But Fox is a wild animal at heart, and soon goes back to his old tricks (“one last big job” which becomes “a triple-header”). They’ve given Fox, first seen listening to The Ballad of Davy Crockett in a set which could easily have come from a 1970s BBC kids TV show, a backstory and taken away three of his Small Foxes: he has sworn off chickens as the movie starts, working instead as a columnist for the local newspaper. When he bares his teeth or shreds his toast it’s worth the price of admission alone.Īnderson and Baumbach have nicely punched out Dahl’s slim tome, effectively completing the adaptation in 50 minutes and moving on to new ground. As for the puppets, Fox himself is indeed fantastic long and lean, standing on tiptoes in his cut-off-trouser-suit and slightly threadbare, he could come from a toy cupboard yet is the perfect incarnation of the Vulpes vulpes who called everyone “darling” in Dahl’s book. If Anderson has a spiritual affinity with Dahl’s written word, he also has a vision of Foxy’s world which recalls Quentin Blake’s illustrations but goes much further it’s this sustained creativeness that sets Fox apart in a similar way to Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit. Results in the UK, where Dahl is required reading, look to be particularly strong, and other European markets should also react warmly, with Asia a slightly more challenging prospect. The jerky stop-motion is challenging eye candy for the mainstream Disney crowd, but Anderson’s inspired nuttiness should find eager young takers. Enchanted adults, particularly those who warmed to Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums or Rushmore, will certainly deliver the director/co-screenwriter (with The Squid and the Whale’s Noah Baumbach) his biggest hit to date.Ĭhildrens’ reactions are less secure and this could work better at the younger and older ends of the spectrum.
The result is a laconic, terribly old-fashioned but fantastically fun stop-motion animation which is an instant high-water benchmark for Dahl fans.Īnderson’s wit proves to be a fizzing match with Dahl’s subversive spirit, but George Clooney, as the titular Foxy, and Meryl Streep as his wife are a vital part of the fusion as well. The spirit of Roald Dahl is writ large across this distinctively dry Wes Anderson adaptation of Fantastic Mr Fox.
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