And so it begins.
Mr. Fox, voiced by George Clooney, decides to go on one last heist to get chickens, apple cider, and other such things from three infamous farmers because he feels worthless, being in the middle of a mid-life crisis. He wants to steal things because it brings him back to his former life, when he worked as someone who stole chickens for a living. Kylie, his absent-minded friend accompanies him on this adventure, and as they leave each farm with more than enough food the meanest farmers in town get upset. They then started to seek revenge, having the goal of killing Mr. Fox and his family.
Ronald Dahl, the author of the book Fantastic Mr. Fox, is what this movie is based on. The book exuded elements of Dahl’s personal life, and Wes Anderson, the director of this film, included those same details in the movie, right down to the exact furniture that was in Dahl’s own home. The characters were made out of real animal hair and everything in the movie was made by hand and placed in the perfect position to get the exact scene that was desired. This movie was inviting and personal, exuding warmth and character.
Anderson did things that other directors would shy from when making an animated film. The fact that he used the immense and time-consuming task of stop motion animation shows that fact alone. This technique involves taking pictures of a character in one position, then moving them into another, taking a picture again to get them to dance, walk, or talk. It is then put together into one seamless scene, resulting in a couple thousand pictures when the film is finished. That alone, makes this film a marvel to watch.
The plot, which was innocent enough, made it a true kid’s film. The characters were cute, and likeable. Ash, Mr. and Mrs. Fox’s son, along with Kristofferson, Ash’s cousin, both added the important element of eccentric and idiosyncratic characters that every children’s and family film has to have. While other characters like Mrs. Fox and Badger added the serious element that didn’t make the film a complete joke.
The film is fantastic, and should be watched by all.
