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Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009

After a string of brilliant comedies (The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums etc) director Wes Anderson, for his fifth film, now turns his hand to this stop-motion animation take on a classic Roald Dahl book. George Clooney's honey and gravel tones bring to life the wily hero who must evade the clutches of three dastardly farmers in order to provide food for his furry family - and loses his tail in the process.

Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep, plus Anderson regulars Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray are also among those providing voices - recorded not in a studio but on location for extra spontaneity. With a script by Anderson and The Squid And The Whale's Noah Baumbach, plus music by ex-Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, hold on to your hats.

Read our Fantastic Mr Fox feature: Flicks is at the London Film Festival for a sneak peak and chat with the cast.

Starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Chase Anderson, Wallace Wolodarsky, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker

Directed by Wes Anderson ('The Darjeeling Limited', 'The Life Aquatic', 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'Rushmore', 'Bottle Rocket')

Written by Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach (based on the book by Roald Dahl)

Family, Comedy, Animated, Adaptation | 1hr 27mins | Rated (PG) | contains coarse language | Origin: USA | Official Site »

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The Talk

2 votes / 1 comments

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  • Sam R.

    "No, you're not. You're disloyal." Great line.

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Flicks review

  •  5

    Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz

    Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz

    Flicks Writer

    A work from one of Britain’s most loved authors finds itself in the hands of American indie auteur Wes Anderson, best known for his arch and perfectionist takes on eccentric schemers and fractured family dynamics. Couldn’t be a better match, really, for this wry and charming animated flick about a self-absorbed fox with self-esteem issues and a misunderstood son.

    This autumn-hued family film will be appreciated as much by adults as their offspring. Voiced by masters of dead-pan (George Clooney, Jason Schwartman, Bill Murray, among others), the humour is gently understated and occasionally loopy.

    It’s Anderson’s personal touches that make all the difference. His attention to detail is extraordinary and a strict insistence on keeping the old-school stop-motion techniques means that clouds of smoke are made of cotton wool and water is merely cellophane. You can even see the fur bristling on the animals’ faces thanks to the animators’ fingers.

    As per usual, Anderson peppers the soundtrack with classic pop songs, including The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones. Brit rocker Jarvis Cocker even makes an appearance, as a songwriter called Petey.

    Fantastic Mr. Fox is a film that will grow on you after viewing. Containing everything from mundane minutiae to sublime epiphany (the Zissou-type moment with the wolf at the end), it’s a film where tender care and the joy of creation shows in every frame. Literally.

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The people's reviews

42 reviews

  • It just wasn't right...

     3

    AaronG

    Nobody (?)

    Too much corny and almost adult humour that ruined this take on the beloved children's book.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Wes Anderson's masterpiece. A true gem!

     5

    Allo2JasonIsaacs

    A-Lister (?)

    A richly detailed, enchanting and utterly charming movie brimming full of beauty and wit. My young children adored this movie and watched it repeatedly until they could recite the dialogue from memory. A joy to watch from beginning to end, Wes Anderson has produced his masterpiece - a creation of lovely comic wisdom.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • FANTASTIC WAS FANTASTIC MR FOX!!!!!!!!!!!

     5

    GENOVEVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Nobody (?)

    FANTASTIC IS THE ONLY WAY I COULD DESCRIBE THIS MOVIE
    COMEDY,FAMILY,HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND CHILDREN ARE JUST SOME OF THE CATEGORIES THAT FANTASTIC MR FOX MIGHT BE PUT IN WHEN IT COMES OUT ON DVD .
    WELL WORTH WATCHING AND YOU ARE GETTING GREAT VALUE WITH YOUR MONEY
    A GREAT RE-TELL OF JUST ONE ROALD DAHLS FANTASTIC STORYS!

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Brilliant

     5

    Michael7

    Nobody (?)

    Probably the smartest, funniest and most charming movie I've seen since cannot remember when! Totally unexpected great surprise.

    Whistle/Click - out...

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  • Yay.

     5

    steveisatree

    Superstar (?)

    Fantastic Mr. Fox, is well, fantastic! 9/10... Watched it with a smile of joy throughout the whole film.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Fantastic Mr Fox, a cussing good flick

     5

    Jaq

    Nobody (?)

    Saw the movie with Him indoors and Misses 7 & 8. A very funny movie, enjoyed by all ages. Misses 7 & 8 did note that it .."wasnt much like the book, but was really good"

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  • Brilliant movie

     5

    Willow_Johnson

    B-Grader (?)

    I loved it and this is definitely going on my favourite films of the year list. Full of laughs and quirkiness I'd highly recommend for adults and children alike!

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Great movie for all ages, we will see this again

     4

    Belinda

    Nobody (?)

    About 20 minutes into this movie I started getting worried, because I was enjoying it so much, and thought it couldn't possibly be so fantastic all the way through. It did lull a little, but only because of the extremely high benchmark at the start.
    My 9 year old son declared this "His favourite movie of all time", and he has seen them all! And my 10 year old daughter gave it 8/10.
    We all enjoyed it so much we are are going to see it again.
    Highly recommended for all the family.
    Thank-you Flicks for this opportunity.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • A Cussing Good Film

     4

    Andy-Johnson

    Nobody (?)

    I’ve been looking forward to this since the closing credits to The Darjeeling Limited. I have to admit I was sceptical at first – Anderson has such a trademark visual style, how would this translate into a stop-motion animation adaptation of a Roald Dahl children’s book? The answer is ‘very well’.

    You have to bear in mind however, that this is a children’s film. There’s enough adult humour to keep people as interested as they would be in a Pixar film – but it’s a film for kids all the same. In fact, to give it very loose description I’d have to say it was somewhere close to Pixar meets Wallace & Gromit. Where Nick Park’s animation bears the thumb prints of its animators, Anderson’s team is far more precise. The animation on the human characters is sometimes better than the animals (take note, Pixar), with one very noteworthy effect being the cigarette flare on Farmer Bean’s darkened face during one the films more suspenseful sequences.

    This marks the second of Anderson’s films not to be scored by Mark Mothersbaugh. You wouldn’t notice however - Alexandre Desplat’s score is very similar to what we have heard before on Rushmore, ...Tennebaums and The Life Aquatic, although not as rooted in classical as the heart of those scores. Still, we get some nice contemporary songs to give the film some pep where it needs it (The Rolling Stones’ Street Fighting Man has been long-overdue a revival) and it’s nice to get back to a fully Westernized soundtrack after the Eastern core of The Darjeeling Limited.

    As for the players, with the exception of George Clooney and Merryl Streep, the film is nicely made up of ex-Anderson alumni, with Jason Schwartzman, Michael Gambon and Bill Murray all taking key roles; and Brian Cox, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe appearing in nice cameos.

    If Anderson has done nothing more, he has created a piece of work reminiscent of the quality of such films as the Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) or golden-era Disney, with enough humour and references to keep the whole family happy. At the end of the day, it’s a cussing good film.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Dig that Movie

     4

    Alexis-Jackson

    A-Lister (?)

    I found Fantastic Mr Fox thoroughly charming. It was quirky, funny, and whatever Roald Dahl, or Wes Anderson were smoking- it worked.

    Agree? Disagree?...

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Press Reviews

  • Empire (UK)

     4

    Genuinely original: a silly, hilarious and oddly profound adaptation for adult-sized children
    Read full review

  • Hollywood Reporter

    Anderson has created a world as stylized and inventive as anything he's done... "Fox" is a visual delight.
    Read full review

  • NZ Herald (Francesca Rudkin)

     4

    A wonderfully imagined and executed retelling of this well-known story.
    Read full review

  • Rolling Stone (USA)

    An adventure in pure imagination that plays to the smart kid in all of us.
    Read full review

  • Total Film (UK)

     3

    It may not amount to much, but what to expect from a book about a thieving fox? Beautifully realised, it’s the Anderson movie that will leave you with a smile on your face.
    Read full review

  • TV3 (Kate Rodger)

     5

    Already up for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and I would bet this week’s pocket money an Oscar nod won’t be far away, this Fantastic Mr Fox is a delight from go to woah and a must see.
    Read full review

  • Variety (USA)

    The film's style, paradoxically both precious and rough-hewn, positions this as the season's defiantly anti-CGI toon, and its retro charms will likely appeal more strongly to grown-ups than to moppets; it's a picture for people who would rather drive a 1953 Jaguar XK 120 than a new one.
    Read full review

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