Review: Fantastic Mr Fox

Stop motion animation from Wes Anderson, bringing Roald Dahls wonderful book fully to life.

Synopsis: It is the story of one Mr. Fox and his wild-ways of hen heckling, turkey taking and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. He has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. He is too rebellious. He is too wild. He is going to try “just one more raid” on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Boggis, Bunce and Bean. It is a tale of crossing the line of family responsibilities and midnight adventure and the friendships and awakenings of this country life that is inhabited by Fantastic Mr. Fox and his friends.

Review: Right from scene one you can tell who has directed Fantastic Mr Fox. With its colour palette & accompanying music this is typical Wes Anderson right from the off. It may be animation, but it makes no difference as the directors influence and style is felt through the film. Mr Fox is a really nice little, warm and funny, film. Filled with humour that genuinely makes you laugh and giggle yet it also has a heart and warmth to it.

The animation style used, proper old school stop motion similar to that used by Nick Park, takes a few moments to get used too. We’re so used to 3D animation now that stop motion just looked a little, well, old school and even a bit odd. However, you soon forget about it and the actual animation, story and voice work pull you into the film. The animation it has to be said really is excellent. The animals have individual hair fronds that move and look really great. I read in an article about the film that Anderson has really pushed the animators to do things they were not used to doing as he wanted certain shots and movement of the models. It has been a few weeks since I saw the film (sorry, really late review!) but I do remember a couple of times thinking if the shot I’d just seen was one of those ones as I hadn’t seen anything like it in animation before.

The voice cast is mostly American, though it should be noted the badguys are Brits! But the voice cast, American though it is, works very well. Clooney and Streep are perfect as Mr and Mrs Fox and Schwartzman gives young son Fox a rebelious streak. Gambon and the rest of the Brit voice cast are perfectly suited as the farmers as well, in no way could the farmers not have been Brits I don’t think, it just wouldn’t have suited the look of the film. Perhaps the animal voice cast could have been British as well, it is after all a Roald Dahl book, but I’ve no real complaints as you soon forget who is actually voicing the characters.

Overall then this is a great film for all the family. Warm, funny and great animation. Rating = 4/5.