Let's cut the cuss, one cussing good movie

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2009)

Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of those films that just makes you smile.
Newspaper man Mr. Fox is out to feed his family. Not because he is hungry but simply because he is a wild animal. Wes Anderson's Roald Dahl adaptation is joyous, charming and out right hilarious. There really isn't anything out there to compete with it for your dollars right now.
I made it my mission in elementary school to read every one of Roald Dahl's books. Having read Fantastic Mr. Fox twenty some years ago, I still had a fuzzy idea of the story. The film follows the original quite well. Anderson has expanded the narrative in ways that not only fit his style, but the added character dimensions fit the story perfectly.
The stop-motion animation is a great way for a story like this to be shared with an audience. Computer animation gets better and better every year, but Fantastic Mr. Fox shows there is life left in the hand made process still.
George Cloony has a mischievous luster in the title role opposite Meryl Streep's quiet confidence of his wife. While Bill Murray's Badger and Willem Dafoe's Weasel turn in well honed supporting voices, it is Wallace Wolodarsky's Opossum Kylie who steals the show. I laughed at nearly every one of his lines.
After several half measures and missteps since Royal Tenenbaums (itself a movie that was either obnoxious or brilliant) Wes Anderson has directed something truly great.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a cuss of a good time. When the credits goes down to "Let Her Dance" from the Bobby Fuller Four all I can do is smile.