I don’t think there is a single book written by Roald Dahl that I didn’t enjoy. Each one saw me embarking
on a magical journey where I spent hours with crazy characters on their wild adventures.
Fantastic Mr Fox is no exception. So I was quite excited when I heard that my favourite mischievous fox was going to be brought to life on the big screen.
I don’t think there is a single book written by Roald Dahl that I didn’t enjoy. Each one saw me embarking
on a magical journey where I spent hours with crazy characters on their wild adventures.
Fantastic Mr Fox is no exception. So I was quite excited when I heard that my favourite mischievous fox was going to be brought to life on the big screen.
Wes Anderson, the director of The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited, tried his hand at something new and he wrote an adaptation of the popular story, created a quirky and surprising stop-motion animation.
Mr Fox with the voice of the ever-smooth Academy Award winner, George Clooney gives up his rather dangerous job of stealing chickens after his wife, Mrs Fox brought to life by the ever-enthralling Academy Award Winner, Meryl Streep pleads for a safer life upon discovering she is pregnant with their first cub.
Mr Fox agrees and soon the family lives out of harm’s way while he takes a job as a newspaper columnist. However, he soon finds that this kind of life is not for him and persuades his family to move to a home under the roots of a beech tree.
Soon Mr Fox returns to his old ways of poaching chickens from three wealthy farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean, which ultimately leads him to a great deal of trouble.
This is the eighth Roald Dahl classic to be converted into an hour or so of artful fun, and like all the others, Fantastic Mr Fox is not short of colourful magic and enchanting characters.
But besides stealing chickens and dodging scary humans, this story is a heart-warming lesson on the value of family and friendship, sacrifice and even the compromises of marriage, which makes this an animation that can truly bridge the gap between adults and kids.
Evidently animated movies just get stronger every year. This one received two nods at the 2010 Critics Choice Awards earlier this year including Best Animated Feature and was nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Awards, again for Best Animated Feature. But it’s so much more than just an animated feature.
Discreet humour, hints of unexpected darkness, an intriguing soundtrack that includes The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones, and tiny details like Mr Fox’s trademark whistle with a click (it will make more sense once you watch the movie), makes this a gem of a film.
So do yourself a favour and treat the family to a smart, entertaining and a somewhat different animation. As Mrs Fox says, “I know what it’s like to be different – we all are, but there’s something kinda fantastic about that, isn’t there?”
