Wes Anderson’s animated one-and-a-half-hour film Fantastic Mr. Fox has been making its way into households since 2009. Anderson beautifully transformed the 1970 novel written by Roald Dahl into an entertaining and festive movie.
Intro to Anderson
Anderson is known to capture characters in stop-motion animation uniquely. He has become a children’s favorite thanks to his academy award-winning movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Isle of Dogs (2018).
He now owns American Empirical Pictures, which he founded in 1988, and has established himself as a successful and creative director.
Fantastic Mr. Fox plot
Fantastic Mr. Fox displays a wide range of characters including Mr. Fox, Mrs. Fox, Ash, Kris, and Badger. But the movie spotlights Mr. Fox, a husband, and father to four children. Mr. Fox steals food from local farms on a regular basis in order to provide for his family.
Many of the farmers he meets are cruel and try to dig up his family’s burrows, as well as the holes of many other animals. To stay safe, Mr. Fox burrows deeper into the ground, where the family is trapped for three days during the film. He dug underground until he came across Mr. Boggis’ chicken coop.
Mr. Fox kills a few chickens from the newfound coop and instructs his son to deliver them to Mrs. Fox. Mr. Fox then runs into Badger, a friend of his, on his way to his next destination. Badger, his family, and many other creatures have been hiding because of the farmers.
When Mr. Fox arrives, the animals decide to go hunting for ducks, geese, and rabbits so that they can feed their families. They all then feast underground while the farmers await Mr. Fox’s appearance on the surface.
Critiquing the movie
Anderson’s beautiful fall coloring in the film makes it ideal for viewing around Thanksgiving. Fantastic Mr. Fox demonstrates the importance of survival and family. Throughout this movie, Anderson embodies his characters with both warmth and light.
