Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  Cute movie and def different after all the cgi movies to come out with something new.

• Spencer S

  
  As a fan of Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, and Roald Dahl, this film was almost a dream come to life that I hadn't known I had ever truly wanted. The basis is one of my favorite books from childhood, by my absolute favorite author, maybe of all time, and though it doesn't… More
  As a fan of Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, and Roald Dahl, this film was almost a dream come to life that I hadn't known I had ever truly wanted. The basis is one of my favorite books from childhood, by my absolute favorite author, maybe of all time, and though it doesn't follow the book to the absolute tee, it does something even better with its source material. This may be one of the first stop motion films that is explicitly for adults with many of its jokes, and yet obviously appeals to kids not only for its beautiful look and direction, but also because the characters are animals, and crafty ones at that. The animals are very intelligent, and anytime animals outwit their human counterparts, it proves to be instantly enjoyable, more so in this film because though it's animated it is also distinctly Anderson. The dialogue by itself proves that this film is very adult, mature, and thoughtful, but I think it was the character of Ash (Schwartzman) that cemented this as an Anderson film: he's jealous, courageous, and laments his state in life though he's very young, reminiscent of Schwartzman's character in "Rushmore." Anderson also employs a great voice cast for this film, calling on some of his favorite stars, including Billy Murray, Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson. Anderson had his voice actors perform in attics, underground cellars, and outdoors to capture the feel of their voices as animals, and he gets some really outstanding performances in this way. The mere technique used in this stop motion film is predictably magnificent, and as you watch the miniature world take hundreds of frames only to show the movement of wind in the foreground, it's really rather breath taking to realize this film took two years just to shoot. The music, from Alexandre Desplat, is phenomenal and fitting for this narrative. Dahl would be very happy with his book taking to the screen this way, and probably didn't even know he wanted this dream unless he saw it.

• Mark W

  
  Director Wes Anderson's quirky indie humour and off-beat dysfunctional characters have been very appealing to me over the years. Upon the news that he was adapting Roald Dahl's children's novel, using animation, I thought he might have been going a little too far… More
  Director Wes Anderson's quirky indie humour and off-beat dysfunctional characters have been very appealing to me over the years. Upon the news that he was adapting Roald Dahl's children's novel, using animation, I thought he might have been going a little too far outside his comfort zone and wondered if his idiosyncratic style would actually transfer to a different medium. Thankfully, my curiosity was put to ease as this did not dissapoint. Based on Roald Dahl's story about a sly and egocentric fox that always strives for better things for himself and his family, while seemingly oblivious to the dangers his quest for status brings to his family. He sets out to rob the three local farmers Boggis, Bunce & Bean of their possesions and attracts a lot of unwanted attention for everyone in the process. Anyone familiar with Anderson's idiosyncratic style will know that, despite this being animation, his approach hasn't changed at all. It still possesses his wit and charm in abundance. The stop-motion animation takes a little getting used to but once you've attuned yourself to it, there's no let up in the pace of, not just, Anderson's visuals but also the characterisation and his daring in not being constrained by the medium itself. His eclectic use of music and screen captions are also present, making this every inch a Wes Anderson adventure. Credit must also go the voice cast; each and every single one of them inhabit their characters and deliver the sharp and intelligent dialogue to perfection, bringing the little stop-motion animals to life. These little creatures have more zest and life than most live-action movie characters are ever afforded and they add to another odd collection of dysfunctional family members that seem to be Anderson's forte and feature regularly in his oeuvre. For many, this is actually their favourite Anderson film. Personally, mine still sits with "The Darjeeling Limited" but this is certainly one of his finest, eccentric and most unique moments. Not only does this foray into animation not disappoint, it actually thoroughly impresses. This is how it should be done. A subversive, cerebral treat for adults and children alike. "Fantastic" indeed.

• Kevin C

  
  20th favorite film of all time

• Louis R

  
  There's the Wes Anderson bit, and the Dahl bit. I'm massive fans of both bits generally speaking, but combined it really doesn't work for me. It is funny, the animation is pretty good, the voice acting is brilliant, the music and design is all charming and wesandersonny… More
  There's the Wes Anderson bit, and the Dahl bit. I'm massive fans of both bits generally speaking, but combined it really doesn't work for me. It is funny, the animation is pretty good, the voice acting is brilliant, the music and design is all charming and wesandersonny but in the end... it all feels a little hollow, and more than a little smug. At the end of the day, this isn't a kids movie. And although I liked it enough, if I had seen it age six or seven- when Fantastic Mr Fox was my favourite book- I have a feeling I'd be a little confused, and bitterly disappointed.

• Albert K

  
  I wondered, "How on earth is George Clooney gonna be a convincing voice actor?" Well, Fantastic Mistuh Fox is surprisingly matched with a dexterous screenplay, almost as if it were catered to the adult crowd -- in other words, George Clooney was a perfectly well-casted… More
  I wondered, "How on earth is George Clooney gonna be a convincing voice actor?" Well, Fantastic Mistuh Fox is surprisingly matched with a dexterous screenplay, almost as if it were catered to the adult crowd -- in other words, George Clooney was a perfectly well-casted gentleman. Funny thing is that although its fixated to please adults, the style is so artistically over-the-top, wild, and comical that this adventure is a lot of fun for the kids as well. Now, by how "Fantastic Mr. Fox" has been described so far, it should seem like the narrative would be executed in a sort of clustered but calculated way, right? Nope, Wes Anderson rightfully keeps it clean and linear: it's the perfect balance of whimsical dialogue and themes, and the eccentric personality. Luckily, this linearity's coupled with good-hearted themes and a soft heart. And what a tribute to Roald Dahl's book; rendered to an almost complete picture-book-esque style, the cinematography is absolutely beautiful. The composition, the stop-motion technology, and the colors really pop out of the screen. The style is so overbearingly superb, the narrative just doesn't reach the same caliber throughout. Yes, the pacing is even and the voice-acting is all around great, but the entertainment value of the entire picture doesn't quite manage to deliver the same affection as its style. No need to worry-- it's not overbearingly fixated on art-house visuals that they complete alienate the children. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is still a lot of fun, but compared to many animated movies out there, it's on the short end of the stick. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a fantastic (sorry, had to do it) art-house animated movie that's firing on all cylinders; it's got a great ensemble and an atypical screenplay coupled with eye-popping visual flair -- just don't expect this to be a wild ride as you would imagine a wild ride to be. The VISUALS are wild and eccentric, and there may be quirky moments within the plot, but "Fantastic Mr. Fox" keeps its composure throughout.

• Kase V

  
  Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' filled with the usual Wes Anderson isms and proves to be one of the best animated films i've ever seen, and not because it is simply NOT made by Pixar. 'Fox' is charming, whimsical, fun, and quirky. All the things that… More
  Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' filled with the usual Wes Anderson isms and proves to be one of the best animated films i've ever seen, and not because it is simply NOT made by Pixar. 'Fox' is charming, whimsical, fun, and quirky. All the things that got Wes Anderson to where he is today. Another fantastic movie from a fantastic director.

• Directors C

  
  I was worried when I first heard about a film adapton of Fantastic Mr Fox because I grew u with the Roald Dahl book. The film did not dissapoint me, in fact it is probably the best book to film adaption i've ever seen in my life. The animation firstly, is probably nearly the best… More
  I was worried when I first heard about a film adapton of Fantastic Mr Fox because I grew u with the Roald Dahl book. The film did not dissapoint me, in fact it is probably the best book to film adaption i've ever seen in my life. The animation firstly, is probably nearly the best i've ever seen and the voice acting by George Clooney and Meryl Streep is pitch perfect. I particularly enjoyed Willem Dafoe's performance as Rat. The film respects the book to the fullest much better than Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. If Roald Dahl was alive to see this, i'm almost certian he would be proud.

• Tyler C

  
  Even if it's stop motion animation, Wes Anderson still infuses his classic style and techniques into this extremely quirky, offbeat hilarious film with stunning animation/detail, an amazing voice cast and classic Anderson humor!

• Emil K

  
  Wes Anderson's first dive into the world of animation is enjoying to look at but a roadkill when it comes to story. Certainly Anderson has put lot of his ambition to this project but his intellectual style, with all of his trademarks, does not fit well into this animation and the… More
  Wes Anderson's first dive into the world of animation is enjoying to look at but a roadkill when it comes to story. Certainly Anderson has put lot of his ambition to this project but his intellectual style, with all of his trademarks, does not fit well into this animation and the result is a dull film for adults that quite honestly goes nowhere as a storywise. Voice-acting here is top notch with Geroge Clooney borrowing his tremendous charm for the title character. Along him we hear actors like Jason Schwartzman, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray also. As the film went on i kept thinking that who has Anderson meant this film for. Did he intend it to be childrens film or more grown up animation for adult audiences, or maybe even both? To think that it was based on Roald Dahl's story the answer is probably both. In the end does it even matter? I think not, but i cannot help but to feel unsatisfied with this film. It seems that Anderson's highly unique visual language does just sit well with animtion or maybe he just needs to focus more of the story than all the quirky visual tricks and camera angles. Fantastic Mr. Fox ends up to be possibly the weakest film in Wes Anderson's otherwise interesting career.

• danny d

  
  innovative and fun, wes andersons animated film is destined to become a classic. the voice acting was superb and the story was clever despite feeling typical for a film starring animals living in this environment. a wonderful film.

• Graham J

  
  Though it is Anderson's first animated work, it feels like a logical continuation of the path he has laid out with his past few films of childlike wonder (ocean exploration, the bright colors of India, stop motion animation).

• Tim S

  
  Fantastic Mr. Fox is absolutely marvelous. I've always been quite fond of Wes Anderson's style and this film just oozes it while still managing to successfully bring a beloved children's tale to vivid and colorful life. This is also, far and away, his funniest film.… More
  Fantastic Mr. Fox is absolutely marvelous. I've always been quite fond of Wes Anderson's style and this film just oozes it while still managing to successfully bring a beloved children's tale to vivid and colorful life. This is also, far and away, his funniest film. Some might argue that Rushmore holds that title, but I disagree. It's chockful of great character moments and some very funny one-liners - all the while managing to keep a grip on the story mechanics and reality of it all. My only complaint, as if there could be any, is that it all goes by so fast and feels too short. Nonetheless, it's enjoyable, and should please most people wanting to have a simple yarn spun to them with great characters and dialogue... not to mention some of the finest stop-motion animation of recent memory.

• Jason R

  
  One of the best. Easy to see how someone could either love it or hate it -- Anderson takes his offbeat, chuckle-to-one's-self humor to the extreme here -- but I am firmly in the love it camp. If you haven't given this one a shot, you should... soon.

• Michael E

  
  It was definetly a breath of fresh air in originality and it had fantastic visuals. Stop motion has always been one of my favorite art styles and the thing I don't like about it nowadays is that people prefer all slam bam in your face cg effects, and nothing organic, and it is… More
  It was definetly a breath of fresh air in originality and it had fantastic visuals. Stop motion has always been one of my favorite art styles and the thing I don't like about it nowadays is that people prefer all slam bam in your face cg effects, and nothing organic, and it is getting very old, but when you see something like this it is just fantastic. And this is a dying art to filmmaking, think about it it has been 3 years since another Wallace and Gromit film, and 2 years since a Stop Motion film has had a theatrical release, and thats why I think this is a dying art. I love all the details that are put into the characters, like how the fur on the puppets constantly moves throughout the scenes, plus the voice acting is really, really funny and entertaining. I didn't know who George Clooney was until this movie and im happy it introduced me to him, plus this movie i think has the biggest all star cast ever for a stop motion film, Bill Murray, Adrian Brody, George Clooney, Owen Wilson, even the small part characters have big actors.

• Drake T

  
  Hilarious and at the same time, full of heart. It's a love story, it's a family film, it's about a disgruntled teenager or a man (fox?) facing his mid-life crisis. It's all of these wonderful things weaved into a brilliant comedy full of retro style goodness.

• Jim C

  
  I loved this movie a lot. It had a great look and feel to it, I could really believe their talking animals. The story and animation are great, the characters are funny and memorable. This deserves the praise, and suceeds inbeing a great movie for adults and kids.

• Shawn E

  
  Fantastic Mr. Fox is a genius and unique animated film that incorporates a cleaver tale with superb voice acting.

• Chris W

  
  Although this is an animated (in glorious stop-motion) family film, it fits in nicely with the rest of Anderson's films. Many feel that he has started to run out of steam with his last few films. While I don't completely agree with that, I get where those people are coming… More
  Although this is an animated (in glorious stop-motion) family film, it fits in nicely with the rest of Anderson's films. Many feel that he has started to run out of steam with his last few films. While I don't completely agree with that, I get where those people are coming from. Even though this film doesn't quite get him back on track and out of a rut (I'm saying that and I enjoyed his last couple of films), it does get him in the right direction and give him some new life. I'm not familiar with the source material, but I found this film to be an absolute joy to watch. It is fun, funny, wonderful to look at, and charming to no end. I like how it even retains many of Anderson's trademarks. I miss the slo-mo though. Coincidentally or not, this ovie reminded me a lot of the Ocean's films. Having Clooney's participation only strengthens that. He's great, as are Schwartzman, Streep, Anderson, and Wolodarsky. The stop-motion was a great idea, and it looks great too. It is a very difficult medium to perfect, but it certainly fits both the story and Anderson's sensibilities. It's hard not to feel a warm fuzzy feeling watching all of this, and to people who disliked this, it must be either because of a love of Dahl, or a hatred of Anderson, or some reason I can't fathom. This is really good stuff, and it's close to being great. Bravo, everyone.

• James A

  
  Alfred Molina said it best in Species of how I felt about this movie.

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