Fantastic Mr. Fox

The craftsmanship of Fantastic Mr. Fox, the latest film from director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited), is beyond reproach:  The much-discussed stop-motion animation looks fantastic; the voice work for Mr. Fox (George Clooney), Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), Badger (Bill Murray) and Ash (Jason Schwartzman) is first class; Alexadre Desplat’s score manages to be both perfectly fitting and engagingly discordant (why are there so many old-timey banjo sounds, if this is all supposed to be happening in the English countryside?  Oh, who cares: it sounds great); and the autumnal production design reflects the inner turmoil of the middle-aged Mr. Fox beautifully.

These perfectly executed stylistic choices combined with the sturdy backbone of Roald Dahl’s original story help Anderson to deliver an immensely entertaining film.  The opening scenes show a rapidly-aging Mr. Fox--we learn that one human year is the same as six fox years--trying to cope with his new bourgeoisie lifestyle:  After much grousing about his place in the world, he decides to move his family into a swanky tree on top of a hill.  Of course, the satisfaction this gives him is fleeting, and he begins to consider a return to that which foxes do best (chicken stealing), even though he promised Mrs. Fox two (twelve) years ago that he would never steal again.  She has good reason to be concerned:  Boggis, Bunce and Bean, the odious troika of farmers across the valley who specialize in chickens, geese, and hard cider, respectively, will no doubt make a gruesome example of Mr. Fox if they catch him.

With all of these pieces carefully arranged, Anderson sets them in motion to dazzling effect.  The sub-plot between Ash and his visiting cousin Kristofferson (Eric Chase Anderson) is the kind of eccentric detail that is the hallmark of Anderson’s films.  Along these same lines, the incredible invention of a game called Whack Bat (with a cameo voice appearance by long-time Anderson collaborator Owen Wilson) proves once again that few filmmakers currently working today have Anderson’s gift for invention and visually captivating set pieces.

In the end, though, the audience is brought right to the brink of becoming emotionally invested in the story of Mr. Fox, and never pushed over the edge.  Even with such timeless themes (i.e., mortality, fathers and sons, the struggle to honor one’s true nature), Anderson cannot quite pull it off.  Instead of being aligned with the main character, we are brought right up alongside him; instead of sharing in the triumphs and setbacks he experiences during his adventures, we simply watch him as he avoids rabid dogs and prepares one incredibly clever heist after another.

Like a particularly ingenious Rube Goldberg machine, Fantastic Mr. Fox is exquisitely crafted and visually hypnotic while it is in motion, but when it ends we find ourselves much the same as we were before it started: We appreciate that we just saw something remarkable, but we also know that it didn’t really involve us.

                                    Orson Robbins-Pianka