What It Truly Means to Be Fantastic
By Devin Valenciano
Nothing ruins a movie
more than high expectations.
Countless times I have waited
for a movie to blow my socks
off, only to leave the theater
with all of my clothing in its
rightful place.
So few times have I seen
a long-awaited movie that was
on par with my wildest anticipations.
I have one more to add
to the tally.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is
nothing short of fantastic, a
stop-motion revelation brimming
with wit.
From the top-notch animation
to the excellent voice
acting, this movie truly has it
all; Wes Anderson’s realization
of the Roald Dahl novel by the
same name is simply one of the
most innovative animated films
to come along in years. The tale follows the life
of Mr. Fox and the smattering
of woodland critters that have
had the misfortune of meeting
him. Fox is decidedly weary of
middle-class living and reverts
to his wild roots to find fulfillment.
But in the midst of his
reckless stealing and hoarding
of food, he endangers his innocent
family and friends.
While the plot may seem
simple enough, it is only a vehicle
through which the true
charm of the story is delivered.
By the raucous end of
the movie, you’ll be imparted
with some giddy sense of what
it truly means to be fantastic.
And what a trip it is.
Each scene is entirely unique;
each character is radically different
from the next; each aspect
is entirely memorable in
its own right. The dialogue cannot
even be described as clever, for
the word does not encompass
the sophisticated hilarity that
ensues from start to end. And of course, nothing is more visually
intriguing than stop-motion
animation.
The fact that each scene
is hand-crafted, painstakingly
composed into the silky
smooth masterpiece that graces
the screen, is simply alarming.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” takes you
to beautiful meadows, underground
tunnels, and majestic
sewer waterfalls, never failing
to catch your attention.
These visual wonders
really lend to the creativity of
the movie. Watching Fox or
his family have a normal conversation,
only to suddenly turn
rabid and foam viciously at the
mouth, is quite entertaining to
say the least.
This movie is quite simply
one of the most entertaining
films that I have seen in ages.
And while I know mediocrity
like “New Moon” may be hard
to turn down, consider dishing
out your ten dollars on something
that actually deserves to
be in theaters.
