With Wes Anderson’s new stop-motion film, Isle of Dogs, being released recently, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on his first full foray into animation, Fantastic Mr. Fox.
One of the few animated films in the Criterion Collection, as well as one of the few child-friendly, Fantastic Mr. Fox saw Anderson take a different route in adapting a story into a script for the first time. The source material came from Roald Dahl’s children’s book of the same name, a favorite of Anderson’s growing up.
The film follows the titular Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney), a husband and father who is bored writing his ill-read newspaper column and wants to get back to his old antics: staging elaborate heists – an act of which his wife, Felicity (Meryl Streep), disapproves. Nevertheless, he recruits his friend Kylie Opossum (Wallace Wolodarsky) to steal from the farms of three wealthy businessmen who are of great importance to the town. Mr. Fox is caught, both by his wife and the three men, and ultimately puts the lives of his family and friends in danger. They soon team together to rise above the humans so they can live as “wild animals” in peace.
Though the film is entirely in stop-motion, viewers never forget that they are watching a Wes Anderson film. The directorial style, elaborate sets, and eccentric characters are all still there. Even the many Anderson regulars such as Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson are still present, even if only by voice. Along with these other similarities is the heart and meticulous craft that comes with a great Anderson film – and this is certainly one of his best.
Fantastic Mr. Fox took a couple years of hard work to finish. Stop-motion animation is certainly not as prevalent as it used to be, thus making a perfect vintage medium for Anderson to work with. Several different versions of each character’s puppet were made, as well as hand-made sets and props, all photographed together inch by inch to give the illusion of movement. Anderson not only made a brilliant addition to the world of animation, but a wholly original one at that.
I put this under the “Essentials” heading not because I feel like it is an urgent title under the Criterion Collection that every true cinephile should watch immediately. It is because though this is an animated film, it is not specifically targeted toward children – nor adults. This is one of the few instances where an animated film works on every level and has something for every viewer. That being said, I feel that it is an important film to check out if one hasn’t already. Truly, dare I say…fantastic.
CRITERION CALLING 