
I finally caught this movie a few nights ago. Considering the blend of talent that went into The Fantastic Mr. Fox, there was no doubt in my mind that it would be anything but amazing. Start with Roald Dahl’s quirky fables, well known and loved by all, stir in Wes Anderson’s dark, so-down-to-earth-it’s-below-ground humor, and in my mind you’ve already got a winner. Add in personal heartthrob and Anderson muse Jason Schwartzman, not to mention the omnipotent George Cloony and Meryl Streep. Mix everything up with a touch of the Great One—Bill Murray, of course—and you’ve achieved stop-action animation perfection.
Not only were the writing, animation, and casting spot-on in this one, but Anderson managed to artfully adapt a children’s story into a relevant, semi-adult, semi-dark comedy. Anderson fleshed out the original Mr. Fox story to include a dysfunctional fox family, references to the current housing crisis, and as always, the fat cat farmers hating on everyone. Political commentary, anyone?