Review - Fantastic Mr. Fox

When I think of Wes Anderson, one phrase comes to mind, "I don't get it". Every film I've seen of his has left me feeling bewildered. I know they're supposed to be funny, but they just come off as odd and confusing to me. So, when I saw the trailer for Fantastic Mr. Fox I wasn't that excited. In fact, the only reason I saw this film in the first place was because of the stop-motion visuals, and to the animators credit, they are excellent. But, can the same be said for the story?

The film opens with the title character, Mr. Fox, and his wife attempting a robbery, only to get caught in a trap. Unsure of whether they'll survive, Mr. Fox swears that if they get out of this that he will never steal again. Cut to a few years later; Mr. Fox is an unsuccessful newspaper columnist who struggles to provide for his family. He finds himself missing the time when he was a master thief and decides that in order to make a better life for him and his family he must pull one last job. Well, that "one last job" turns into another...and another...and so on, until finally the people getting robbed decide enough is enough and join forces to kill Mr. Fox.

The fact that you know what's going on in this movie is definitely a plus, and is pretty unusual for a film directed by Wes Anderson. This is probably because the film is based on the book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). That's not to say that the signature Wes Anderson quirkiness isn't here; it is, and in great quantities, it just doesn't overwhelm the movie like it does in his other films.

As for the animation, it is superb. Stop motion animated films, good ones anyway, are a rare occurrence, and because they take so long to make and are so expensive, it's really a treat when we get to see one as good as this. It's truly a unique type of animation, and one that's unfortunately not used enough in the days of computer animation. I highly recommend seeing this on Blu-Ray, as the visuals really benefit from the higher resolution.

Of course, any animated film is only as good as the voice talent behind it, and fortunately, the cast here is up to the task. George Clooney headlines as Mr. Fox, with Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon and Willem Dafoe rounding out the supporting cast. There isn't one person here that phones in their performance. While Clooney more or less plays it like Danny Ocean from Ocean's 11, I didn't mind at all, considering this is a very similar role. I especially liked Michael Gambon as the lead villain, Franklin Bean, who manages to be menacing without being over the top.

Fantastic Mr. Fox may not be the pinnacle of stop-motion animated films, but it's certainly a solid entry, with a fantastic cast (no pun intended) and a good story that leads up to a rousing climax that's both exciting and funny at the same time.

My Rating - 7.5/10

"I'm here to fight for Truth, Justice...and the British Monarchy".

It was announced on Monday that British actor Henry Cavill (HBO's The Tudors) will be playing Superman in the upcoming  film directed by Zack Snyder (300/Watchmen). I am not against this bit of casting in the least. However, a lot of people on the net (fanboys) feel the idea of casting a Brit to play Superman is outrageous, saying that Superman is supposed to stand for "Truth, Justice and the American way". Have these people forgotten that Superman is from another planet? He's not even human, for god's sake, little own American.

Plus, are they forgetting how awesome Christian Bale was/is as Batman? He was British and Batman is an American, yet everyone praised Bale as The Dark Knight. So, I say what's the difference people? If you're gonna judge the guy for playing Superman at least wait until the actual movie is out and base your opinion on his performance, not because he happens to be of a different nationality - that's Nationalism folks, and it's just plain ignorant!

With Warner Bros. announcing that Superman has been cast, everyone is now asking who's going to be playing Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, not to mention General Zod, who's already been announced as the main villain in the film. While nothing's been confirmed, supposedly Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Wedding Crashers) is a lead contender for the role. She's definitely got the look and the sass to play Lois Lane, and I think she'd do a great job in the role. However, I personally would like to see Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World) get the part. She has all of the above mentioned qualities and I really think that if she nabbed the role that it'd catapult her into super stardom.

As for Lex and Zod, not a lot of talk has been floating around as to who is being considered. I would actually prefer if Lex wasn't in the flick at all. He's been played to death and has yet to be done right. Kevin Spacey was good, but he was still playing the same Luthor that was obsessed with land for some reason. Maybe if they make Lex the rich, corrupt businessman that he's been for the past thirty years or so it'd be better, but we'll see.

Zod on the other hand I'm excited for. While I would have preferred to see a new villain (Brainiac, Darkseid, etc.) General Zod is still one of the best of Superman's rogues gallery and I can't wait to see who they choose for the role. It's got to be someone with a commanding presence and who can yell really well. A friend suggested Mark Strong (the bad guy from Kick-Ass) and I have to say he wouldn't be a bad choice. He's already playing Sinestro in the upcoming Green Lantern movie, and as pleased as Warner Bros. reportedly is with that film, it's not a stretch to think that they'd be willing to go with him as the villain in Superman as well.

What do you guys think? Who should be playing Lois Lane and General Zod? Feel free to post comments below.