The top ten are fast approaching and today brings me to the second of the animated movies that feature on this list. A little different from most and from a director unfamiliar with animation it was a brave and risky move that paid off, when it had no right to.
The 13th best movie of 2009 is…
Mr. and Mrs. Fox live an idyllic home life with their son Ash and visiting young nephew Kristopherson. But 12 years living this family life proves too much for Mr Fox and he soon slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief. In the process he endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil Farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean - who are determined to capture the sly one at any cost.
Why it is worthy: It’s old-school animation, the oldest of all in fact stop-motion, but it feels fresh, new, vibrant even. The characters look tactile, the shifting perspectives add clarity and detail, and the inherent jerky nature of the piece fits the style beautifully. But the animation would mean nothing if it wasn’t married to a great story, and Fantastic Mr. Fox has that nailed. Based on the book of the same name by best-selling author Roald Dahl, director Wes Anderson homages the material but differentiates it just enough for it to be it’s own quirky and imaginative story. The voice cast is superb, George Clooney gives Mr. Fox a certain edge, a smarminess that oozes from the screen, while Meryl Streep adds real warmth and softness to Mrs. Fox. The movie uses 600,000 still images, 4,000 props and 150 stage set-ups so the fact that it all can feel so loose, so free is remarkable.
Fatal flaws: The book is better, the book is always better. Nobody can film what you imagine in your head, but Anderson takes a brave stab at it. Anderson’s take is very much his own and at times his sense of humour clashes with Dahl’s. The look, based on 1960s Czech animation is very much a love it/loathe it type thing. It’s also very flat, and in this age of 3D everything it’s a little unsettling. Some of the comedy is sporadic, and Clooney’s take on Mr. Fox plays more that a passing resemblance to a vulpine Danny Ocean.
Verdict: Putting fantastic in a title is always wrought with peril but this is a movie that manages to live up to it’s boasts. Simply a fantastic, fun-filled, joy of a movie.
The Countdown
25. This Is It
24. Adventureland
23. Drag Me To Hell
22. Anvil
21. In the Loop
20. Watchmen
19. The Hangover
18. Coraline
17. Public Enemies
16. (500) Days of Summer
15. Harry Brown
14. The Wrestler
