After a sneak peek from Serious Eats a few months ago, a two thumbs up review from Miss Chau, and a confirmation of George Clooney's involvement, I decided I *had* to see Fantastic Mr. Fox (FMF) this weekend.
Generally-speaking, I've never been that into animation. Thankfully, I've let my guard down with movies like Ratatouille and Up -- and I've been totally impressed. I took another chance with FMF (especially since I haven't liked a Wes Anderson film yet) -- and I wasn't the least bit disappointed!
In terms of animation, this was definitely *not* a Disney/Pixar-type film. It wasn't glossy or refined, or polished to a sheen. However, there was something intensely rustic and endearing about the stop-motion animation -- the way the characters moved and reacted, even the way some characters stayed deadpan the whole time. The level of detail was also quite amazing -- the faces, the costumes, the bristling of hair and whiskers in the wind. If you decide this movie is for you, make sure to look for the zombie possum and the rabid dog. It's all in the eyes.
In comparison to Where the Wild Things Are, which was driven by the characters, FMF was very much driven by the plot, and in a way that could engage both children and adults. Considering that both movies are based on children's books, the plot in FMF moved much quicker and probably did a better job at keeping children's attention. For adults, the plot took enough interesting turns to make you constantly wonder what would happen next. Plus, the characters conveyed wonderfully relatable personalities. Of course, it certainly didn't hurt that George Clooney was the voice of the main character!
As a foodie (and yes, carnivore), my favorite scenes involved lots of hanging meats, as well as chickens being killed and cookies being inhaled cookie-monster-style. If you're at all squeamish about these things, deal with it, because FMF is definitely one to watch.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
www.fantasticmrfoxmovie.com/
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