Animation ups Anderson's appeal
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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I’ve heard others label director Wes Anderson as a one trick pony, and on some levels I agree with them. There are definitely characteristics that can be used to spot an Anderson film — the exaggerated characters, dry humor, exotic color palettes, intricate sets, and slow motion sequences. But, no matter how many times I see or hear it all, the trick doesn’t get old.
And the thing that is so appealing about his latest film, “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” is that in stop-animation it’s even better than previous films (“The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Darjeeling Limited”) at showcasing his signature motif and dsiplaying his surreal sensibilities.
The plot, which is adapted from a children’s novel by Roald Dahl and written for screen by Anderson and Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”), follows chicken-thief-turned-newspaper-columnist Mr. Fox as he attempts to live the straight life. One last big score (in three parts) at the farms of Boggis, Bunce and Bean, however, puts him, his family and the entire local animal population in danger.
With CG and Pixar all the rage, it’s refreshing and perfectly fitting for Anderson to utilize the retro qualities of stop-motion. The jerky animation adds to the magic of the movie, and the extensive details in the puppets and scenery, which were designed by Anderson and built by Mackinnon & Saunders, the company that worked on “Chicken Run” and “Corpse Bride,” are extraordinary. There are so many sight gags that I guarantee one viewing isn’t enough to catch them all.
George Clooney and Meryl Streep are cast, respectively, as the debonair Mr. Fox and his principled wife Felicity. For the other roles, Anderson brings to his cast some familiar faces, or should I say voices, from the past, including Jason Schwartzman, William Defoe, Owen Wilson, and Bill Murray.
According to the production notes on the movie, Anderson took main cast members to a farm in Connecticut and had them act out the scenes like they were in a “radio play.” This move definitely pays off, because the voices sound organic and not vacuumed like in other animated films. They also did a lot of spot recording — when the characters are in a tunnel, they sound like they are in a tunnel, when the characters are outside, they sound like they are outside.
Those familiar with Anderson’s work know that early rock and folk music songs are an essential element in his movies and this one is no different, including numbers by The Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. However, It’s Jarvis Cocker’s bluegrass song “Fantastic Mr. Fox AKA Petey’s Song” that is the most memorable.
As in any Wes Anderson Film, the dialogue is smart and full of tongue-in-cheek humor. This, along with a cigarette smoking farmer, some alcohol consumption and some other adult themes, may make this “family” movie a little more for adults than kids. But, with that said, the movie is rated PG and there is enough slapstick humor and animals in clothing to have the little ones loving it.
To borrow an adjective, this movie is fantastic – an instant classic. Final verdict: five bandit masks out of five.
AG
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