I am back with another GREAT SELECTION after a bit of a hiatus with an underrated gem that many movie-lovers have heard about but not many people appreciated much to re-visit this film for its animated quirkiness and old-fashioned but clever plot. This movie is totally the opposite to Babe, another movie about animals living on a farm but they are not stealing food or out-smarting the farmers because they are provided for. But, it is a bit similar to the another underrated but fun movie, Chicken Run, except they are not escaping but trying to out-wit the cruel farmers. So, it is almost like a heist movie but the reason is for their lives and the lives of others.
Wes Anderson has built a great resume of quirky but efficient films and I am a fan of many of his works and his best movie is still, for me, Rushmore as the movie combines as it combines comedy and disappointment regarding his academic life and love for a teacher. But, also, it bridges the gap between adolescence and adulthood as to how he views love especially towards the ending as Max Fischer tries to win the widowed teacher's love for his friend, Herman Blume, a sad industrialist. It is my first movie from Anderson that I saw and I absolutely loved it. I'll talk about his style a little later on this in-depth look of this movie but it is a style of quirkiness and filmmaking that works, especially in this movie, that is similar to *brace yourselves* Martin Scorsese's style of filmmaking.
Mr. Fox and his wife, Felicity (voiced by both George Clooney and Meryl Streep respectively), are fox thieves but when they are caged while raiding Berk's Squab Farm, Felicity announces to him that she is pregnant. Felicity pleads with Mr. Fox to get a safer job so they would not put themselves and their future child in jeopardy. Two years later, the Foxes and their son, Ash (voiced by Jason Schwartzmann) are living in a hole.
Fox, who is now a newspaper columnist (a very odd job for a fox but, hey, it's a movie.), has been given advice from Badger (voiced by Bill Murray), his lawyer, regarding the peril of them moving into a certain home in the base of a tree. The tree is located very close to three farmers' facilities who despise the foxes: Walter Boggis, Nathan Bunce and Franklin Bean. It is a dangerous area for the foxes. Once, Felicity's nephew, Kristofferson (voiced by Eric Anderson), moves in with them because his father has double pneumonia, Fox is longing his days as a thief.
Fox, with his help from his friend, Kyle Opossum (voiced by Wallace Wolodarsky), steal produce and poultry from the three farms. The farmers discover this and they concoct a plan to kill Fox. They camp out near his home. While they attempt to kill the Fox unsuccessfully, they know that the foxes have to come to the surface for water and food. The farmers have to settle at the tunnel mouth. It is a challenge for not just the Foxes but for the other animals since their homes are destroyed and they are beginning to starve.
Roald Dahl, the author of Fantastic Mr. Fox, is essentially infamous for movie director trying to tackle on his projects: The Gremlins (still need to see that movie), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (see the 1970s version, not the Tim Burton version), James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, Matilda and most recently, Steven Spielberg tackling The BFG. The latter movie adaptation is a gentle and light film but not one of Spielberg's best. Nevertheless, most directors seem to capture Dahl's imagination and excitement and make it burst on to our screens for us and for children to enjoy. This movie conveys some adrenaline and nostalgia onto our minds with balancing what we and children are thinking about as to how foxes survive and also the story itself. This movie, to use a quirky and palatable term, is a hoot.
The movie's theme is survival as Fox has to overcome his past as he cannot go back into thievery because of his obligations as a father and as a fox with a career. But, his obligation for the second half of the movie is to steal to provide for the animals which sort of turns into a Robin Hood type of tale. Again, the animals have to thrive on as little food as possible because the nefarious farmers are trying to kill the foxes and also the other animals. It is also twists the animated story into a heist or good vs. evil movie once they realize they HAVE to survive and they HAVE to steal. It gets a little fun thanks to Wes Anderson's style.
Wes Anderson did a clever job casting George Clooney as the title character because his suave voice and presence navigates the situation with a bit of frivolity, sarcasm and humor. But, most would look up to him. And it is nice to hear Meryl Streep as his counterpart to communicate with him as she persuades him that Fox's present life is the right life. His usual cast consisting of Schwartzmann, Murray, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe are also fantastic.
Anderson's style works with the stop-motion animation that is almost reminiscent to Babe, Chicken Run and Toy Story and the result is so lively that you will never get bored as to what would happen to these characters that should've been "titled" as "creatures". The production design is fantastic as the animators used miniature trees and sand to make it look alive and it is brilliant. Anderson injects subtle wit, a rhythmic pace and emotion to transcend a children's book into a movie that both adults and children can appreciate. Is it fantastic? Sure, it is.
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