Fantastic Mr. Fox Gives a Tip of the Hat To A Couple of Awesome Disney Films

Director: Wes Anderson

Writers: Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach

Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson

Rarely has a filmmaker been more attuned to a specific medium than Wes Anderson and the world of stop-motion animation, as exemplified in his brilliant 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox. The Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums filmmaker tries his hand at making a childrens film by way of a Roald Dahl adaptation, and the results are hilarious and delightful and slightly melancholy. The story of Fantastic Mr. Fox finds a fox (George Clooney) putting everything on the line to steal from three mean farmers, which in turn puts his family and friends in danger. The soundtrack is jubilant, the voice actors are perfectly dry, and the aesthetics are picturesque. This is one of Wes Anderson’s best films. – Adam Chitwood

After 12 years of bucolic bliss, Mr. Fox (George Clooney) breaks a promise to his wife (Meryl Streep) and raids the farms of their human neighbors, Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Giving in to his animal instincts endangers not only his marriage but also the lives of his family and their animal friends. When the farmers force Mr. Fox and company deep underground, he has to resort to his natural craftiness to rise above the opposition.