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Capone is won over by the unique charms of the wily FANTASTIC MR. FOX!!!
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX might be the single most charming film I’ve seen all year, and I choose that word carefully and specifically. Charm is one of the most difficult things to get across in the film. You can like or love a movie and its characters well enough, but charm is a different monster. It’s about winning over an audience to the point where we’d actually like to hang out more with these characters in the universe the director has created. There’s a comfort element to the experience that you don’t get with many films, even ones you adore. But FANTASTIC MR. FOX, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, is loaded to the gills with charm, sweetness, and humor without abandoning the irreverent wit and distinct visual style that director and co-writer (along with his LIFE AQUATIC co-screenwriter Noah Baumbach) Wes Anderson injects into all his film.
The charm comes a bit easier with great actors like George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Jason Schwartzman lending their unique voices and personality to an the array of animal characters (mostly foxes) in this stop-motion wonderment. But the splendor of FANTASTIC MR. FOX goes far beyond carefully chosen voice actors. There's a warm, homemade quality to the entire production, and the stop-motion animation is just sloppy enough (to the point where you can see the fur move under the invisible fingers of the animators) that it feels like something made of love as well as sophistication. This isn't trying to be a slick, polished work (like the lovely CORALINE); it's rough around the edges both in terms of the look and sound (the actors were often recorded as a group out of doors on makeshift sets that resembled those used for the animation).
Perhaps the most bizarre quality to the film is that the animals brought to life here don't look like exaggerated version of the creatures they are supposed to be. The foxes look like stuffed foxes, the rat looks like a rat, the badger look freakishly like a real badger, etc. And occasionally (like when they eat) act like animals too, when they aren't wearing clothes and going to their jobs as newspaper men or laweyrs or whatever their lot in life might be. Mr. Fox (Clooney) gets a job as a columnist, paid to speak his mind. His wife (Streep) is supportive but suspects that he might be back to his old ways of stealing from the local farmers. Their son Ash (Schwartman, in what might be my favorite performance in the film) is the tempestuous, envious kid who actually acts and talks like a real teen. When the couple's near-perfect nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson, the director's brother) comes to stay with the family, Ash feels particularly threatened, and his reactions are priceless.
The plot involves a group of scavenger animals, including Mr. Fox, breaking into farms owned by three of the nastiest and most protected farmers around, for the sole purpose of helping the entire underground dwelling community, who are slowly going hungry. It's kind of like CHICKEN RUN in reverse. One of the many remarkable treats about FANTASTIC MR. FOX is how beautiful the set designs are. There's a depth and scope to them that is detailed and perfect. There are little implements scattered throughout the sets that make them look completely authentic, while maintaining an utterly surreal edge. And Anderson's signature themes and visual hooks are all still in place. Once again, he's examining a troubled family, there are a great number of camera set ups where the characters are either looking directly at the camera or are in profile while they talk to another character. Above all else, however, Anderson's use of music is flawless. Opening with The Beach Boys' "Heroes and Villains" is a stroke of magic, and including the love song from the Disney version of ROBIN HOOD (in which the titular character is a fox, remember) was a lovely touch.
Not to sound like a broken record, but I keep coming back to how much charm FANTASTIC MR. FOX radiates. It's not trying to set off fireworks or dazzle you with digital creations. This is a film that invites its young and old audiences to find things to love about its homemade aesthetic. Adults will love the level of humor and cleverly created family drama, while youngsters will swoon at it for entirely different reasons. Both will marvel at the rich, lush and inviting scenery while getting pulled in by these marvelously layered characters. Now show me the closest bar where a guy can grab a beer with his foxy new friends.
-- Capone
therealcapone@aintitcoolmail.com
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I see the trailers on TV and I laugh my ass off everytime at the description of Whackbat. There are a lot of quotable lines from the trailers alone that I hope the studio didn't waste all of it on just that alone. I am so looking forward to seeing this next weekend!
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Nov 21, 2009 9:04:39 AM CST
Those characters would look better trimming a nice cloth coat
by feralangel
Come on, those "Fox" characters look like animated roadkill. Eeccchhhh. Capone, did you see Astro Boy? Did you bother? No, but you watched this idiot Fox thing because the Brits like it, probably. So a good, no, great animated film gets overlooked while a quirky pile of plush gets fawned over. This is why I don't pay attention to film critics. They watch too many movies and forget how normal humans feel and think and what they want to see. Again, the cousins, nephews and I will see Astro Boy again. They have no interest in "Fox", I guess because they've all outgrown their stuffed animals. Sorry Paddington Bear. Sorry My Little Pony. To the dust bin with you. With Mr. Fox!
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Being a Wes Anderson film, yeah, I'm expecting his usual collection of pop songs, but how's the score?
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when they're done in a clever fashion (see Over the Hedge.) I wish I could invent a funny animal story with a cool cast of characters but I have no talent whatsoever.
What are some other quality funny animal adventures? As for serious animals, boy, you can't go wrong with Watership Down. Amazing stuff.
Thanks for the review Capone. I very much want to check this flick out. -
Nov 21, 2009 9:13:14 AM CST
"This is why I don't pay attention to film critics..."
by nasty in the pasty
You know...I'd rather trust the opinion of someone who sees a couple hundred films a year than someone who sees less than 30 like "normal humans" do. If someone totally jaded to the whole process of filmmaking comes out raving, I'm doubly excited to see a film, but a "critic-proof" pile of poo like New Moon? 13-year-old girls aren't the best barometer of critical acumen.
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'Cause I doubt your average child will care for it, overdosed as they are on computer-generated wizardry. Whereas adults drunk with memories of such childhood stop-motion favorites such as Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town will revel in it , declare it "good" just because they liked that kind of crap when they were kids, plus it helps them to forget what a bunch of worn-out old farts (with faulty memories) they really are. Whatever. I'd rather watch something based on an anime than on an animal picture book, especially if the result is a far superior film. And Nasty, I dunno....I saw "American Beauty" after critics had conniptions over it, and it was hands down the worst piece of cinematic shite I ever almost sat through. Tastes differ, but I think an overdose of anything tends to blunt the palate.
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right? Ice Age struck me as pretty mediore, too. Racking my brain to think of some funny animal classics. I suppose Babe would classify. Charlotte's Web, the original cartoon, would as well, although that has a bit of a sad element to it.
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I like those two movies, but they are so all over the place. It seems those films were made by adults who were severely A.D.D. when they were younger and are now free of their medications. It is part of the style and it works. I just remember watching those movies and actually getting a bit tired from trying to keep up with the energy.
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My mind did wander a bit. There's a little pacing issue--which is the same thing you get from Tim Burton flicks. Also the atmosphere takes getting used to. Very burnt umber, always sunset or night, rustic, brown, brown, brown. It basically an entire movie of what in other films Wes Anderson's cleverest little 'moments'. Clooney is perfect casting. So is Schwartzman. The Kristoffersn character is great. Keeps the plot interesting. Whole thing leaves you smiling but a wee bit exhausted. I can only imagine what Anderson left on the cutting room floor. And I thank him for that. Oh Yes. NOT better that UP.
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Nov 21, 2009 10:22:43 AM CST
"you watched this idiot Fox thing because the Brits like it"
by isleptwithkathybatesandallthatigotwasthi
????????????????????????
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And as it seemed to bear no relationship to the book I read as a kid (what do you expect, americanised 20th century fox version) I think I'll give this a pass.
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Nov 21, 2009 10:46:47 AM CST
He wouldn' have been won over if he'd read the book!
by billybigbollocks
Jesus what an insult to Roald Dahl.
Why alter a story that is already, unique, bizarre, full of fun and humour, and very off-center?
In order to try and make a film which is all these things.
Just weird, and not in a good way.
Awful movie make it go away NOW. -
It's gonna be titanic all over again. Screaming girls will see it 6 times. E news and Mtv will pretend it's a great movie. The author will write a new book and it will sell like crazy. Even more copycats will come out.
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WA made somthing amazing out of a nice simple story. if you dont like this film you have no soul. and that's a fact.
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...with your review Capone. Charm is the right word - very hard to pull off - but they manage it. I do understand that fans of the book may not be too happy - but as someone who has not read the book and likes *most* of Wes Anderson's flicks then this really hits the spot. The casting is perfect too
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charming minds want to know...
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feral angel
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I appreciate it's non-junkyness, but it didn't totally grab me. Anderson's chilly tone didn't really work for me with animation, felt more like it should have been a series of shorts.
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Im sure its charming for adult critics but this was shoulda been for kids... Im just not sure whether Wes Anderson's "talents" will be apreciated by children.
The proof will be in the box office, but if it tank's I blame the producers for getting anderson. Its for kids man just give'm what they want... I havent seen it so... just ...im skeptical.. -
Not to say it's a bad thing, but a rather strange decision, as I thought it would have suited it more, and would have captured British mannerisms and such, just never imagined them being American when i read the book. Was the only reason for the farmers being English because they're the villains?
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word has it those farmers are retired imperial officers.
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Nov 21, 2009 4:47:07 PM CST
Should have been British, and should have..
by chronicallydepressedlemming
followed the book.Sorry, but it's the truth. And the stop-motion looks 80's quality SM, not ''lovingly done'. It looks fucking rushed.
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eyes of the dragon.
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Great animation but the rest is lacking.
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... to make as much money as CURSE OF THE WERERABBIT. That is to say none. I LOVE Wes Anderson - he's in my mind the most talented director currently alive. But I think the American public he serves with his art have no taste for intelligence whatsoever, and don't really deserve his excellent movies. This will tank, and will further cement in Hollywood that a farting hamster wins over clever dialogue any day for the American viewing public. To this, I say, give the American public only what they deserve in entertainment: farting hamsters, and nothing more. They're too fucking stupid to deserve anything better, as you can see from the TOTAL FUCKING FAILURE of WHERE THE WILF THINGS ARE, predicted by anyone with a brain.
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love all his flicks.
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To each his own, but to me the look of this thing just screams "The real director quit to make Coraline."
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Nov 21, 2009 10:08:45 PM CST
Curse Of The Were-Rabbit made over $150 million worldwide
by nasty in the pasty
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That's why Sony totally fired Nick Park and everyone in his studio, shut down plans for any future projects and eliminated all his funding after that disaster happened (FLUSHED AWAY was already in the pipe).
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Curse of the were rabbit made over $192 million, you should check your facts.
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Aside from that, I really hope this will be good. The trailers look wonderful, and Whackbat makes me laugh every time, too. Wes needs this success after the clunker that was Darjeeling.
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pass.
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Lockesbrokenleg right there shows you the mentality of the American public. He's as big a dipshit as the average monster-truckwit morons that make up the vast majority of the US population. Right there tells the whole story. "It's a catoon? Pass." Lockesbrokenleg, you FUCKING ignorant pylon. Oh my GOD. :)
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...Construct additional Lockesbrokenlegs.
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Where the Wild Things Are has made around 74 million so far. Not exactly a complete failure. As for "locke", he is not ignorant. He is just a childish, attention-seeking troll.
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It's not a cartoon, it's a fucking Roald Dahl story man! That's the kicker, even more than Wes Anderson's involvement. Dahl was brilliant. Too bad this thing is voiced by American talents. Should have been a British cast -chronicallydepressedlemming is right.
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74 million = no profit aka flop.
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Buhbye - say hi to Wim Wenders, Michael Haneke, Lars Von Trier, Woody Allen (resident since 1982) and every other filmmaker incapable of expressing his/her "vision" to a wide audience. You won't be missed.
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I have to disagree. Here's my take on it - http://postyourreviews.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/fantastic-mr-fox
Wes Anderson’s defiantly old-school take on a Roald Dahl classic is intermittently amusing, but ultimately underwhelming. Stretching the source material to feature length does it a disservice and merely highlights its slight nature. I adored the book as a child, along with all the other great works of this iconic author. In particular I would exhaust the audio cassette version featuring the comforting narration of Richard Briers. I suppose nothing was ever going to top that for me. I tried to overlook the unappealing character designs and Anderson’s increasingly forced “quirkiness”, yet there’s far too many other distractions on show. This never feels like a legitimate world with established rules, even the characters don’t seem to believe in themselves. Frequent nods to the audience deliberately undermine the whole concept of talking animals, hardly what you want to be pondering when faced with nothing but this very scenario. Then there’s the unforgivable references to credit (or “platinum”) cards, estate agents, and “funny” catchphrases, just what every classic British story needs? The finale features a surreal and pretentious encounter with a wild wolf that sucks any remaining energy and goodwill from the cinema.
There are small moments to genuinely savour but they would barely fill a 30 minute ITV Christmas special, this should never have been a feature film. Yes it’s always nice to see stop motion deployed on the big screen, especially with old-school bristling fur. However, there’s an uneasy tone running throughout which seems disrespectful to the medium. It’s almost like Anderson is mocking such a wholesome and naïve art form with knowing post-modern nudges to the audience “look how cheap and dated this all looks, aren’t I clever to use it!” I’m sure he never consciously thought such things, but that’s the message subliminally broadcast through every frame. This isn’t a terrible film; it’s just very muddled, misguided, hollow, and condescending. Too dull and obscure for children, and too inconsequential for adults. Not exactly fantastic -
That's how I felt, the last bit about Wes being condescending, except it looks to me like he's being knowingly condescending about the medium, from seeing the ads. When the camera pulls back for a far-away shot of all the characters "dancing" and the dances are all very limited two-move affairs and the figures look like toys, it seems a very deliberate move on the part of the filmmaker, esp. one as conscious of what he puts onscreen as Wes. I love Wes Anderson movies, deeply, all - and I'm hoping against hope this will continue that trend and not suck the life out of my joy at a new Wes movie every couple of years. This, however, looks pokey, cheesy and trashy. I hope I'm wrong.
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Yeas I love this film - I can not wait until my uncle brings back the video next week from America.
We love Anderton films down here with his kooky characters and funny songs.
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...go back to your lowbrow mainstream ghetto, say hi to all those other poor fools who csn't appreciate anything that isn't bright, shiny and obvious.Fuckwit.
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Nov 22, 2009 2:15:20 PM CST
So tell us, where you "charmed" by the movie?
by glory_fades_immaxfischer
explain how you say its sloppy and sophisticaed in the same sentence? really dude???? really??? oh my favorite was "the animals actually looked like the animals"..lol..no shit genius.
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Who the hell gets charmed by a movie. Gays?
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Makes you wonder doesn't it. Confirmed bachelor Wes Anderson literally thinks drugging and fucking children in the ass isn't that big a deal. But by all means take your kids along to see his cartoon.
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You mean Dreamworks, not Sony. Don't be thick.
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While on the crapper. It looks like a nice film, but it is NOT directed by Wes Anderson. He should stamp a fucking Alan Smithee on that thing, if he has any dignity.
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Classic.
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stop drinking so much piss.
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it's still ok. it looks amazing but the animation seriously drains any life the film desperately needs. live action actors are essential for wes anderson films mainly because the setting, the environments and mis en scenes are very controlled, alomost to the point of being superficial. this film has stock wes anderson characters, and has nothing new on offer. plot wise there's very little going on. even the choice of music is cliched, the songs are almost too well known, such as the beach boys and the rolling stones. its certainly not a film for kids. i'm getting bit frustrated with Wes Anderson now. he seems to be too precious and is definitely repeating himself. however i do think the darjeeling ltd was his best film since the tenenbaums, a nice exploration of the brother dynamic and grief. however it lost its way in the third act. fantastic mr. fox never got going.
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the book. I REALLY wish people would stop bitching about that! Yes, it's fun to see your books come to life, but if the changes aren't bad, why complain? I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather see a slightly different take than the EXACT SAME STORY I've already read. "Watchmen" made some changes to the plot, and all for the good, if you ask me. "True Blood", to switch to TV, significantly deviates from the books, but those deviations are near perfect and make the story actually MORE enjoyable!
If the changes make no sense, don't fit within the storyline, are dumb, etc, then complain. But don't complain just for the simple fact that changes were made! Every single adaptation makes changes... it's a different artist working with the material, so how could you not expect deviations? -
"If the changes make no sense, don't fit within the storyline, are dumb, etc, then complain."
Um, what do you think is happening? I don't think anyone felt the need to spell out what was pretty clear to begin with. -
near the end.
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