20th Century Fox | 2009 | 87 mins. | Rated PG
Adapted from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name, Fantastic Mr. Fox is director Wes Anderson’s (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) first foray into full length stop-motion animation. Adapted for the screen by Anderson and Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale), the first thing that struck me about this film was the look. One of the oldest animation styles available, stop-motion animation tends to make buildings and landscapes look rather picture booky; In the case of Fantastic Mr. Fox, the faces of the animals look almost lifelike. Most amazingly, their fur seems so real. Its details like this that serve to draw you into the story right from the first frame.
After learning that his wife (voiced by Meryl Streep) is pregnant, former athletic standout and expert chicken thief Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) leaves behind his life of thievery for a job as a mild mannered newspaper columnist. Then, 12 “fox years” later, he is drawn back into his old life. The family moves from their small den to a large tree that overlooks three large neighboring farms. Their son Ash (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) is resolutely “different.” He has a hard enough time living in the shadow of his notorious father; so he’s less than thrilled to learn that his beloved cousin Kristofferson (the director’s brother Eric Anderson) will be staying with them for awhile.
Mr. Fox plots a raid on the farms with an opossum named Kylie (voiced by Wallace Wolodarsky). Unfortunately, the act has unexpectedly dangerous repercussions not only for them, but the entire animal kingdom. After raising the ire of the three biggest local farmers–Boggis, Bunce and Bean (the latter voiced by Michael Gambon), Mr. Fox, his family, and the other animals are forced underground. The farmers have every sniper they can find on the hunt for Mr. Fox; forcing him to use every animal instinct he has to avoid certain death. When one of the farmers kidnaps one of his loved ones, it looks like his days are numbered. In order to save them, he’ll have to come out of hiding and face a sad fate.
One thing that Anderson does so well is make us care about the characters. The choice of voice actors was perfect. George Clooney seems born to play Mr. Fox, equal parts roguish and sweet, every word he says is somehow believable. Streep can make even a “suffering wife” voice-over role interesting; I only wish there had been more of her in it. Bill Murray has some memorable moments as the lawyer Badger, and Schwartzman is funny and awkward as Ash. Willem Dafoe and Owen Wilson have small but notable roles as a tough talking rat and Ash’s “Whack Bat” coach, respectively.
I mentioned the animation earlier, but there are a few additional things that make it superb. The palette is full of warm autumnal colors that seem to pop off the screen at every turn; Anderson added actual fur to the puppets to give them a more realistic look. And to those who worried that Anderson’s foray into stop-motion animation would mean a change in his filmmaking style—not a chance. The style and pace is pure Wes Anderson, including the soundtrack (which includes everything from The Ballad of Davy Crockett to Street Fighting Man by The Rolling Stones.)
While I will concede that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a bit slow to get going, and at times a bit too quirky, at the end of the day Anderson has succeeded in crafting a film that should appeal to both children and adults. Fantastic Mr. Fox definitely earned a spot on my top ten list of the best films of 2009.
Because Fox has sent a watermarked pre-release screener, I can’t comment on the technical presentation. The image is enhanced at its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The sound mix is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. When I receive the final product, I will add my thoughts on these aspects.
The single DVD has a meager set of special features:
• From Script to Screen (6:56) gives a very brief glimpse into the production process.
• Still Life (Puppet Animation) (7:21) takes a closer look at the puppet design and animation.
• A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat (1:11) is a faux-newsreel about the sport that the Foxes and their animal friends play.
• The Theatrical Trailer (2:26)
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