Fantastic Mr. Fox (Movie)

                The film Fantastic Mr. Fox is in some ways a rarity. At first, the story followed very closely with the original book by Dahl. But it also fell into a common stereotype of books made into movies when it took a different turn after the feast scene. This made a more for a more complete movie which was enjoyable despite the differences from the original book.

                The first major difference that I noticed was the prelude to the story. Because of the promise he made to Mrs. Fox in the beginning, he had to be very sneaky when he finally stole; not only did he have to hide from the farmers but he also had to hide from his wife. The second difference is Mr. Fox’s only son, Ash, compared to his four in the book. Because he had only one son, he became a far more important character to the story line, opposed to four unnamed Foxes. Also, Ash’s cousin Kristofferson joined the team, making life a bit difficult for Ash. However, he was essential in displaying Ash’s growth as a person… or fox. There were a few events that were out of order, such as nearly getting caught by Mabel stealing from the cider cellar which happened much earlier in the movie than it did in the book. But these events are not crucial to the story and it was acceptable to switch their order.

                The story took a turn right where the book would’ve ended: all the animals were feasting after several days of starving. But instead of enjoying their feast and living happily underground for the rest of their lives, Bean decided to flood their party with his famous cider. At the same time, Kristofferson is taken as a prisoner and now Mr. Fox has a new task: to rescue him. Mr. Fox is brilliant as always, and comes up with a plan using each individual animal’s unique skills to save Kristofferson. It is also at this point in which Ash plays his role and grows as a character. He saves his cousin, of whom he’d been so envious. He then impresses his father by dancing through a firing squad with extreme agility and becoming the “athlete” he always wanted to be.

                One scene in the movie struck me as particularly out of place, but it served its purpose. Before making it to the supermarket, the group discovers a wolf. Kylie foreshadowed this moment several times throughout the movie, pointing out his fear of wolves frequently enough to the point where it becomes one of his characteristics. During the scene, the music sets the mood very quickly: the wolf is not an animal to be feared, but to be admired. The group realizes how majestic of a creature it is, and how the wolf is not very different from them or any other animal. This is signified by Mr. Fox and the wolf both raising their fists. No more interaction needs to occur between the characters to get the message across; they wish the wolf luck and move on. It is a very peaceful scene, and takes the mood down from intense action to a moment of calmness and enlightenment.

                The movie is one that I could say I’d enjoy watching even on my own time. The events that differed from the original book make the movie what it is; without them I don’t think the movie could be enjoyed in the same way.