Super Frat

Hey, bros.  With all the holiday hubub (I attended three Thanksgivings this weekend) I finally got to see a movie.  I thought I’d post this review while it was still current.

Okay, Fantastic Mr. Fox is good.  The animation is kind of like that of Robot Chicken, only more detailed and with better puppets.  Wes Anderson can sometimes get caught up in the quirkiness of his own project, but not this time.

Fox is a simple story with complex characters.  George Clooney is Mr. Fox, a dad who can’t give up chicken stealing.  Jason Swartzman is Ash, his angry son living in his dad’s shadow.

The soundtrack is pretty good, but I think what jumps out more than anything is the character and set design.  It’s this interesting mix of mid-70’s English countryside, combined with talking animals.  Anderson captures the time period in which the book emerged without dating it.  It’s faithful to the book, while adding new detail that supports the story.  The whole piece is a great fit for Anderson.  His last couple of movies seemed to get lost in the details.  This simple story keeps him on point throughout.

A good movie to take the kids (as it is aimed at kids, but doesn’t get preachy) and it wouldn’t be a half bad date movie, especially if your date loves animals.  I give it 7 out of 10 keggers.  Worth seeing.