Storybooks are imaginative, magical, wonderful things that we all grow up enjoying. Whether we read them ourselves, have them read to us, or a mix of the two, storybooks help build our imagination and dream big as we grow. For some, revisiting those storybooks can be a great practice of nostalgia and reminders of simpler times and universal themes. Sometimes those same storybooks are retold for film, bringing both old, current, and new fans to the time-tested and loved stories. Our subject today is one of those instances in which a beloved classic of children’s literature is brought to life by maybe the perfectly fitting director to make a truly wonderous, whimsical, and fun cinematic experience.
So if you’re like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me that’s a mug of hot salted caramel coffee from our friends at Top of the Morning coffee. So sit back, relax, and let’s talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.
Our film begins with an aerial view of wheat fields as yellow text appears from the left to the center of the screen. The text reads, “Bogus, Bunce, and Bean. One fat, one short, one lean. These horrible crooks so different in looks were none the less equally mean”. Shortly after we see flashes of other top down views of fields as bright happy music plays in the background until a hand holding a book appears. The book is titled “Fantastic Mr. Fox” with a picture of a tree on a hill and shortly after we are transported to that tree on a hill as a bi-ped fox walks around it, listening to Davey Crocket, King of the wild frontier. Leaning against the tree we see the fox is sharply dressed in a suit and listening to a handheld radio, clipped to his suit pants. Picking an apple from the tree, he wipes it on his lapel and takes a bite.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a film based on a Roald Dahl book of the same name and directed by Wes Anderson. The story follows Mr. Fox as he steals food from three brutish farmers, Bogus, Bunce, and Bean every night to help provide for his family. Mr. Fox being highly cunning outwits each of the farmer’s traps and defenses, infuriating them. The three farmers, tired of being outwitted by the fox hatch a plan to work together to capture and kill Mr. Fox. With the help of his friends, Mr. Fox devises a plan to thwart the farmer’s attempts and continually provide for his friends and family.
The film features a few main characters including Mr. Fox and Mrs. Fox, their son Ash, and their neighborhood friends and accomplices. The characters are voiced by a stellar cast including some Wes Anderson regulars like Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman.
The main character of the film is Mr. Fox, who is able to speak and understand different animal dialects and is incredibly clever. While being very witty he can also be over-confident. In the role of Mr. Fox is George Clooney, whose suave voice and cool demeanor really lend themselves to the character of master thief Mr. Fox.
Then there’s Mrs. Fox, Mr. Fox’s wife. She is also a clever creature who makes sure her family is taken care of. She is an attentive and responsible mother who balances out Mr. Fix beautifully. Playing Mrs. Fox is Meryl Streep, whose soft and eloquent voice help flesh out the responsible voice of reason of Mrs. Fox.
Then there’s Ash, the young son of the Foxes. Ash is a young fox, trying to find himself and his place in the world while in school. Ash is voiced by Jason Schwartzman, who perfectly reflects each of Ash’s blend of rebelliousness, seriousness, and playfulness. Each character is voiced splendidly and further helps immerse ourselves in this visually and texturally rich world they inhabit.
We’re talked about the vision and unique approaches of directors in the past and we can’t talk about this film without doing the same. Afterall, this is Glazed Cinema’s first foray into Wes Anderson, who certainly has his own style. If you’re unfamiliar with Wes Anderson, he has made a career of making wholesome movies that blend comedy and drama with a warm innocence and charm. For me and many of his fans, Anderson has a definite fingerprint that we can see in all of his films.
His directing style is direct and deliberate, while at the same time very detailed, fleshed out, and fun. Every scene has a rich tapestry of meticulous attention to detail, be it the set decor, symmetric and simple camera angles, and a fleshed out and realized color scheme. The wonderful thing about Anderson, which I really appreciate is that he boils everything down, no matter the complexity or depth into a simplified, understandable, and visually pleasing way. That’s something that might sound easy to execute, but is much harder than it sounds. Getting each player to perform their role on a set, in a part, in post to achieve a vision, aesthetic, and do it so consistently is pretty incredible and Anderson is a master of it.
Even though this film is animated you can see that same aesthetic, approach, and attention to detail laid out for us to enjoy here too. Everything fits the world Anderson envisions and each scene feels wonderfully put together to blend set to set, sequence to sequence to make a beautifully cohesive movie that’s a visual feast to behold and savor.
When making Fantastic Mr. Fox each character was made using puppets. Designed, sculpted, dressed, and maneuvered by professional puppeteers each character went through rounds of design and testing to make sure it fit the vision of the film. Each character had different puppets for close-up and far away shots to help give environments scale. Puppets had larger two foot models down to tiny two inch models. Each puppet was also meticulously sculpted, crafted, clothed, and painted with amazing detail and maneuvered to bring action to life
One thing that is extremely well done in this film is the vocal dialogue recording. Before I explain what I mean by that though, think of an animated film you enjoy, like Toy Story, The Lion King, or Paranorman. For the most part don’t the voices sound a little too…let’s say out-of-place? That’s because, for the most part the majority of dialogue recording usually happens in a studio where the sound is contained and can be mixed professionally. So all characters while having different voices, emotes, and ranges don’t sound like they’re in the environments the characters are in.
That’s one aspect that Wes Anderson took special note of and approached with care. Instead of taking that same approach he recorded the actors’ dialogue in settings where the actions were taking place. If the characters were riding a motorcycle outside, so were the actors…if the characters were eating and talking at a dinner table, so were the actors, interacting with actual food and plates. This approach makes the characters and their voices fit the action being portrayed. You may think that a detail like that might be a bit too much, but watching the film it really pats dividends.
The film was made on a budget of forty-million dollars and was a success when it hit theaters. Audiences loved the movie and it also did well on the award circuit receiving a number of nominations and wins. By the time it left theaters it grossed around forty-six million dollars, earning a six million dollar profit before home video sales.
The first time I saw this movie I was only familiar with the director, Wes Anderson and that along with the animation was the draw for me. So unlike others, the story, characters, and nostalgia factor weren’t there for me. However, from the opening sequence and music I became engrossed with the world unfurling in front of me. I really enjoyed this movie and is one of my favorite Anderson films to date.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a really fun, cute, and whimsical film that is highly entertaining. I love the fleshed out world, the voice acting, animation, and warm color schemes. For me it beckons the feeling and aesthetic of autumn, which is my favorite season. I watched this with my wife a few years ago and I loved watching this with her. She loved the adventure captured within the fun and engaging 87 minute duration.
If you’re looking for something fun and warm heated to watch this fall, look no further than Fantastic Mr. Fox…I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
If you’d like to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox for yourself you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it Disney Plus. Disney Plus is a streaming service from Disney that offers movies, TV shows, and documentaries under the Disney umbrella. Pricing options include Basic for $9.99 per month and Premium for $15.99 per month.
You can also find it on Hulu. Hulu is a streaming service offering movies, TV shows, live sports, and more. Pricing options include with-ads for $9.99 per month and ad free for $18.99 per month. You can also get a Disney Plus and Hulu bundle for $10.99 per month with ads or $18.99 ad free as well.
Lastly, you can also find Fantastic Mr. Fox on services including Prime Video, Apple TV, The Microsoft Store, and YouTube for $3.99 to rent.
If you like this podcast, tell your friends and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Each week there will be new content including hints about episodes before they air. If you’d like to learn more about the podcast visit our website at glazedcinema.com. There you’ll find more info about the show and a place to submit ideas for future episodes. For film fans who are hearing impaired the blog page on our website features each episode in written form as well. As always, thanks for listening and I hope to see you next time with another beverage and another fine film on Glazed Cinema.
Comments