"Fantastic Mr. Fox": DVD, Blu-ray Movie Review
3/21/2010 Posted by Admin
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Directed by Wes Anderson, written by Anderson and Noah Baumbach, 88 minutes, rated PG.
By Christopher Smith
Wes Anderson "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is terrific, almost perfect, cataclysmic, not sophomoric.
Anderson and Noah Baumbach based their script on Roald Dahl’s 1970 book, and what they created is a movie encouraged to roam along a wacky landscape where good writing matters, wit infuses the bon mots, and close attention to character is key.
About “Fox”--just try getting through it without a laugh. The film is about Mr. Fox (George Clooney) and how he must win back the trust of his wife, Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), and earn the love of his bickering, disenfranchised son, Ash (Jason Schwartzman), when Fox, a newspaper columnist, slides off the tracks and goes back to his thieving ways. The reason? Money is tight, sure, but a fox always is a fox, and shaking off those foxy instincts proves impossible for Mr. Fox to do.
In his sights are henhouses owned by Boggis, Bunce and Bean, grim farmers loaded with rabid dogs and enough artillery to bring down a battalion. The lot of them are a force lead by Bean (Michael Gambon), and they don’t take kindly to their trade being stolen by a bunch of crooked animals.
Not that that will stop Fox and company. Joining him in his quest to put turkey on the table are the opossum, Kylie (Wally Wolodarsky), who is a coward at heart but nevertheless tries to get beyond it, and whose eyes do things too funny to spoil for readers. Just enjoy them when they do their thing. Also involved is a cagey badger voiced by Bill Murray and Ash’s all-to-capable cousin, Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), who brings zen along with his zips. Against them are a motherlode of others, not the least of which is Willem Dafoe’s spurious Rat, who knows his way around a switchblade.
What will children make of this movie? Given the film’s level of sophistication, that’s up for debate. This movie is way on the fringe, and some scenes are a little sketchy and violent, to say the least. But adults who turn out to see it--and they are encouraged to see it--will find something unique and trippy, an animated tale that celebrates the medium and honors it.
Grade: A-
View the trailer for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" below. Thoughts?
January 15, 2010 at 10:14 PM
I agree its a good mvie.. but really not for young children.. although thru video games the encounter alot of violence for young teens.. they might enjoy it.. but ont likely.. they are more into action films these days.. I think they missed the boat if they were targeting their market group for young children with this film and what adult would actually go see it if not to take their children? You can see the box office doors wont be the running of the brides on this one!
February 11, 2010 at 11:38 AM
I thought this was a pretty good movie. A very interesting interpretation of the book. I liked how they used the stop motion claymation to give it a nostalgic feel to it.