The creativity behind Roald Dahl’s storytelling is nothing short of fantastic. From Willy Wonka’s wondrously magical chocolate factory to the mysteriously marvelous world inside of an enormous flying peach, Dahl has proven he can make fantasy come to life. And over this weekend, another Dahl fantasy has been brought to life by the visionary imagination of filmmaker Wes Anderson (“The Darjeeling Limited”) in “Fantastic Mr. Fox”: a touching and exceptional film.
Shot in stop-motion animation, the artistry of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is both breathtaking and simply charming. The film follows the conspiring, thrill-seeking Mr. Fox (George Clooney, “The Men Who Stare at Goats”) and his woodland forest friends who hate to love him. After suffering a near death experience in a fox trap, Mr. Fox promises his wife, Felicity (Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”) he will give up his dangerous life of thievery and finally settle down.
His commitment to stifle his naturally wily instincts for the sake of his family does not last long, however, and the fantastic Mr. Fox decides to bring a bit of adventure back into his dull existence. He decides to go on one last mischievous thieving romp and steals from the three meanest farmers in the country: Bunce, Boggis and Bean. And, as any true Roald Dahl fan knows, trying to outsmart a Dahl villain does not come without consequences, and the three farmers decide to put a stop to the fantastic Mr. Fox’s thievery.
Classics like “Matilda,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “The Witches,” and “The BFG” prove Roald Dahl’s storytelling abilities have held up well over the years. And while the story of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is entertaining in itself, it is Wes Anderson’s visionary film adaptation that will make the story a classic. The animation is intricately executed to appear beautifully simple on screen. Puppets are outfitted with hundreds of moving parts, meticulously detailed props and elaborate sets were created to bring Mr. Fox’s world to life. Knowing the team’s scrupulous attention to detail — it took a full day to shoot a mere 30 seconds of film — makes the movie that much more astounding to watch on the big screen.
While the hard-working precision of the Anderson crew translates into a beautiful visual experience, it is Wes Anderson’s humor and creativity as a director and screenwriter that brings “Fantastic Mr. Fox” to an entirely new level. In particular, some find his films to be peculiar and offbeat, so it is delightful to see his quirks and charms at work in a children’s film.
Sitting in the theater to a sold-out showing the day after Thanksgiving, it was apparent the “Fantastic Mr. Fox” has a universal appeal to both children and adults. Younger audiences are able to enjoy Anderson’s dry humor through the perspective of the quirky woodland creatures and angry British farmers. As the Fantastic Mr. Fox himself, Clooney’s voice provides the slick and suave confidence of the deviant charmer looking for a final fix of adventure (“Ocean’s 11” anyone?). Clooney plays this role well, and in fact, if Danny Ocean could be any creature, it would most likely be Mr. Fox. Clooney has consistently delivered as a confident and charismatic criminal mastermind, and the Fantastic Mr. Fox is no exception — he is both adorable and aggravating as he digs his friends and family into deeper and more dangerous holes.
Anderson did not exclude his friends when transitioning into the world of animation, utilizing some of his favorite actors as the voices of the Fantastic Mr. Fox’s family and friends. Jason Schwartzman (“Funny People”), Bill Murray (“City of Ember”) and Owen Wilson (“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”) each bring their characters to life through their recognizable voices, with Schwartzman in particular bringing a likable vivacity to Mr. Fox’s frustrated son Ash.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is different from the typical animation and humor brought to audiences through films like “Up” and Disney’s 3-D “A Christmas Carol.” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is imaginative, witty, and different from the rest — it is undeniably fantastic.
5 out of 5 stars.
