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Written by Gregg Shapiro, Staff writer
Feb 24, 2010
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox)
Wes Anderson’s Oscar-nominated big screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is sure to make you reevaluate everything you ever thought about claymation. From the foxy, autumnal colors to the vintage rock and surf soundtrack to the snappy script written by Anderson and Noah Baumbach (“Margot at the Wedding” director), “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is fabulous.
Original, unpretentious, innovative, insightful and possibly the funniest movie of last year, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is made for the 21st-century audience. A wonder to behold, it packs a lot into its 87 minutes.
With a new baby on the way, Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) promises Mrs. Fox (voiced by Meryl Streep) that he will find a less dangerous line of work than stealing chickens. But writing a column for The Gazette simply isn’t enough for him. When the family, which now includes son Ash (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), moves from a subterranean den into a tree house, Mr. Fox enlists possum plumber Kylie (voiced by Wally Wolodarsky) and returns to a life of theft.
Tormenting the three most ruthless farmers in the region – chicken farmer Boggis (voiced by Robin Hurlstone), duck and goose farmer Bunce (voiced by Hugh Guiness) and turkey and apple farmer Bean (voiced by Michael Gambon) – Fox finds himself embroiled in a turf war, one that will cost him many things, including his tail. The arrival of the Fox’s effortlessly cool nephew Kristofferson (voiced by Eric Anderson) presents a whole new set of problems for the decidedly different and uncool Ash, especially when it becomes clear that his father might value his cousin’s talents more than his.
Messages about accepting and valuing difference, as well as embracing one’s true nature and pure talents, will ring true to viewers of all ages, making this the ultimate family flick (although probably best for kids 10 and older). DVD bonus features include the featurettes “From Script to Screen,” “Still Life,” “A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat” and more.
The soundtracks to Anderson’s films have a reputation for being as quirky as the films they’re associated with (see “The Royal Tennenbaums” and “The Darjeeling Express”). “Fantastic Mr. Fox: Original Soundtrack” (ABCKO) is no exception, with vintage selections by Burl Ives, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones, alongside an original by Jarvis Cocker.
“Up” (Disney/Pixar)
Nominated for Oscars for best picture, animated feature film, original score and more, “Up” is now available in a four-disc DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital Copy edition. “Up” is a new breed of Pixar production. Like its predecessors, it’s a visual marvel, but “Up” also tugs harder at the heart strings and is more adult.
“Up” begins with more than a few tears shed for the story of Carl’s (voiced by Ed Asner) journey in his floating house to Paradise Falls in South America. Keeping a promise he made to his late wife, as well as avoiding relocation to a rest home, retired helium balloon cart man Carl rigs thousands of balloons to his house and sets sail. Stowaway Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai), a young wilderness explorer anxious to earn an “assisting the elderly” badge, joins Carl on his quest.
But once they arrive at their destination, Carl discovers that paradise falls short of his expectations. Carl’s childhood hero, disgraced adventurer Muntz (Christopher Plummer) is as obsessed as ever with capturing the region’s rare bird that Russell has named Kevin. Surrounded by a pack of dogs wearing a device he invented to make them speak in a language understandable to humans, Muntz turns Carl’s dream destination into a nightmare.
With the aid of one of the dogs, the good-natured Dug (co-director/co-screenwriter Bob Peterson), Carl and Russell put up a fight for what is good and right. The uplifting “Up” has certainly raised the bar for this style of animation, taking the experience to new and exciting heights. DVD bonus features include director’s commentary, the shorts “Partly Cloudy” and “Dug’s Special Mission” and more.
