8) Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Director: Wes Anderson

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


For my first outing to the cinemas this year I decided to see Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. It had been one that Kate and I (and my brother Lachlan) were keen to see and looked to be quickly coming to the end of its run so we thought we’d better get in before it was too late.

Based on the children’s book by Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of Mr. Fox’s effort to save his community from the farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean, who are hell bent on his destruction after he masterminded the robbery of their respective farms.
This was an excellent film, but I don’t think it will do as well as it deserves, as I think it’ll struggle to find its audience (as is evidenced by the pace at which it is disappearing from cinemas). Kids will find it enjoyable enough, but really the comedy in this film is targeted at adults, who of course will not go and see it thinking that it is a kids’ film.

This is a Wes Anderson film much more than it is a Roald Dahl film. The headliners, Clooney and Streep, are supported by a number of regulars from Anderson’s films like Schwartzman (especially funny as Mr. Fox’s son, Skip), Murray and Wilson. Surrounding himself with this familiar cast means that Anderson is able to create much the same quirky, dry comic tone that we have come to expect from Anderson comedies (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums).

The one thing which I did find became a bit grating in this film was the use of the word “cuss” in a thinly veiled attempt to cover up what would otherwise have been quite excessive swearing. “Are you cussing with me?,” “You little cuss,” “Cuss yeah,” “We’ve cussed this up,” “What a clustercuss of a situation” and on it goes. While they don’t actually drop an f-bomb at any point during the film, the effect is the same and for a film which is likely to get a family audience it is just unnecessary.

This film is an unfortunately hidden treasure. Were it not for the outright brilliance of Pixar’s Up, it may have even stolen a Best Animated Feature Oscar.