| 05 March 2010
Yep, I'm definitely a Wes Anderson fan. Rushmore is probably on my top 10 films of all time, and his other films are damn fine flicks, too. I was a little hesitant when I heard that he was making a stop-motion adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, written by Roald Dahl in 1970. I was afraid that an animated film wouldn't accurately portray the tension and distance that Anderson's films so brilliantly capture. Turns out that I had nothing to fear, because once again we're treated to a film that has overwhelmingly more good qualities than bad.
The film follows a fox (voiced by George Clooney) who has given up his trade of chicken stealing to become a family man. It has all the great features of a Wes Anders0n film - an ensemble cast, a flawed protagonist, and charming set pieces - and it's perfectly paced. Don't let the fact that it's an animated film, or that it's based on a Roald Dahl book, lead you to think that this is a children's film; it deals with identity, honesty, and Wes Anderson's favorite theme, existentialism. Choosing Clooney to voice the protagonist was a perfect choice, since there are few actors that can accurately capture that "sly" essence of a fox.
The film itself is beautifully animated in a vintage style, and the 1960s soundtrack really helps it to feel like a period piece. Overall, The Fantastic Mr. Fox is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable film.
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