Fantastic Mr. Fox (B or 3/4 stars)
I've really liked Wes Anderson films over the years (Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic, Darjeeling Limited); though, they do tend to fall on the pretentious side, at times. Heck, there's a bit of that floundering around his latest film, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', a stop-motion animated film, as well. And though this is a Roald Dahl adaptation (with lines like, "Boggis & Bunce & Bean, One short, one fat, one lean. These horrible crooks, so different in looks, were nonetheless equally mean."), the film is geared more towards adults than children. Overall, I liked this film quite, a bit. The voice acting is solid, the animation is REALLY cool, & Anderson's quirky, witty dialogue flows well in the animated medium. That said, at 80 min., I could barely take it anymore and was glad that it ended when it did.
Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney), who'd like to consider himself 'fantastic', is a sly ex-thief who now earns his living as a local newspaper columnist. Bored as Hell, he decides to borrow some $$, buy a house in a tree (they'd been living in a fox hole, obviously) & continue to support his family; wife, Felicity (Meryl Streep), & their small, un-self-assured son, Ash (Wes Anderson regular, Jason Schwartzman). The household is soon joined by Mr. Fox's nephew, Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), who's visiting them while his father recovers from double pneumonia. Kristofferson is good at everything. So tension exists btwn. he & his cousin, Ash. The tree house is close to the farms of Boggis, Bunce & Bean. And the thought of stealing chickens, geese, ducks & alcoholic cider (guarded by Bean the Rat, voiced by Willem Dafoe) from these 3 nasty old geezers proves too tempting for Mr. Fox to ignore.
After being caught 12 yrs. ago trying to steal squab, Mr. Fox had promised Felicity that he'd never steal again. But promises are sometimes broken. And it's hard to suppress a fox's wild instincts. So, with his faithful sidekick on hand, Kylie the opossum, he Mr. Fox's raid is a success. But the eclectic farmers are absolutely furious, & decide to use every means possible (starvation, bulldozers) to remove and/or extinguish Mr. Fox, his family, & friends (rabbits, weasels, badgers, & otters) from their spot of land. Everything culminates in a Western-style shoot-out where all the animals band together to fight the evil farmers; & the fates of all parties are determined by the burgeoning heroism & strength of young, Ash.
'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is a interesting tale; not quite sure what it's necessarily about (if anything at all) - but I'll take a stab. It's basically about family responsibilities. It's about forging friendships. And it's a mild adventure story. As mentioned, the old-school handcrafted animation is a marvel (the design of the animals, their clothes, the storybook interiors of their home, the herky-jerkiness of motion that matches whatever they're saying at the moment, etc.). This film is quite humorous; in a subtle, deadpan sort of way. And the fact that it's animated helps numb some of the minor mean-spiritedness of the plot points. There's a precociousness to the proceedings (no surprise, given the director). But I kinda dug it.
Clooney infuses charisma & even some self-deprecation. Meryl Streep is enjoyably dry. Jason Schwartzman is the perfect fit for milquetoast Ash. And Michael Gambon lends his unusual baritone to Farmer Bean. While I definitely enjoyed myself watching this film, I wish it would have focused more on the family unit rather than the protracted, dull 'adventure' that takes up the last 30 min. or so. The action sequences are not overly involving. The whimsy & dry humor dissipates. And I missed the interactions btwn. the cool Fox family within the confines of their home (there's a distinct Royal Tenenbaums-ness about them that is quite liked). Overall, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is a small, charming, witty film that - while adults will appreciate it more - kids should get a kick out of, too.
Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney), who'd like to consider himself 'fantastic', is a sly ex-thief who now earns his living as a local newspaper columnist. Bored as Hell, he decides to borrow some $$, buy a house in a tree (they'd been living in a fox hole, obviously) & continue to support his family; wife, Felicity (Meryl Streep), & their small, un-self-assured son, Ash (Wes Anderson regular, Jason Schwartzman). The household is soon joined by Mr. Fox's nephew, Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), who's visiting them while his father recovers from double pneumonia. Kristofferson is good at everything. So tension exists btwn. he & his cousin, Ash. The tree house is close to the farms of Boggis, Bunce & Bean. And the thought of stealing chickens, geese, ducks & alcoholic cider (guarded by Bean the Rat, voiced by Willem Dafoe) from these 3 nasty old geezers proves too tempting for Mr. Fox to ignore.
After being caught 12 yrs. ago trying to steal squab, Mr. Fox had promised Felicity that he'd never steal again. But promises are sometimes broken. And it's hard to suppress a fox's wild instincts. So, with his faithful sidekick on hand, Kylie the opossum, he Mr. Fox's raid is a success. But the eclectic farmers are absolutely furious, & decide to use every means possible (starvation, bulldozers) to remove and/or extinguish Mr. Fox, his family, & friends (rabbits, weasels, badgers, & otters) from their spot of land. Everything culminates in a Western-style shoot-out where all the animals band together to fight the evil farmers; & the fates of all parties are determined by the burgeoning heroism & strength of young, Ash.
'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is a interesting tale; not quite sure what it's necessarily about (if anything at all) - but I'll take a stab. It's basically about family responsibilities. It's about forging friendships. And it's a mild adventure story. As mentioned, the old-school handcrafted animation is a marvel (the design of the animals, their clothes, the storybook interiors of their home, the herky-jerkiness of motion that matches whatever they're saying at the moment, etc.). This film is quite humorous; in a subtle, deadpan sort of way. And the fact that it's animated helps numb some of the minor mean-spiritedness of the plot points. There's a precociousness to the proceedings (no surprise, given the director). But I kinda dug it.
Clooney infuses charisma & even some self-deprecation. Meryl Streep is enjoyably dry. Jason Schwartzman is the perfect fit for milquetoast Ash. And Michael Gambon lends his unusual baritone to Farmer Bean. While I definitely enjoyed myself watching this film, I wish it would have focused more on the family unit rather than the protracted, dull 'adventure' that takes up the last 30 min. or so. The action sequences are not overly involving. The whimsy & dry humor dissipates. And I missed the interactions btwn. the cool Fox family within the confines of their home (there's a distinct Royal Tenenbaums-ness about them that is quite liked). Overall, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is a small, charming, witty film that - while adults will appreciate it more - kids should get a kick out of, too.