Fantastic Mr. Fox, A fantastically fun film for fall

Fantastic Mr. Fox, released in 2009, is a stop motion animated film directed by Wes Anderson. The content of the film is based on the 1970 children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The story follows Mr. Fox, voiced by George Cloony, who is bored with his current life. So, he decides to plan a heist against three local farmers. The farmers, tired of Mr. Fox’s stealing, seek revenge against him and his family, causing turmoil for not just Mr. Fox, but all the other woodland critters in the community.

Anderson’s creative visual style is often associated with the color yellow, and Fantastic Mr. Fox is an excellent example of that. The film is absolutely stunning, down to the cute little animal puppets, the distinct sense of symmetry, and autumnal vibe represented in the colors used, which makes this movie really stand out from most mainstream animated projects.

Something that is also worth noting about the production of this film is the sound design. To either give the film a more realistic sound, or just for fun, Anderson recorded dialogue for outdoor scenes outside in natural settings. He recorded in places like forests and farms instead of in a studio, which is something you may not necessarily pick up on during a first viewing of the film.

Anderson is my absolute favorite director. As a photographer, it’s simply pleasing to me that you can pause any of his movies and be met with a perfectly symmetrical shot, which is honestly something I recommend doing if you decide to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox.

The cast is also great, with a lot of the familiar voices we hear in Anderson films such as Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Willson, and Bill Murray, just to name a few.

Anderson’s films usually don’t perform well at the box office, so the actors involved are often friends who genuinely believe in his vision. I love this approach because it allows him to stay true to his artistic perspective without compromising for commercial success.

I also genuinely love the story of this film, outside of all aesthetic appeal. Schwartzman’s performance as Ash Fox is particularly entertaining. 

Ash is the young son of Mr. Fox, and is… different. He starts the film insecure from feeling like he’s always been in his father’s shadow, which is then made worse by his much more athletic and charming cousin, who seems to impress his father. 

The film concludes with Ash gaining confidence in himself, forming a bond with his cousin by ultimately saving him from the farmers.

It’s honestly such a whimsical film that everyone should watch at least once. This is just a great film that would perfectly pair with a fuzzy blanket and a warm cup of apple cider. With November already here, I know I want nothing more than to do exactly that.

Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”