Der fantastische Mr. Fox

“I used to steal birds, but now I'm a newspaper man.” Heist movie. Western. Bond flick. Social drama. A film about a crisis (marital and midlife). Existential comedy. There is no point in trying to pigeonhole Fantastic Mr. Fox, because A) that is impossible, and B) that impossibility lies in its fantastical nature (and its point). It’s hard to describe how specifically Anderson's first (and fortunately not his last) animated film is so unique because, for the second time, I was unable to shake off the enchantment of the animated animals in favour of sober analysis. Besides, there are so many wonderful things in the film… A well-designed mise-en-scène that suggests how emotional the heroes are (ready-made Antonioni), the choreography of the characters in front of a camera set in the ideal place (which saves hundreds of needless cuts), a visual rendering that is like a fairy tale in general but realistic in its details. Anderson’s realistically complex story of the struggle with one’s own naturalness astonishes with grand scenes, eliciting amazement (THAT scene with the wolf), as well as small details for the more attentive, when speechlessness alternates with a cry of joy (the inner conflict of civilised wild animals reflected in the idyllic landscape, always with some untameable lightning or tornado in the background). Of the few films that I would rather love than understand, this one is certainly the most colourful. And the wildest! 95% (28.03.2018)

Original, weird, engaging, magical. A typically atypical and uncategorisable Wes Anderson. (27.06.2012)

Oder aber auch wie Wes Anderson hat seinen Rücken vor dem Genre nicht gebeugte, sondern das Genre beugt Wess Andreson um. Eine typische Angelegenheit mit einer aufgepeppelten Retro-Dramaturgie, einem schlauen, monotonen Tempo, einer einfallsreichen Kamera und Inhalten an der Grenze zwischen Märchen und Lebensphilosophie über der morgendlichen Schüssel Cornflakes. Wenn das nicht den Mittelteil gäbe, wo der Versuch um eine psychologische Analyse der niedlichen Puppen ein wenig über die tatsächlichen Möglichkeiten von Andresons Film hinausgeht, wäre es eine makellose Angelegenheit, altmodisch, einfallsreich, autorenseits eigensinnig... Eben ein Film, der vorbestimmt ist, kommerziell keine allzu großen Erfolge einzufahren sondern dabei unbestimmte Zeit geliebt zu werden. Bravo, Wes! (28.03.2010)

The Great Cheese Robbery Anderson-style. So nothing for kids. In his fox guise Clooney is maybe even more charismatic than usual, Dafoe’s part is one of the unforgettable ones, plus Desplat à la Morricone, not cheaply stealing from him (not like many others), but developing on him fantastically. And in fact this entire movie is a fantastic celebration of fox, uh sorry, human fantasy and playfulness. (04.02.2010)

Some choices look like sure bets. Both the author of the literary original and the director represent attractive artists in their field who can write and direct differently from the mainstream and create amazing alternative worlds. I was perhaps too excited because what I got was an animated film that wasn't as mature and provocative as I had imagined. Additionally, I had a problem of an ethical nature, so to speak. I was cheering for those who were portrayed as villains in the movie, even though they were actually just protecting their property. On the other hand, the charming Mr. Fox is nothing more than a thief who justifies his thievery by saying that he simply enjoys it. It is simply a morally depraved film. In the end, I was most pleased with the visual aspects, which are truly unique even in today's flood of films on the market. Overall impression: 65%. (21.01.2016)

I was really looking forward to another great animated movie, but what I got was a huge and ambitious disappointment. The story overall is interesting and original, but the director didn't quite pull it off in my opinion. It doesn’t have enough pace, the oddly conceived animation didn't appeal to me at all, and I found the drawn-out dialogue desperately angsty and unfunny, with the main characters sometimes solving problems trying to be as close to humans as possible. I really hate to slag films like this, but in this case, unfortunately, after the first viewing, I have no other choice. (17.07.2011)

If you don't look for why all the characters act like they're on sleeping pills, and you don't demand such horseshit from the film as catharsis, applicability, an elaborate script, or plot dynamics, you're in for perhaps the best cartoon ever. Besides, the production is breathtaking. (22.01.2012)

Stop-motion puppet animation is always something that must be appreciated, especially if it has a meaningful story, which in this case it does, even though Roald Dahl's source material is definitely not ordinary. Perhaps it's not a film that's explosively funny, but it's a film that maintains Anderson's peculiar poetics. I enjoyed it. (09.12.2016)

A drama about a marital crisis, a portrait of a complex father-son relationship, and a regular heist movie in animated guise with affectionate comedic elements thrown in. Yes, it sounds wild and over-the-top, but Wes Anderson just knows how to do this. The fantastic dubbing of the main character by George Clooney and the near-perfect timing of most of the gags then puts Fantastic Mr. Fox in a completely different box than conventional animated films. But therein lies its greatest strength – in its originality, its bold multi-genre execution, and its typical "Andersonian" poetry, which (and I totally get it) may not appeal to everyone, but no one can deny the playfulness and powerful emotional experience. (11.08.2020)