Great Fun

Rating: Null/10 (13 February 2011)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Delightful animation movie features stop motion, which has sadly been pretty much forgotten over the years, although a few examples show up every once in a while. The story here concerns a fox (George Clooney) who gets his wife (Meryl Streep), kids and the other animals kicked out of their homes after stealing chickens from a trio of farmers who then decide to take revenge on the animals. After letting everyone down the fox must try and come up with a way to strike back at the farmer and reclaim their land. FANTASTIC MR. FOX is rather refreshing because it's an original film that doesn't try to cater to any certain type of viewer and instead just comes off as a fresh work that can go into any direction it wants without having to play by any sort of rules. Based on a book by Roald Dahl, there's no question that this film isn't going to be for everybody but the story is so good, the visuals terrific and the voice work is downright wonderful and in the end if you're able to accept this type of film then you're going to love it. The visual look of the film is so beautiful that you really just want to pause scenes and gaze at the beauty in them. There are so many terrific looking scenes but one of my favorites is a POV shot of a rabid dog chasing the fox. Another terrific sequence comes when the fox has let everyone down and he stands out in the rain while his wife comes to talk with him. The look of the rain is unlike any visual I've seen in any movie before and it's certainly one I won't forget. The story itself allows for many kid-like qualities but the screenplay makes sure that adults will get the many jokes thrown their way. I really loved how the bad words were covered up by the creatures simply saying cuss and it's easy for the adults to fill in what word was suppose to be there. Clooney has one of the greatest voices out there when it comes to giving off any sort of emotion and I thought he was terrific here. He can do sly and be a smart aleck while at the same time being charming and he brings that to the fox character and makes him quite memorable. The supporting voices include Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe among others. I'm really not sure how many kids will enjoy this thing but those familiar with different types of animation will probably find this to be quite refreshing. Its sense of humor and messages are all very well handled and when you consider the talent and look this is certainly a must-see.