Fantastic Mr. Fox
George Clooney and Meryl Streep lend their voices to this hilarious and heartwarming animated adventure from visionary director Wes Anderson. Mr. and Mrs. Fox (Clooney and Streep) live a happy home life with their eccentric son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) and visiting nephew Kristopherson. That is until Mr. Fox slips into his sneaky, old ways and plots the greatest chicken heist the animal world has ever seen. Based on the beloved, best-selling book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Fantastic Mr. Fox is family fun at its finest.
Member Reviews
Bad Roald Dahl - Great Wes Anderson - filmcmnt
I was really resistant to this movie at first as much as I love Wes Anderson, because I think Fantastic Mr. Fox is a masterpiece by Roald Dahl and I hated the thought of Anderson's postmodern cynicism being brought to bear on the utter simplicity, charm and pathos of Dahl's fable. Most reviewers of this claimed that Anderson had taken a "weak" or "slight" Roald Dahl and expanded it. Dahl's book is anything but slight - it's a parable of dignity and salvation in the face of human atrocity. So how did I feel? Once I stopped thinking of it as a Roald Dahl adaptation, I loved it for what it was. It's not Dahl, it's Anderson, and if you love Anderson you'll love his world being filtered through the beautifully tactile claymation of these creations. The entire theme of the story is Anderson's not Dahl's. Dahl cares about how survivors find community in the face of holocausts. Anderson accepts that he can't improve on Dahl in that regard, and so makes his film about the fine line between our savagery and our better instincts, as is made comically graphic any time the urbane and sophisticated Mr. Fox tucks into his meal like a raving beast. This movie is best appreciated without any sense of loyalty to the Roald Dahl source.sure to entertain - chummy
I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this. Not the deepest film ever, but the visual style of animation is remarkably life-like in a very compelling way. Not that it doesn't look like a child's book, but it does look like one that came to life and the film makers here deserve recognition for the originality of their efforts.
And would anyone really suggest that George Clooney and Meryl Streep wouldn't make a great couple? You can't but help but love these two foxes!Finally, a family movie that doesn't pander... - JtotheRoc
This is one of the good ones. Stay away from the mindless Disney focus group films and check out this little chunk of minimalistic brilliance from Wes Anderson.
The screenplay is intelligent (imagine that!) without being condescending or pretentious. The characters are lovingly put together with the bare hands of the animators. The stop-motion is brilliant and meticulous. The voice actors are great and the plot is just too fun.
The movie is clever and cultured, which is a big change from the usual fare of this genre. Anderson decides that kids are smarter than most give them credit for and we end up with a movie that is smart AND entertaining from start to finish. Expose your kids to stuff like this and you'll have them questioning the world rather than swallowing everything stupidly.
It's a cussing good movie.
Member Reviews
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Bad Roald Dahl - Great Wes Anderson - filmcmnt
I was really resistant to this movie at first as much as I love Wes Anderson, because I think Fantastic Mr. Fox is a masterpiece by Roald Dahl and I hated the thought of Anderson's postmodern cynicism being brought to bear on the utter simplicity, charm and ...sure to entertain - chummy
I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this. Not the deepest film ever, but the visual style of animation is remarkably life-like in a very compelling way. Not that it doesn't look like a child's book, but it does look like one that came to life and the film ...Finally, a family movie that doesn't pander... - JtotheRoc
This is one of the good ones. Stay away from the mindless Disney focus group films and check out this little chunk of minimalistic brilliance from Wes Anderson.
The screenplay is intelligent (imagine that!) without being condescending or pretentious. ...