An enjoyable adaptation with a good plot, quirky humour and excellent casting.

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2014)

From the very moment this movie begins, you immediately know it's a Wes Anderson movie: his fingerprints are all over it. Indeed, before it is even an adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic it's a Wes Anderson movie - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, what would be the point in making the film be exactly the same in style and tone as the book? The book is already marvellous in its own right, and it already exists so you could just go and read it. Both the book and the film deserve to be experienced (because the film is an adaptation, not a copy.)
The movie is a stop-motion animation following the exploits of Mr.Fox, a retired chicken thief who now writes for a local newspaper after having a child. However, when he moves into a tree that just so happens to be across from three mean farmers, Mr.Fox can't help but get back into the game. The story mostly sticks to the plot of the book, but it does deviate slightly by adding in a few scenes before his retirement and by altering the ending. It also replaces his three children with Ash (Mr.Fox's son) and Kristoferson (Mr.Fox's Nephew) and places more emphasis on his relationship with his wife, Mrs.Fox. I don't mind the changes, however, as I feel that they do make for a more entertaining and fleshed out movie.
The cast is comprised of a few acting heavyweights; most notably George Clooney as Mr.Fox, Meryl Streep as Mrs.Fox, Michael Gambon as Bean and Bill Murray as Badger. Also joining the cast in much smaller roles (for only one or two scenes) are Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Adrien Brody. The cast help bring realism to the characters, and it's amusing to see animals hold human conversations. I have no complaints with any of the casting choices, as they all match their characters perfectly.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is filled with tiny little details that are barely noticeable but make the film unique and really show how hard the animators worked to bring this world to life. The stop motion looks choppy, but that is intentional as the film was shot in 12 frames per second instead of the standard 24. I especially liked the running gag where every expletive was replaced with the word 'cuss', so phrases like "you scared the cuss out of us!" were both common and amusing.
Overall, the movie was an enjoyable animation with a good plot, quirky humour and excellent casting. It's certainly a Wes Anderson movie, despite its animated nature. 7/10