Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) is an incredible stop-motion animation directed by Wes Anderson that is worth revisiting for its focus on the importance of family while capturing Mr. Fox’s clever problem-solving.
This film focuses on Mr. Fox, following him in his attempt to rebel against social normalities and bring adventure into his life. This movie starts with him and his family living a very average life in a hole in the ground, working as a newspaper columnist and making very little income. In an attempt to bring some more excitement into his life, Mr. Fox plans to start stealing from three very powerful farmers.
This film is very visually appealing and uses stop-motion animation to bring life to every detail which allows the viewer to further understand each character and scene. Along with the animation, this movie uses very vibrant colors to add a very natural setting. This setting complements the animals in the movie and allows for a very realistic environment and a very realistic atmosphere.
Although this movie is very short and simple, it displays multiple themes such as the importance of family and embracing uniqueness. Overall, these themes create a very positive and influential atmosphere which allows the viewer to have a deep understanding of each character and understand what they are feeling. Due to this, the audience can reflect on their own lives and relationships while keeping the main themes and characters in mind.
Some viewers may not enjoy this film as much as others, because of the unique style and slow pacing. Although this film is very short, it is not as action-packed as some younger viewers might enjoy. There are some very slow parts of the film that are dedicated to the development of characters and plot. Other viewers might also find the animations and humor very unconventional and different from other films they are used to. For example, in a scene where Mr. Fox is having a conversation with his son, Ash, there’s a slow and meaningful conversation which is not typical for animated movies where there is usually a lot of action.
Another thing that is very different from other movies is the exaggerated scenes that are used to create humor. Much of the plot is very unrealistic and very overly exaggerated in order to highlight the characters’ personalities and how they react to certain situations. One example of exaggeration used is when the animals steal large amounts of food from the farmers, the farmers use very over-the-top methods to capture the animals which is very unrealistic in the real world. This style of humor is very common in Wes Anderson movies like Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
George Clooney plays the main voice role of Mr. Fox and brings humor and wittiness, which really helped build his character. Clooney really showed his interpretation of his character by giving him a confident and clever personality. He delivered his lines in a very adventurous way which allows the viewers to feel his excitement throughout his adventure.
In summary, Fantastic Mr. Fox is an extremely visually appealing movie that includes important characters and storytelling techniques that further the plot. I would recommend this film to all ages because it is very entertaining for younger children who like animals and adventurous characters. This movie is also suitable for older audiences because of the advanced plots and themes hidden throughout which allow for deeper understanding.