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  • Writer's pictureJames Rutherford

'Fantastic Mr. Fox': Wes Anderson's Jovial and Inventive Adventure in Stop Motion Animation


Movie poster for the Wes Anderson film Fantastic Mr. Fox

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009) is a light-hearted and clever escapade featuring George Clooney as the voice of the titular omnivore, a newspaper columnist and reformed chicken killer. Delivered in the form of stop-motion animation, the storyline follows the adventures of Mr. Fox as he wages war with a trio of fearsome farmers.


Living inside a tree alongside his wife Felicity (Meryl Streep) and son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), Mr. Fox disregards the dangers of living in close proximity to Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Bunce (Hugo Guinness) and Bean (Helen McCrory). When his nephew Kristofferson Silverfox (Eric Chase Anderson) comes to visit, Mr. Fox is incensed by the young fox's superiority and in his despair, falls back on his old poultry-killing ways. These transgressions illicit the fierce recrimination of his farmer neighbors, setting the stage for a comical tale of pursuit and assailment.


Co-written and directed by Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Grand Budapest Hotel") in adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's book, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a uniquely charming fable. Clooney brings his distinctive charm and wry sensibilities to fore, with support from an eclectic ensemble that includes Bull Murray, Willem Dafoe and Owen Wilson. Wonderfully creative, endearing and highly comical, it's one of Anderson's most impressive career accomplishments.

 

Watch the trailer:


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