Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009
Directed by Wes Anderson

I've been highly anticipating Wes Anderson's screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox ever since I saw the first preview several months ago. Not only was it not a disappointment, it verily surpassed expectations.

Mr. Fox is something of a gentleman thief, stealing chickens from nearby farms with his wife, until they get busted. After having a child, Mrs. Fox forces her husband to leave his criminal past behind him and to seek legal employment. But the incorrigible Mr. Fox misses his old life of derring-do and falls off the wagon, with the help of his vacant and reluctant landlord. But he messes with the wrong farmers, and they aim to strike back with a vengeance.

I never read the book, unfortunately, but this movie has Anderson's fingerprints all over it. I read that it was originally supposed to be co-directed by The Nightmare Before Christmas animator Henry Selick, but he was tied up with Coraline. This left Anderson to his own devices. About the only thing I was worried about was that he might lay a big hipster boot-print on the face of Dahl's own comedic sensibilities - but apparently Anderson is a big Roald Dahl fan, and it seems to me that he didn't want to mess too much with a good thing. The result is that all the best elements of Anderson's wry, clever comedic touch are infused into an already hilarious story. I remember seeing Anderson's The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou with my girlfriend, and we were frequently the only people laughing in a packed theatre. His frequently deadpan writing style and love of awkward moments definitely seems to alienate mainstream audiences, but I think that I can safely say that there is nothing alienating about Mr. Fox.


Another thing I've come to expect from and love about Anderson's work is his great attention to detail. Set design, wardrobe, lighting, even colour coordination are always hallmarks in his films, making them eminently watchable even when nothing much is happening. Having more or less free reign on Mr. Fox certainly seems to have brought out the best; I've never seen stop-motion animation quite like it. Used to the rougher style of Ray Harryhausen, the otherworldy stylings of Henry Selick, or the cartoonish "Wallace and Grommit" (all excellent in their own way), I was surprised at how organic everything looked in Mr. Fox. From the models for Mr. Fox and his cohorts, to the fabrics and other materials for the clothing and set pieces, everything looks great and surprisingly legit as well - tiny utensils, room decorations, paintings, furniture, carpets, floral arrangements, even some pretty hilarious "bandit hats".

The voice-acting is tops. George Clooney plays the dashing Mr. Fox with egomaniacal vigour. The supporting cast including Meryl Streep, Willem Dafoe, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon - I could go on - are excellent. The dialogue is often quite low-key and dignified, a comedic device Anderson employs in much of his work, but equal kudos to the cast for not overdoing things. It is, after all, a story about a gentleman fox; over-the-top emoting a la Jim Carrey would not suit this material.

So. Mr. Fox is probably not a loyal transcription of Dahl's original story. Some serious daddy issues, goofy existentialism, yoga, a knife-wielding rat - I kinda doubt this was all in the book. Some people want nothing less than complete faithfulness in a movie adaptation. I don't really see the point; why bother to watch the film then, if you have the book and they're both the same? For my money, I was totally satisfied. More than. Don't believe the naysayers. This is not a beloved children's story being ruined by hipster posteuring. It's a wildly successful meeting of two talented humourists, and a brilliant film by any standard. And yet... somehow I get the feeling that the box-office will not be kind to Fantastic Mr. Fox. It's a cussing shame.

9.7