Fantastic Mr. Fox certainly looks the part of a kids' movie. It's based on a children's book (by the beloved Roald Dahl, no less), and tells a vivid and entertaining story about a cast of wild critters brought to life through a combination of stop-motion animation and computer wizardry. There's no profanity or heavy on-screen violence, and the film is briskly paced (under 90 minutes long), very funny and sports a killer soundtrack. Still, no one will ever confuse Mr. Fox with a Disney production, and that's because every frame is dripping with the sensibility of its creator, writer/director Wes Anderson.
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2009.