Film Review : The Fantastic Mr Fox

The world is made up of two types of people or, at least, two types of film fan. Those who "get" Wes Anderson and love his films and those who most certainly don't and who would rather watch X-Factor than suffer one of his films. (Mind you, that does suggest that a very large number of people form the latter category!). I fall into the former category although it would be fair to say that there's a sameness to his movies that has the potential to pall somewhat. (And that might be aimed at you, Jason Schwartzman!).

This films marks something of a break with his other movies in that whilst featuring many of his regular ensemble, the principle parts of Mr and Mrs Fox are voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep respectively. The other significant break is indicated by the use of the term "voiced" - this is an animated feature. Not just any old animated feature, mind you. In an era of photo-realistic digital extravaganzas, The Fantastic Mr Fox is made using good old-fashioned stop-motion animation which gives it a unique style amongst its' peers.

Ironically, this does provide something of a hurdle for the viewer - well, it did for me! - as we are now so used to the latest technologies lighting up our screens that the decidedly old school feel of the visuals take a while to settle in. That they do is as a result of the tale based on Roald Dahl's book which like all of his work reveals a more challenging world than the apparently childlike veneer.

The titular character is a charming and over-confident fox whose bravado sets his family and their community at peril to local farmers who seek to rid themselves of the pests who are ruining their business. Being a Wes Anderson movie, the family and other members of the community are an angst-riddled bunch whose various foibles both assist and restrain Mr Fox in his endeavours to defeat his foes.

Clooney is his usual charming, debonair self as Mr Fox, whilst Meryl Streep plays his loving but long-suffering wife to perfection. With a certain air of predictability, the aforementioned Mr Schwartzman plays the young Fox, and the playing out of his issues with both family and friends forms the moral core of this tale.

It's worth pointing out this isn't really a children's movie - there's nothing inherently problematic about the film being seen by youngsters, but it does play as reasonably hard-core Anderson may make it a little incomprehensible to some. Indeed, that may make it incomprehensible to some adults as well, but that's why I like his movies.

This is an extremely enjoyable movie, and one that I hope will allow Anderson himself to recharge his creative batteries after The Darjeeling Limited which I thought was little disappointing and showed him to be in danger of parodying himself.