Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The first movie review begins with Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name.

I will not talk too much about the plot so as to spoil it. The film starts with squab farm raiders, Mr. and Mrs. Fox. They decide to settle down and focus on having a family, so Mr. Fox becomes a writer for the local newspaper. Mrs. Fox is proud of her changed husband, but he feels unfulfilled and restless and slips back into his animal instincts, endangering his family and community.

It is incredible that, despite being a stop-motion movie, Wes Anderson keeps his artistic style in Fantastic Mr. Fox. If you are familiar with his films, you probably know them: the quick camera pans, the distinguished color palette, the scenes’ symmetry, the dry humor. There’s a certain energy that is consistent in Anderson’s works, like a compelling vision and confidence in what he does, that makes his movies feel lively even though they can be fairly dark.

The movie is a work of art, the cinematography is beautiful, and the voice acting is excellent. The film feels like it’s aimed at adults but can also be enjoyed by children (I’d say the opposite is true for Pixar/Dreamwork works). The story is charming and full of humor and wit — a scene comes to mind, where Coach Skip, an albino river otter voiced by Owen Wilson, explains the intricate sport of whack-bat (looks like cricket?).

I highly recommend you watch it if you haven’t. Anderson is currently producing a second stop-motion film, Isle of Dogs.