OK for kids 7+
Offbeat family adventure may charm adults more than kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that director Wes Anderson's dry, offbeat adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's story Fantastic Mr. Fox is fine for most grade-schoolers but also has some themes and humor that will go over kids' head. The story features a lot of scheming and violence, as three farmers plot to kill Mr. Fox for stealing from them. There are explosions, guns, a knife-wielding rat, a rabid dog, and a secondary character's death, but none of it is graphic or too scary (just a bit startling and/or tense in spots). The farmers smoke and drink, as do the adult animals, who tend to drink with dinner. Aside from a couple of kisses between Mr. and Mrs. Fox, there's no sexuality to speak of, and the language is limited to the word "cuss" being used as a substitute for stronger words (as in "what the cuss?").
- Families can talk about whether Mr. Fox is right to indulge in his "wild animal" instincts. Should hehave honored his promise to Mrs. Fox? What motivates Mr. Fox to stealfrom the farmers?
- What can you learn from Kristofferson and Ash's relationship? How arethey different, and when does Ash finally become self-confident?
- How is this movie's style different from other animated movies? What'sthe effect of stop-action animation compared to the slickercomputer-animated animation?
- How does the movie compare to the book? Is this what you pictured when you read the story?
The good stuff
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Educational value: Kids might pick up a few of the animals' Latin names (which Mr. Fox enthusiastically uses in one scene).
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Messages: The animals band together, despite their many differences, to keep the malicious farmers from killing them. Father-and-son relationships are portrayed positively as Mr. Fox discovers Ash's worth, even though at first he seemed to doubt him. Mrs. Fox's attitude about what makes a person fantastic demonstrates that everyone has something that makes them extraordinary. There's a running theme about the animals' wilder instincts conflicting with their more people-like responsibilities.
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Role models: Although Mr. Fox steals from the three farmers -- and lies to his wife about doing it -- he ultimately mends his ways so that his family and the other animals can settle down in peace. Mrs. Fox encourages her son by saying that it's what's different about him that makes him special; she also supports her husband, even when she's disappointed in him. Kristofferson is a model child who forgives Ash for being jealous of him and getting him into trouble. Ash matures from trying to live up to his father's expecations and envying Kristofferson doing something exceptional on his own. The farmers are thoroughly nasty (particularly Bean), but they're also clearly the bad guys.
What to watch for
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Violence and scariness: The farmers use all sorts of methods to try to kill Mr. Fox: guns, explosives, drowning with hard cider, kidnapping, etc.; the animals eventually fight back. Mr. Fox's tail is shot off and treated as a trophy. A bad-guy character starts a knife fight and eventually dies. The animals kill a few chickens, but nothing grisly is shown. A stand-off scene with a rabid dog is a little tense/scary, as are a few other fight/chase sequences.
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Sexy stuff: Mr. and Mrs. Fox embrace and kiss, and Rat alludes to the fact that Mrs. Fox was a "tart" before she married Mr. Fox. Kristofferson and an adolescent female fox flirt and "go steady," making Ash jealous.
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Language: Strong language is replaced with frequent use of the word "cuss" -- as in "What the cuss are you doing?" and "cluster cuss."
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: The adult animals drink hard cider, wine, and champagne, but not to excess. One of the farmers makes his own hard cider (and enjoys several jugs per day). Some pipe and cigarette smoking.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
FANTASTIC MR. FOX. Grade: A (Based on advance VIP press preview - Tues. 11/24) by MOVIES REVIEWER
Based on Roald Dahl's similarly titled book, this 87 min movie is both director Wed Anderson(The Royal Tenenbaums) and 20th Century Fox studio's first stop-motion animated feature.
REAL fur, miniature trees, and sand were used in the making of this movie.
Our protagonist - the disarmingly charming intelligent rascal, Mr. Fox - is a master of mischief and mayhem. He was excellently voiced by George Clooney. The rest of the SUPERB voice-cast comprise of Meryl Streep(Mrs. Fox), Michael Gambon(farmer Bean), Jason Schwartzman(Ash), Willem Dafoe(Rat), Bill Murray(Badger), Eric Chase Anderson(Kristofferson), etc.
I was utterly enraptured and delightfully entertained by the complex and somewhat giddy plot and lovably engaging characters, masterful execution, witty jokes, and by the overall visual appeal of this satisfying high-quality production.
VERDICT:
A MUST-SEE!!!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
5
Charming Mister Fox by davidgoldsteen
We (my 10, 7, and 4 year old kids) took my wife to see Fantastic Mr. Fox for her birthday. We all really enjoyed it. It's funny, without the typical slapstick humor and wisecracking animals that have become a permanent part of so many childrens' movies.
Nicely done, intelligent plot, witty dialogue, good voices. I'd even see it without the kids.
4
Enjoyable, but not for children by Kimberly138
First, though this is loosley based on a children's book, it is probably not appropriate for children under twelve. This is not due to the violence or frequent usage of the word "cuss" (which, last I checked, is not actually a bad word for those who complained about it), but this movie will simply bore small children. The dialouge is fast and witty, and the ability to enjoy it is based on the viewer's level of "nerdiness." Adults and older children who consider themselves dorks will love this movie. If you are looking for mindless nonsense similar to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to take your young kids to, this is not the film for you.
Some reviewers compared this to Where the Wild Things Are; I very strongly disagree. I hated Wild Things and found it painfully slow and boring. This film is superior in visual effects, actually has a storyline, and is often funny if you're smart enough to understand the humor. Unfortunately, many Americans aren't.
5
Hilarious! Must See! One of My Favorites this Year! by bamoram
I really enjoyed the humor in this movie. It was artistically creative and just plain fun. I am an adult and I enjoyed it. I really dont think this is too violent for kids, I mean has anyone watched childrens cartoons these day? All violence. This isn't graphic, just comical.
LOVED this movie!
One of the better movies of 2009!
Allstar voice cast was amazing!
Seriously amazing!
5
Wes Anderson does it again by Movie Nerd 317
This movie was beautifully done. I always enjoy Wes Anderson's colorful movies. Great story.Even if you have not read the book, you will enjoy the dialog. Can not wait for his next flick.
5
Fantastic Mr. Fox by cmotz
I thought this was an excellent film for both adults and kids. My two eight year old sons thought it was a good action story with humor--and I agreed! Many kids films these days are very formulaic and boring for adults, but I thought the sets/animation were very impressive and the dialogue was very clever. It is an intelligently humorous movie that has a real plot with real characters. You almost forget you're watching animation by the end of the movie. You would never think this is the kind of movie it is from the previews (which are kind of goofy). But it is really a great film!
5
It's different, and there's something fantastic about that by yosef123
A Wes Anderson film made for kids?! Seriously? Yes, actually, and it's quite good. I had my doubts, and I'm still not sure what kids will come away with, but I loved the film. The basic message of the film is that everyone is different and that each of us has a special talent. The stop-motion animation is corny, but it's endearing in this film. The soundtrack is appropriately eclectic, a mix of country, folk, and classic rock. The original score by Alexandre Desplat is charming, but it gets upstaged by the action and the songs. I'll definitely see it again. My rating: A.
5
Wonderful by Smooth_J
I hate to use this word, but the film was enchanting. Wes Anderson's style lends itself perfectly to the stop-motion genre, and his choice of soundtrack is impeccable, as always. The voice cast is great, very expressive, especially the always-amazing Jason Schwartzman (sp). I can't recommend it more highly.
5
Five Word Review by PeachTreeCandids
Wes Anderson Brilliant As Usual
5
Five Word Review by oc5awcupant
pure wes anderson ...for kids!!!