FANTASTIC MR. FOX – Reviewed by Alex

I can still recall the resonant voice of Roald Dahl reading aloud his classic children’s book “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” on my oft-played book-on-tape version (yes, I was a cassette-tape-listening child of the 80’s). Since I, at one point, pretty much knew the book by heart, I had to fight hard to avoid stringent comparison of Wes Anderson’s whimsical and quirk-driven interpretation, craftily rendered in clay, to its source material.

Anderson takes characters and basic plot points from the book, deconstructs most of the story, and goes on to create a bona fide “Wes Anderson” film. But the funny thing is, it works. Anderson likes to create precise, contained little dollhouse universes. So stop-action animation may actually be the perfect medium for him. His playful visuals inject a completely new energy into Dahl’s 1970 text. By combining them with a dream team of actors voicing the characters (some newly invented for the film), a harmonious balance between children’s lit classic and 2010 postmodern claymation art film is achieved.

The premise, roughly, is a daredevil cat- er, make that fox-burglar (Mr. Fox, voiced by George Clooney), who targets the creepy and joyless triumvirate of farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean in his larceny, promises his fox-wife (Meryl Streep) he’ll lead a straight-and-narrow life once they have their first kit (Jason Schwartzman, here in all his awkward glory). However, when the opportunity for one last heist presents itself, our Mr. Fox can’t resist starting to scheme. Complicating life for the Fox family is nephew Kristofferson, staying as a guest while his father recovers from pneumonia. Community members including the lawyer Badger (Bill Murray) and the ferret-like Coach Skip (Owen Wilson) make up a background of complex relationships in this world of woodland creatures, who all find they must ultimately depend on each other to survive.

There does seem to be a deeper message about ecology and wildlife conservation in somewhere among the whimsy.  But this is mostly an endearing diversion, with nods to modern-day heist films like, say, Clooney’s past hit Ocean’s 11, as well as claymation classics of yore. All the while, Anderson plays with his storytelling in both method and form, ending up with something that feels fresh and original, while retaining the nostalgic details that make the story so enduring. The animals are bestowed with blends of distinct human and animal characteristics and mannerisms, and the look of both the characters and the settings is fun and intriguing. There have been many Roald Dahl adaptations that missed the mark a bit (not counting The Witches and the 1970’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), but Anderson demonstrates that a film adaptation can be successful if it incorporates its own unique and thoughtful ideas. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Animation/Adventure/Comedy/Family

Rated PG

DVD Release Date: 3/23/10