Culture Blues

Film: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson's early films showed a progression that culminated in The Royal Tenenbaums, his richest and most rewarding film. His two films since then, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited were both good and featured triumphs of their own (the Life Aquatic set is a work of art), but they gave the distinct impression that Anderson was making the same kind of movie over and over again. I wondered if he had anything new to offer.

With the stop motion animated Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson has, at the very least, proven that he's still capable of surprising moviegoers. It's an entertaining little movie that tells the story of a war between George Clooney's Mr. Fox and three agricultural tycoons, led by Michael Gambon's Franklin Bean. Despite the kids’ movie trappings, Mr. Fox offers all the melancholy, mortality and strained relationships one would expect from a Wes Anderson film. I'm not familiar with the Roald Dahl book it's based on, but melancholy, mortality and strained relationships are a big part of Dahl's work, lest someone accuse Anderson of douring up a children’s story.

The cast is top notch. Capable of creating laughs rather than relying on the visuals, which are generally breathtaking in their own right. The star of the show, however, is Gambon's Bean. He displays honest to god, badass menace and I’d love to see further, more adult, exploits of the pistol toting, alcoholic cider swilling villain.

I have no idea how kids will react to this movie, but I can't imagine very well. At 87 minutes, it runs slightly longer than necessary, but it never grows tiresome. The more serious elements aren’t countered with the kind of bombast that The Incredibles employed. There is action and intrigue (including pine cone grenades and a feral battle in an electrified room), but not nearly enough to interest people who don't appreciate the sardonic humor and pure craftsmanship involved in the animation.

Regardless, for adults it's a genuinely fun movie released during the overly serious Oscar bait season. And while it's unlikely to completely satiate Anderson's fans, it's an encouraging sign that he's still willing to try something different.