FANTASTIC MR. FOX (UK/USA 2009) ***1/2
Directed by Wes Anderson

The opening sequence of Wes Anderson’s stop animation feature FANTASTIC MR. FOX based British writer’s Roald Dahl children’s book of the same name brings a few laughs with the rendering of a very familiar American tune Davy Crockett.  Set in and around an undisclosed American farmland (which the audience assumes to be around Tennessee from the lyrics: ‘born on a mountaintop in Tennessee’), the story concerns a Mr. Fox (George Clooney) his vixen, Felicity (Meryl Streep) and family.

Promising never to rob and steal for a living again, Mr. Fox returns to his unwanted ways after moving to primo real estate area of 3 highly successful farms.  He runs into trouble with the 3 crafty farmers but all things turn out well in the family tale where the only thing lost is Mr. Fox’s tail.

Being Anderson’s first animated feature, one can expect him to put in special effort.  His quirky familiar humour is stamped all over the film, especially in the animated sequences (example: The flooding of the burrows from cider.)

Anderson had the sound recordings done outdoors instead of in a studio for realism.  Though the film setting is in the U.S., his production has a quaint British look – particularly the woods and the trains that frequently run across many of the film’s scenes.  The original Dahl story was set in and around the village of Great Missenden of Buckinghamshire on the outskirts of London where the British author lived.  The first railway line east of the village had lots to do with the business of the village and the appearance of the trains in the film is thus understandable. 

Anderson has assembled an impressive cast of his regulars (Bill Murray, Jason Swartzman) and new leads Clooney and Streep for the character voices.  Michael Gambon as Farmer Bean’s gets the vote as the best in the cast.  Gambon is one the few British voices in the cast.  The villains (as in many American films) are the British who voice the farmers – the enemies of Mr. Fox and friends.

Though it is the director’s prerogative to re-set his film in any location, Anderson’s total disregard of the film’s original British setting is disconcerting.  The majority of his characters all speak with American accents.

Anderson’s film goes more for quirky humour than anything else.  Most scenes have laugh-out loud set-ups, occasionally (Badger and Mr. Fox’s growling at each other) for no apparent reason.  Fortunately Dahl’s story is strong enough and Wes Anderson keeps his narrative on track.  No one can complain over a good laugh.  As they say, laughs cover many a film’s flaws. 

Anderson began this animation project Henry Selick (the Tim Burton NIGHTMARE movies) who went on to make CORALINE.  The result is humour replacing darkness in this film.  Anderson’s animation takes it out into the open with his film having a feel similar to THE DARJEELING LIMITED with its vast scenery or to in THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU with similar picturesque animated sequences.

As in the other Wenderson films, FANTASTIC MR. FOX contains many rocks tracks varying from performers like Burl Ives and The Beach Boys to The Rolling Stones.  There is a musical number rendered “Petey’s Song” by famous English musician Jarvis Cocker., the lyrics of which are put-down (humorously) by the film’s characters.  Alexander Desplat composed quite the number of songs for the film’s soundtrack.

For stop-motion animation, the elements of fire and water are the most difficult to depict on screen.  The Claymation FLUSHED AWAY did wonders with the water in the sewers.  Anderson uses artificial fire in the climatic burning down of the village scene creating a surrealistic look that adds to the frequent off-beat humour in the film.

Anderson keeps the family element in check (complete with message) as does Mr. Fox his family in line.  FANTASTIC MR. FOX, besides being based on a children’s book would be more likely remembered as Anderson’s charming, entertaining and mostly very, very funny debut animated feature.