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