Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

alicespiral What's really the point of this borefest? I want to see a prison film with some sort of story not one which ends up with one of them messing about in a garbage truck for what? To escape? We never saw anything after as the credits rolled up. This of course made it unreal. If anyone entered one of these machines he would be cut up in 10 minutes. Its also not what we see on any of these documentaries about America's most dangerous prisons where blacks,whites and Mexicans are separated and to step into the wrong turf would mean a week in the hospital. These kind of films are supposed to be escapist entertainment so why not throw in a few killings?

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.

peter-ramshaw-1 A gritty prison drama of some, but not much, merit. Director Buscemi takes a back seat for a change, It's no Green Mile/Redemeption but has its moments.The two things I found difficult to swallow were Furlong's status as a 'pretty boy' in jail - I guess though if you're in for long enough, even a broom might look sexy... who knows - and Mickey Rourke's transvestite inmate. In the first, Furlong just looked skinny and pathetic to me, in the second, how in God's name did Rourke's character not get murdered one second into the movie given all of the other sexual predation and intolerance? It was almost as if the writer felt compelled to throw in a Midbnight Express type fag just because it was set in a prison. There was no other development of this character at all. Rourke, I like, but he was used and abused here in more ways than one.The escape plot line is patently silly and this isn't Willem Dafoe's best work either. If this had been the work of a 'real' director, I'd have laughed. However, since it's Buscemi having a first go, I'll be forgiving and give it a grudging pass. The one thing that is certain is that he'll get better and, hopefully repay the couture of directors who have given him such a dream ride in films over the years (the Cohen brother, Fargo etc, Tim Burton) by directing something with heart and a twist in the future. Put this one down to learning the craft - I hope.

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) .