FANTASTIC Mr FOX (October 23)
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, dir. Wes Anderson - 72%
What it's about:
Mr and Mrs Fox (Clooney and Streep) live an idyllic home life with
their son Ash (Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson
(Eric Anderson). But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too
much for Mr Fox's wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his
old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only
his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground
and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to
fight against the evil Farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean - who are
determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr Fox at any cost.
What MovieMonkeys thought:
George Clooney as the lovelable rogue? Not much of a stretch for him but nonetheless perfect casting. He delivers Mr Fox's lines with tongue-in-cheekiness that would have made Roald Dahl proud. While the film works very well on older kids (and grown-ups, too), there's enough visual comedy moments to keep the younger children entertained so there really is something for everyone to enjoy. The foxes devouring a plate of muffins was a particular giggles generator, while the rabied beagle and sedative-laced blueberries provided quite a bit of fun, too. Stop-motion animation is not a look that the kids are very familiar with nowadays but the story is told at a pace that keeps even the fiddliest of
little bums on their seats (tested with a toddler!) A great rainy day half-term treat for the whole family!
official film site
