Fantastic Mr. Fox features Mr. Fox and his family - wife, son and nephew - along with some of his other animal friends as they live their quaint lives. But one day, Mr. Fox decides to give into his beast-like instincts and his mischief gets the entire animal community in danger. As their human neighbors, Boggis, Bunce and Bean - some of the nastiest farmers in the area - threaten their lives, they have to work together to overcome and beat their enemies.
Okay, so you're a fan of Disney/Pixar and all the classic stories they've brought us over the years; or, you love the different atmosphere that Hayao Miyazaki's masterpieces provide. But behind Aladdin, Toy Story or Howl's Moving Castle, there is this hidden gem brought to us by Wes Anderson.
If you've seen a Wes Anderson film before (his most recent and famous one being Grand Budapest Hotel), you'll understand when I say that his style is quite unique. The characters have a quirky side, the story is a bit absurd, and not everything goes as you'd expect. Now, this could mean good or bad. I'll be honest, I didn't really enjoy Moonrise Kingdom... it didn't quite work for me. But for Fantastic Mr. Fox (and Grand Budapest Hotel), his style worked perfectly.
The animation isn't the clean-crisp CGI animation you're used to but rather a claymation-like(?), stop-motion picture, but it somehow makes it more likable. The premise is very easy - animals fighting against humans, and from here, you know that the plot isn't going to be the most realistic. As I've said, Anderson's stories are a little ridiculous and maybe even silly, and you can see how that works so well with this movie. You may argue that the story is too simple or childish, but I think it embraces that and uses it to its advantage to create a marvelous story. The voice acting, the music, ... they're all great.
I've skipped analysis of other aspects to examine its biggest strength: characters. I can state without a doubt that of all the movies I've seen, Fantastic Mr. Fox has one of the best characters. They really make the movie fantastic. Mr. Fox's dominant personality and battle with his instincts, Mrs. Fox's quiet yet strict ways, Ash's constant jealousy and grumpy mood, Kristofferson's peaceful charm and meditations, Rat's flirty meanness, ... The list could go on. Even the main villains are not all the same boring character. They each have their own story, diet, and personality. Of course, the interaction among them is almost flawless as well, being genuine but also humorous at a lot of times.
However, there is another layer to these characters. What makes this movie stand out from the rest is that they have subtle traits and (maybe not so subtle) habits, which really sell them as more than just animals (or humans) on a screen. The most obvious one is Mr. Fox's whistle-snap repertoire (which is honestly pretty contagious) and he does it very often in the movie. Other ones include Ash's ears fluttering when he's mad, the hand motions that always accompany the phrase "just... different," the way Mr. Fox eats his pancakes like a true animal, Kylie's zoning out, or "what the cuss!". None of these details are really 'necessary' to the story, but they make the characters all the more believable.
There are countless other marvelous tidbits that I didn't mention here - you'll just have to experience it yourself! If you've been judging this movie as merely a children's source of enjoyment, you'll be surprised to discover one of the most unique, memorable animated movies of all time. (But if you have seen it and didn't enjoy it, that's okay - I guess Wes Anderson is not for everyone.)
10/10 - A truly fantastic movie.
"Boggis, Bunce, and Bean,
One fat, one short, one lean,
Those horrible crooks,
So different in looks,
Were nonetheless equally mean."
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