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Book-to-film adaptations must inevitably walk a tightrope: they must be acceptable to devotees of the source material, yet accessible to anyone. Usually, striking this balance involves pinpointing the essence of the story and stripping away the subtle details that won't translate, and that the runtime can't accommodate. Wes Anderson's adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox goes in the opposite direction: it adds to the source, and finds unobtrusive ways to make it its own.
Based on a children's novel by Roald Dahl (who I'm convinced removed the 'n' from his name simply to spite my spellchecker), Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of a family of foxes whose patriarch enjoys stealing from local farmers. His name, appropriately enough, is Mr. Fox (George Clooney), though why he of all foxes gets such an apt moniker is never addressed. Perhaps they all have the surname "Fox," rendering all phone books useless. But I digress.
Though Mr. Fox is a formidable criminal -- the Danny Ocean of his forest -- he's forced to give up his life of crime to protect his family, which is comprised of Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), and his nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), who is exceptional in every regard and feels the brunt of Ash's resentment.
A move above ground into a nearby tree alters the family's financial situation, and the presence of three rival farmers named Boggis, Bunce, and Bean combine to create an irresistible situation for Mr. Fox. After robbing all three of them in an elaborate relapse, the farmers band together to eradicate the Fox family at the urging of the vindictive Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon).
Mr. Fox's weakness for thievery turns out to endanger not only his family, but the entire community of animals as the farmers' desire to preserve their stocks is soon overwhelmed by a thirst for vengeance. What follows is an escalating game of (forgive the phrase) cat-and-mouse involving guns, explosives, and underground tunnels.
Though it generally deals with less serious issues than most of Anderson's films, his trademark style is all over the production, and it compliments the story well. The haggard retro wardrobe he favors for his characters looks completely natural on wild animals, and the creatures' propensity to burrow their way out of trouble is a perfect excuse to utilize the deliberately-revealing sidescroll angle also seen in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. But mostly, Anderson's influence is felt in the dialogue, where he uses subtle timing and pregnant pauses to inject maturity without upsetting the tale. The eclectic throwback soundtrack goes without saying.
If there's anything worth complaining about in Fantastic Mr. Fox, it might be that the rules of its world aren't entirely fleshed out. But even its arbitrariness adds to its charm, from the casual conversion from Fox Time to Human Time, to the bizarre cricket offshoot the animals play. The characters fall somewhere between actual animals and the heavily anthropomorphized Disney creatures that often populate family films, forming a crude society with newspapers, lawyers, and real estate deals, but eating with a violent abandon befitting their respective species.
Aesthetically, the film is full of unusual, effective choices. Anderson correctly calculates that stop-go animation will stand out like a sore thumb alongside the flurry of computer generated family films, and embraces the difference by shooting at 12 frames per second rather than the usual 24. The result gives each movement a sudden and exaggerated feel that dovetails perfectly with the film's half-reality.
Though the film circles around a few messages, it never really settles on one, which is just as well. Fantasic Mr. Fox is a wonderful marriage between authenticity and whimsy that delights in walking to the edge of self-awareness and absurdity just long enough to peer over.
Based on a children's novel by Roald Dahl (who I'm convinced removed the 'n' from his name simply to spite my spellchecker), Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of a family of foxes whose patriarch enjoys stealing from local farmers. His name, appropriately enough, is Mr. Fox (George Clooney), though why he of all foxes gets such an apt moniker is never addressed. Perhaps they all have the surname "Fox," rendering all phone books useless. But I digress.
Though Mr. Fox is a formidable criminal -- the Danny Ocean of his forest -- he's forced to give up his life of crime to protect his family, which is comprised of Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), and his nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), who is exceptional in every regard and feels the brunt of Ash's resentment.
A move above ground into a nearby tree alters the family's financial situation, and the presence of three rival farmers named Boggis, Bunce, and Bean combine to create an irresistible situation for Mr. Fox. After robbing all three of them in an elaborate relapse, the farmers band together to eradicate the Fox family at the urging of the vindictive Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon).
Mr. Fox's weakness for thievery turns out to endanger not only his family, but the entire community of animals as the farmers' desire to preserve their stocks is soon overwhelmed by a thirst for vengeance. What follows is an escalating game of (forgive the phrase) cat-and-mouse involving guns, explosives, and underground tunnels.
Though it generally deals with less serious issues than most of Anderson's films, his trademark style is all over the production, and it compliments the story well. The haggard retro wardrobe he favors for his characters looks completely natural on wild animals, and the creatures' propensity to burrow their way out of trouble is a perfect excuse to utilize the deliberately-revealing sidescroll angle also seen in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. But mostly, Anderson's influence is felt in the dialogue, where he uses subtle timing and pregnant pauses to inject maturity without upsetting the tale. The eclectic throwback soundtrack goes without saying.
If there's anything worth complaining about in Fantastic Mr. Fox, it might be that the rules of its world aren't entirely fleshed out. But even its arbitrariness adds to its charm, from the casual conversion from Fox Time to Human Time, to the bizarre cricket offshoot the animals play. The characters fall somewhere between actual animals and the heavily anthropomorphized Disney creatures that often populate family films, forming a crude society with newspapers, lawyers, and real estate deals, but eating with a violent abandon befitting their respective species.
Aesthetically, the film is full of unusual, effective choices. Anderson correctly calculates that stop-go animation will stand out like a sore thumb alongside the flurry of computer generated family films, and embraces the difference by shooting at 12 frames per second rather than the usual 24. The result gives each movement a sudden and exaggerated feel that dovetails perfectly with the film's half-reality.
Though the film circles around a few messages, it never really settles on one, which is just as well. Fantasic Mr. Fox is a wonderful marriage between authenticity and whimsy that delights in walking to the edge of self-awareness and absurdity just long enough to peer over.