Yes this film maybe a little dark ,and hard to understand for children I really enjoyed it as a kid. My favorite part is seeing all the animals get caught and then escape to the farm. This film is for older kids. Also when compared to original it shines considerably darker ,but by itself it stands firm. The darkness as I said intended for older kids teaches how this world can be an unkind place can be ,but to stay strong. Babe is still as sweet as ever just matures as his ignorance fades away. As for the dog drowning, the accident led to a needed rescue/turning point in the film. I give this movie a 4/10 because it could of not turn from original so much and the apes in the movie are really misfit.