Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Review

 

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

As requested my buddy Curt, i finally found it on streaming!

Based on the book by Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox is obviously about the exploits of Mr. Fox, who decides to rob the 3 human neighbors Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, thus starting an all-out war between the animals and humans, that only Mr. Fox can make right.

So, there is often a family theme in Wes Anderson’s work, and this was no stranger to that theme. It’s first and foremost about family, impressing them, fighting for them, or simply just caring for them. It makes the relationships in this film so unique to analyze because you have your usual archetypes of the flawless (seeming) dad, the strong mother, the rebellious teen, and the family member that comes in as perfect, much to the dismay of the rebellious teen. And story wise, it hits so many different beats, it’s impossible not to like it; heists, daring escapes, revenge, reverse revenge, a rescue, and the final foiling of the bad guys plan, all done without missing a beat.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also talk about how expertly Wes Anderson style was put to work here, with him setting the tone early with his color scheme of varying degrees of reds, oranges, and yellows, all contrasted with mute, lifeless colors that just make things pop, a trademark of Andersons. Also, the stop-motion, claymation/puppeteering is easily some of the best, making great use of a lost art form in the era of 3D digital animation, which was booming at the time. It’s all meant to have that slightly off, almost corny look to the animation, but it works so so well with the way the film is shot.

The movie also supports a stellar cast including Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Willam Defoe, Eric Chase Anderson, and of course, George Clooney, who’s performance is genuinely one of my personal favorites he’s ever done, with his tone and humor bouncing off everyone perfectly, bringing out the best in the rest of the cast, no matter how minor the role.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a hilarious action comedy, with beautiful themes of family, redemption, and our natural wildness at heart, with it that makes us all so similar but so unique.

9.3/10