"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon
Rated: PG
Roald Dahl is one of the best selling, most beloved 20th-century authors. His children's books - such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "James and the Giant Peach" and "Matilda" - are full of imagination and whimsy. But more so than any other modern author of stories aimed at kids, Dahl's work always has a dark undercurrent and unsettling implications.
As producer of the film version of "James and the Giant Peach" and director of the 2005 version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Tim Burton brought his somewhat macabre sense of film to the table and found a perfect match in Dahl's writings.
Now, visionary director Wes Anderson brings Dahl's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" to the screen using his own unique approach and old-school stop-action animation. The combination is a wonderful marriage of styles.
Anderson never gets stuck in a rut. His "Bottle Rocket," "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "A Life Aquatic" are - on the surface - vastly different films. But the director always manages to put his personal stamp on his movies, and he does so again with "Mr Fox."
The stop action animation (remember the TV show "Davey and Goliath" and the original "King Kong"?) might seem anachronistic in the age of no-holds-barred, computer-generated effects, but in the hands of Anderson and animation director Mark Gustafson, it works wonders. The characters' faces are wonderfully expressive, their fur is vibrantly alive and their voices - supplied by A-list actors George Clooney and Meryl Streep and Anderson regulars Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson - make the animated critters all the more personable.
Mr. Fox (voiced by Clooney) is a devil-may-care smooth talker who "makes a living" stealing chickens and other vulpine delicacies. After a very close call, one involving Mrs. Fox (voiced by Streep) as well, he swears to his wife he will give up the thief's life and get a straight job.
We flash forward several years and find Mr. and Mrs. Fox settled down - he has a job as a gossip columnist with a local animal-run newspaper - raising their son, Ash. Ash is not a problem child, but he is at that awkward age. He wants nothing more than to be a star athlete while sadly lacking the skills required for such.
Visiting the family is Mr. Fox's nephew, Kristofferson (voiced by Eric Anderson). He is a golden boy who can do no wrong. This causes some tension in the family and Ash goes out of his way to make his cousin feel unwelcome.
After Mr. Fox and family move into a new tree, he becomes aware of three huge farms just across the way. The men who run these, Boggis, Bunce and Bean, are each one worse than the other and the temptation proves to be too much for Mr. Fox. He decides to get back in his old business, but just long enough to stick it to these stuffed-shirted humans.
He enlists the help of his friend, Kylie the opossum (voiced by Wally Wolodarsky). Kylie is as timid and sweet as Mr. Fox is flamboyant, and the two make for a classic "Mutt and Jeff" movie duo.
Mr. Fox then brings nephew Kristofferson on board and when son Ash finds out, he's obsessed with joining the burgeoning gang as well.
Mr. Fox's plans are well thought-out and well-executed but don't go unnoticed by Boggis, Bunce and Bean, who begin an all-out war.
In the meantime, Mrs. Fox catches on to what's taking place and demands her husband put it to rest, as he had promised her he would do years before.
In the final act we're treated to an all-out war. Ash and Kristofferson vow to reclaim Mr. Fox's tail and the horrible humans step up their assault using all means available.
Not having kids, it's hard for me to imagine if "Fantastic Mr. Fox" will be engaging to the younger set who have been raised on animation that is much more flashy than the stop motion mode employed here. The dark tone aside, there is also a lot of humor in the film that may be too subtle for a lot of youngsters. But maybe I'm being unfair and underestimating modern kids.
I will say that both the adult and the kid in me enjoyed "Fantastic Mr. Fox" entirely. It's full of wicked wit and whimsy and great acting, and it looks as fantastic as its title character's moniker.
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.
