For its style and verve, ten stars plus. For a story line, it could have had more depth

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2013)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
I never would have seen this movie, I think, if it wasn't for "Moonrise Kingdom" which I totally adored. Directed by the same man, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a kind of animated or claymation production with famous actors doing the voices, like "Where the Wild Things Are" or the more animated Pixar and Disney movies.
It's not really quite for children, however. Director Wes Anderson has shown in both movies a sensibility unique in movies. These aren't just a kids cartoon movies with adult overtones (undertones?). But they aren't the sardonic and ironic adult fare sometimes seen in animation, keeping all through a sense of playfulness and innocence. Both movies are consistent, incredibly well designed and filmed, and warm without being sickly sweet.
But my own preference is for the more recent Moonrise Kingdom because that movie used real actors, and had a wilder sense of exploration of the scenery with the camera. There will be equal numbers who prefer "Fantastic Mr. Fox" for exactly the opposite reasons--it's all invented and original, going not only across fun mid-America landscapes but going underground, too. It's endlessly fun. There are villains and heroes. There is a clear sense of right and wrong, of love and even of some kind of character development.
There isn't, for my taste, enough of what you just call plot. Things happen, and it progresses, of course. But it's nothing much to chew on, just further and further escapades escaping the baddies. Fun, yes, but it actually gets tiring, too. When this happens you turn to the set design and the general style, which is worth watching for its own sake. But I still wish there was more. (An example further out-- the first "Monsters Inc." is non-stop interesting and inventive. That's a high standard, but hey.)
The voices here are big names (like George Clooney) but maybe they don't matter so much. It's not like their character, as a human actor, is embedded in the character, at least not much. (This is done more clearly in "Polar Express" where Tom Hanks is kind of evident all along.)
Yeah, enjoy the heck out of this. And you really can let your kids watch it--they'll likely love it. And you might, too.