Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009/20th Century Fox Blu-ray w/DVD &
Digital Copy)
Picture: A-/B
Sound: B+/B- Extras: B Film: B
As a long time fan of Wes Anderson’s films, as well as a
long time fan of Roald Dahl’s novels; I was beaming with excitement to view Fantastic Mr. Fox. Now I had read Fantastic Mr. Fox about 15years ago, so my memory is foggy on the
specifics, but Wes Anderson’s vision is nothing like I imagined. The basic frame work is there and he follows
the tale of the novel, but Anderson’s
distinct style (as seen in all his films) transformed the story of Fantastic Mr. Fox into a completely
different adventure.
Wes Anderson’s dry humor overflows in this quaint and
classic tale of a fox with big dreams.
Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) has given up the life of big
adventure to raise a family, but big dreams die hard. Mr. Fox tires of living life in a hole and
decides to purchase a big house in a tree; a tree that just so happens to
overlook the three farms that he used to frequently bandit. Mr. Fox gets the idea in his head (against
the wishes of his wife) to go on one “last” heist. The farms he intends to raid are owned by
three notoriously unfriendly men named Boggis (the fat one), Bunce (the small
one) and Bean (the mean one). He is soon
on a mission to steal the specialty foods each farmer makes, but it won’t be an
easy task and in fact Mr. Fox loses his tail in the process. Once the farmers find out what Fox is up to
they will stop at nothing (and I mean nothing) to end him. The film is a story of a small Fox with big
dreams, against three large men with even bigger guns. The tale is inspiring and concurrently
fantastically fun.
As previously mentioned Fantastic Mr. Fox undeniably possesses the Wes Anderson flare; with
the typical cast, incredible music choices and stylized filming
techniques. I will call it a 50/50 split
in terms of classic Roald Dahl mixed with classic Wes Anderson. The Dahl elements are in place as the story
is heart warming and memorable, but the slick styling of Anderson twists the tale into something
else. I would have to say this is not my
favorite Wes Anderson venture, but it is not the worst either. He brings a wonderful mix of both archetypal
and modern elements to the table that blend into a very refined story. The voice cast of Clooney, Streep,
Schwartzman, Murray and Wilson bring the characters to life. Clooney embraces his crazy, yet charming side
while Streep goes for the cool, yet demanding demeanor; the cast complimenting
each other wonderfully.
The last element (which is the meat and potatoes of the
film) is the film’s sleek and creative visual style. You can see every hair of the animals’ fur as
the stop motion animation is not like anything I have ever seen. Granted a blend of techniques were utilized
to bring the film to life, the end product is so jaw dropping it is
understandable why the film took so long to complete. Not only did Anderson utilize unique techniques for the
animation, but he also was quite open how he enjoyed using a variety of spaces
such as attics, forests and tunnels to record the actors’ voice parts. Whatever he did it came out amazing and I am
certain future filmmakers will look to Fantastic
Mr. Fox for all kinds of inspiration.
The technical features as briefly mentioned above are
astonishingly well done. The picture is
wonderful 1080p presentation that explodes with vivid colors and fine
details/textures. Every wrinkle, hair
and clothing fiber is easily visualized and truly brings the film to life. The lighting is perfect with zero light/dark
issues and shadows bounce off the floors and walls to give a solid realistic
feel. It is an admirable presentation
for sure. The sound is a powerful 5.1
DTS-HD Master Audio that delivers crisp/clean dialogue, coupled with a booming
soundtrack. The directionality impresses
as in pans across the soundscape with ease, delivering an immersive audio
experience.
The DVD in this set is merely a downgrade of the Blu-ray
and in no way, shape or form showcases Anderson’s
painstaking attention to detail as well as the Blu-ray. The DVD I am sure is here to secure a larger
audience who will eventually upgrade to Blu-ray, but I have to say Blu-ray is
the only way to go.
The extra features include a 45minute Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox featurette that is very detailed as it
is composed of 6 elements that break the film down into its essential pieces;
including the look, the script, cast, puppets, animation and a wonderful
one-on-one with Bill Murray. Other
features include Beginners Guide to
Wack-Bat, which is a 1-minute waste of time; Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World of Roald Dahl, which is an insanely
short talk with Anderson and Dahl’s widow; and finally a few Trailers.
I don’t know if Fantastic
Mr. Fox turned out the way I imagined as a child, but I loved it none the
less. I think I could watch the film
again and again with ease, because the elements that were too quirky the first
time, become enticingly revealing in round two.
Bravo again to Wes Anderson for thinking outside the box…or inside this
case outside the fox.
- Michael P.
Dougherty II
