Being a fox in Roald Dahl's world is much more complicated than it might seem. It's not all animal activities for Mr. Fox. Instead of just basic survival — waking, eating, killing, sleeping and reproducing — Mr. Fox must deal with the consequences of thievery and tackle the very human dilemma of not knowing oneself.
Directed by renowned filmmaker Wes Anderson ("Bottle Rocket," 1996, "The Royal Tenenbaums," 2001), "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a visually pleasing animated film with thoughtful and entertaining content. Mr. and Mrs. Fox (voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep, respectively) live a quiet life in a foxhole with their son, Ash (voiced by Jason Schwartzman). After 12 fox years, or about two human years, Mr. Fox begins to feel restless in his career as a journalist. To add a little excitement to his routine, he decides to revert back to his former life of thievery. One night of criminal activity explodes into countless schemes in which Mr. Fox robs local farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean of their cider and chickens. The farmers are enraged by the sly fox's heist and go to great lengths in an attempt to destroy him. What began as a solution to Mr. Fox's midlife crisis creates a real crisis, endangering Mr. Fox, his family and his whole community. Mr. Fox must formulate a brilliant plan to save his loved ones and restore order. Based on the book by Roald Dahl and featuring the voices of Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Michael Gambon, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" goes beyond entertaining and visually engaging. The film's protagonist is a non-human character who has human issues; this middle-aged fox must learn to mature and be content with what he has in life. The similarities between the creatures of the story and the human beings watching in the audience are striking; the wild animals and fox-holes become an intriguing interpretation of human society.
Anderson gracefully fuses ludicrous comedy with poignant representations of imperfect characters. The movie travels at an appropriate pace, easily transitioning between starkly different scenes. For example, in one scene Mr. Fox details his plan to break into the chicken coop — which involves lacing blueberries with sleeping powder to feed the beagles guarding the chickens. Soon after, the audience listens to him detail his personal insecurities. Though the juxtaposition of a crafty stunt with an intimate confession could have been jarring, Anderson makes the switch seem natural.
Although Mr. Fox claims his life is mundane and monotonous, Anderson proves that such a lifestyle can be imaginative and truly enjoyable to watch nonetheless. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a film that appeals to a wide audience. Children will find humor in the physical comedy and dry jokes interspersed within the film, while any adult will relate to and appreciate the irony and symbolism of the protagonist's struggles with a midlife crisis. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" was further set apart from others at the box office this Thanksgiving by Anderson's decision to apply masterful stop-motion animation to Dahl's original work. The film proves this type of animation, which some have called `a dying art form, to be alive and well. Stop-motion animation is produced by moving objects, in this case animal puppets, in incremental degrees between photographed pictures that, when combined, create the illusion of movement. Although seemingly an unusual, tedious and potentially unnecessary choice for any movie, stop-motion animation gives "Fantastic Mr. Fox" a sense of originality and whimsy.
Visually stunning animation combined with strong lead characters voiced to perfection by Streep and Clooney carry "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Anderson's fresh take on Dahl's book — and its lessons on responsibility — make this film a must-see for the holiday season.
