Saturday, December 12, 2009

Fantastic Mr. Fox


Simply delightful.

Wes Anderson has crafted a wonderful stop motion animated film for children of all ages. His cast of vocal talent couldn't be any better. George Clooney is the dashing Mr. Fox. Meryl Streep holds it altogether as Mrs. Fox. Jason Schwartzman is their odd son Ash and Bill Murray is Weasel, the lawyer. And as the lead villain, Michael Gambon is perfection.

The visuals are amazing. Animating the puppets for stop motion is painstakingly slow work but it pays off in a big way. It's familiar and yet totally original at the same time. The story is a simple tale but the dialog is subtly subversive and adult. The film will surprise you. And it's got a great eclectic soundtrack as well.

It's impossible not to like this film. Try to see it on a big screen before it disappears but if you miss it, grab the DVD when it comes out.

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