kind of films often fall into, simply telling the story as it is. The lack of comment by Buscemi on the subject matter was another criticism, yet I feel this is one of the film's strength's - do we really need to be told how we should feel about what we're seeing on screen? The aforementioned 'Shawshank' aside, this feels much closer in tone to Tom Gries's powerful 1972 TV-movie 'The Glass House' which, like Buscemi's film, was filmed in a real prison using real inmates as extras. If you want a spiritually-uplifting piece of pure escapism go for 'The Shawshank Redemption'. But if you're after something more like real life, give 'Animal Factory' a go.

Cristi_Ciopron Animal Factory (2000) is a good ,dynamic,frank movie about the prison life.The ferocious,keen and efficient Willem Dafoe plays an influential convict. Rourke gives a spectacular performance as a potty,saucy guttersnipe. His deftness is commanding.Willem Dafoe is much sober,and acts temperately as usual;he exploits all the role's valences.Rourke's role is useless and tasteless,extravagant and decorative.It's shameful they waste this man on such pointless parts.Some disgusting ignorants believe this to be one of Rourke's best roles!How crass an ignorance!They know nothing at all,absolutely nothing about Rourke's career in the '80s!This shows only one thing:it betrays their huge ignorance of Rourke's great '80s roles (in Diner (1982),Year of the Dragon (1985),Nine 1/2 Weeks ,A Prayer for the Dying ,Barfly ,Desperate Hours ).His part in Animal Factory (2000) is nothing compared with his performances in A Prayer for the Dying (1987),Francesco (1989) and Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)!With an intelligent B-movie script,two first-hand actors (Rourke and Dafoe), Furlong at least honorable as a kind of a soft,sullen Delon , Animal Factory (2000) is much better than The Shawshank Redemption (1994) .