Continuing my assessment of the career of writer/director Wes Anderson, I’ve arrived at 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. This was Anderson’s first adaptation and his first animated film.
Coming on the heels of The Life Aquatic and The Darjeeling Limited, both of which received lukewarm critical receptions, Fantastic Mr. Fox was greeted as a comeback and return to form for the auteur. It boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score in the mid-90s and grossed $47 million.
I’m intrigued by the critical reception to Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s novel, Fantastic Mr. Fox. It currently sits at 92% on the Rotten Tomatoes scale, with 100% of the ‘Cream of the Crop’ critics reviewing it positively. It is by far the best-reviewed film of Anderson’s career.
I don’t disagree with those critics — on the contrary, I love the film — but I wonder why it’s this film and not, say, Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums that has garnered such praise. Is it because of a built-in forgiveness toward quality animated films or children’s films that elevates any of them that are different and better than the norm?
Meet Me In Montauk 