I just got back from The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl which I read as a child. I’m sure most people here have probably seen previews for this film; it has a very interesting aesthetic. I’m not sure exactly how it was filmed, but it is certainly very different from the typical animated film. I feel like I’ve seen something else in this distinctive style before but I can’t quite say what it was.
The color palette of the movie is very “earthy,” like something from a Gainsborough painting. A very distinctive look.
I really like the fact that they had the love theme from Disney’s Robin Hood in the background during one of the early scenes. That was a great little nod to the classic film and a bit of nostalgia for those who grew up watching it.
I didn’t like the script so much, though. The whole time I was watching it, I thought to myself, “this is like one of those stupid hipster movies by Wes Anderson that always have Jason Schwartzman in them.” I had absolutely no idea that the film was, in fact, by Wes Anderson, and that Jason Schwartzman does one of the voices, until the end credits. I thought the dialog was just suffocatingly “hip” and filled with so much “dry wit” and irony that it felt kind of forced, like it was blindingly obvious that they were trying to appeal to the hipster indie rocker Wes Anderson watching demographic as well as little kids and people who had read the book when they were young. I’m not a fan of that kind of humor at all. Noah Baumbach also co-wrote the movie - the guy who did The Squid and The Whale, a film which, for me, is emblematic of this new genre of hipster films involving upper-middle-class, slightly dysfunctional families with intellectual-academic parents and hipster kids. What can I say, I think the whole thing is getting trite.
Nevertheless I still liked Fox. On aesthetics alone I would give it a 9 out of 10.
I’ve not seen it, Mrs. Plant refuses to go, but I heard an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air. It was filmed with stop animation, where they move puppets a frame of film at a time.
Oh good. Generally when people complain about a movie being too ironic and witty, that means I’ll love it. I love the quirky shit. I suppose you hated I Heart Huckabees too.
When I saw they were making this movie, I almost fell out of my chair. I used to read the books all the time as a little kid and I had no idea anyone else was aware they existed (indeed, most of the people I know have never read the books.)
When I saw it was directed by Wes Anderson, one of my favorite directors, well, that settled it. We plan to go today.
It was amazing to hear Heroes and Villains at the beginning of the film during the scene with Fox and his wife. As soon as that happened, I was thinking, “this is the best movie ever.” I wasn’t able, unfortunately, to maintain that level of excitement throughout the whole movie, but that particular moment was great.
Loved it. But I’m a Wes Anderson fan (The Royal Tenenbaums is possibly my favorite film of all time). I’m one of those who never had heard of the book - in fact, until the opening credits still didn’t know of it. Also didn’t catch the Robin Hood theme.
The kids in the theater all seemed enthralled.* I think the reviewer in Newsday said it best
*indlucding Ben Stiller’s kids, who were there with mom and dad
We saw it on Friday, and found it delightful. Visually, it was a lot of fun, and makes me think I need to see it again so I can catch what I missed the first time.
I loved the whole “cuss” thing, especially “clustercuss”. The random silliness of it made me giggle.
That being said, I did find myself occasionally thinking that the quirkiness is a little forced. I love it, I find movies containing it entertaining, but there are times I wish it could be perhaps a little less obvious.
Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I would absolutely see it again. How can you not love a movie with a soundtrack that features Burl Ives?
The soundtrack was one of the strong points. The quirkiness wasn’t totally unbearable, just little things that got on my nerves (the repetition of the whole “I’m an athlete” gag, for instance.)
The cussing was a very clever move; in a way, it was very subversive, almost asking the audience “why do we arbitrarily forbid certain words while allowing a place-holder word which is used in exactly the same way and which you know - wink, wink - the real meaning of, as it would be applied in this context?” By God, it could destroy the entire foundation of the concept of profanity in the English language!
I think I’m going to have to see this movie again. In retrospect, it seems better and better.
Yes…but then it’s one of my favorite childhood movies (and now my kids own it), so that’s no surprise.
I also liked the inclusion of the Davy Crockett theme and all the Burl Ives bits too.
I thought the animation was wonderful. In certain parts (when the camera panned back and they were doing that herky-jerky motion) it reminded me of something else, and I’ve been trying to put my finger on it ever since.
Saw it yesterday and loved it completely. Then again, I’m a huge Wes Anderson fan (quirkier the better), so this was right up my alley (and you can easily tell it was done by Wes Anderson even if you had no idea). I really liked the “cuss” stuff. It was highly amusing and cute. And the animation was gorgeous. And if there is one (voice) actor who really seems to fit in perfectly with Anderson’s type of movie, George Clooney is it and he does a fabulous job.
Dang, you beat me to it. I came here to say that Clooney absolutely makes the movie. He does a, ahem, fantastic job with Mr. Fox. I’ve seen a few reviewers remark that it comes off very “Ocean’s” like with Clooney, but for some reason his part actually reminded me more of another one of my Clooney favorites: O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? The sorta smart/sorta dumb leader of the posse leading a group of really dumb sidekicks on various adventures.
By the by, my kids, ages 10 and 6, absolutely loved it.
Saw it yesterday. Count me among those who love the Wes Anderson quirkiness. (Though I will say the soundtrack wasn’t up to Anderson’s usual quirky/cool standard, in my opinion.)
There were several kids in the audience and they were really getting into it. A couple of them were talking at the screen during key moments (which coming from an adult would be annoying but from these kids was somehow endearing).
Just saw it with my wife, we were teh only ones in the theater (the theater literally just opened last Friday). We loved it tremendously. My wife kept saying the animals were “cute”.
I loved everything about it (music, design, acting, writing). Easily in my top 5 of the year, and my favorite of all of Wes Anderson’s films. I know it probably doesn’t have a chance for the Animated Feature Oscar against the Pixar juggernaut, but I’ll still be crossing my fingers.
It would never win against Up or The Princess and the Frog, but I hope it’s at least nominated. I have to see it again at least once more before it leaves the theaters.
I liked it but I came away wondering who it was made for:It didn’t feel like a kids movie, and that type of animation would seem to be of interest only to certain people. The animation took a little getting used to, especially the very human eyes of the animals, but I did like it.
I’m pretty lukewarm on Wes Anderson - I liked Darjeeling, but couldn’t stand Tenenbaums or Bottle Rocket - but I loved Fantastic Mr. Fox. I came in sort of expecting to be lukewarm on it, too, since although I loved the book as a kid, I was a little nervous about what Anderson would do with it. Fortunately, he did more ‘quirky’ and less ‘awkward’, and it totally worked for me. The random but well done gags worked pretty well with the absurdity of the story, I thought. I especially liked the moments when they were ‘glowing’. Hah.