FANTASTIC MR FOX (Cert. PG, 86 mins)
Stars the voices of: George Clooney, Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Jason Schwartzman, Wes Anderson, Michael Gambon, Brian Cox, Anjelica Huston, Helen McCrory, Jarvis Cocker, Hugo Guinness
Directed by Wes Anderson

HIP indie director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) is an odd fit for Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story.

The film-maker certainly brings his offbeat and distinctly adult sensibilities to bear on Fantastic Mr Fox, creating another portrait of familial dysfunction and miscommunication.

Anderson imprints his personality so indelibly on the script, co-written by Noah Baumbach, that it’s hard to see children enjoying the film.

The simplicity and sweetness of the original story, which ran to less than 100 pages with illustrations from Quentin Blake, becomes obscured by rewrites and additions.

Unlike his previous films, Anderson chooses stop-motion animation as his medium here and it works a treat.

Visually, the months of painstaking effort have been worthwhile, including fast-paced action sequences of the wily vulpine sneaking around farmyards in search of a tasty treat.

Mr Fox (voiced by Clooney) is never content with his life, always looking to move up in the world with his long- suffering wife, Mrs Fox (Streep).

He plots a daring raid on the chicken coop only to get caught in a trap.

“If we’re still alive tomorrow, I want you to find another line of work,” seethes Mrs Fox.

Two years later, Mr Fox has followed his wife’s dictate and is the bread-winner for his family, including a disgruntled son Ash (Schwartzman) who just wants to win the respect of his old man.