Wes Anderson + Stop Motion = Fantastic.  I've gotta admit that I've fallen off the Wes Anderson train in recent years.  I absolutely adore Bottle Rocket and from there on, I've felt like the movies just didn't fully work.  There are parts of Rushmore and Life Aquatic that I think are great, but something about all of Anderson's movies after his debut has left me wanting something else--so much so that I still haven't even seen Darjeeling Limited.  With Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson's once again made a movie that I'm smitten over.

The sets and character designs are fantastic, the script is full of dry humor for the adults and moments of inspired comedy for the kids.  The voice cast is impeccable, and the music gives the whole thing a wonderfully light-hearted tone.  I'm not much for kids' movies these days, but this year has given us a number of really good ones.  One could argue that films like this one or Up or Where the Wild Things Arearen't really made for kids, but the fact remains that they are perfectly kid-appropriate.  I don't think every 9 year old is going to find Jason Schwartzman's petulant teenage character hilarious, but he's drawn with enough detail that kids will understand where he's coming from.  Mr. Fox is daring and charismatic and more than a little full of himself, and I think kids can see that he's likeable even if some of the things he does put his family in danger.  And then there's the possum, who steals every scene he's in and gives Mr. Fox a down-to-earth sidekick. 

This is a movie full of real, adult problems.  It uses adult language including a clever way to get around swear words, but it never gets boring or forgets that kids are watching.  In the film, Mr. Fox is hitting mid-life and he realizes that his house isn't what it could be, that his job isn't rewarding, and that he's not getting any younger.  His son is awkward and rebellious, but at the end of it all, he just wants to be like his dad.  Mr. Fox's life isn't perfect, and yet his problems aren't external--there isn't some greedy land developer plowing up his den or a nasty boss making his life hell--his problems come from his own perspective on the world.  This could all be plodding and talky but Anderson makes all of it fun without making it trivial.  The movie reinforces Anderson's theme of sons pining for acceptance from their fathers, but it doesn't feel as whiney and the characters aren't as desperate as those from some of his other films.  It doesn't pander with fart jokes or pop culture references, but it includes laughs and action every couple of minutes.  I don't really know where Anderson pulled this movie from, but I sure hope that he makes more like it.