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[San Bernardhinault]

I'm off to see the Wes Anderson, George Clooney, Meryl Streep version of Fantastic Mr Fox in a few minutes. I am unlikely to be surprised by the plot. Interested, though, to see whether it's any good.

I'll report back tomorrow.

[San Bernardhinault]

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Fantastic.

[Nico Rijnders]

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I agree, it is fantastic.

I thought it worked really well refreshing Anderson's aesthetic, which was arguably getting a bit stale. It's charming and funny and beautiful. I was really taken with it.

[Incandenza]

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Commercials for this have started airing in America. Let's just say that if I didn't know it was a Wes Anderson movie, the commercials would never give me an idea that it was. Super short, no indication that it's one of his movies, and the voiceovers and titles make it seem like a really lame kids movie. What little from the movie they show looks really good and funny, though.

[Sam]

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I saw it yesterday almost by accident - out for the afternoon with my girlfriend, we decided to see a film, and there was nothing else on that looked any good so we went for this.

It really is a wonderful film. In fact, it's my new favourite Roald Dahl adaptation.

[Incandenza]

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You think my two-year old girl would like it? Are there any scary parts?

[Guest]

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Watched this last week. It really is a very good film. Only after leaving the cinema did I find the fact that it's half-Americanised grating.

[San Bernardhinault]

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So, to put a fraction more substance on to my thoughts -

it's a Wes Anderson film, so if you don't like Wes Anderson films it's probably not for you.

Also, it's very nicely done stop-motion animation, and if you want glammy highest-tech graphics, then it's not for you.

It also appears that people who have very Anglified, Nostalgia-filled memories of the Roald Dahl book reacted against it, which I guess is fair enough. It's not a literal re-telling, and it takes massive liberties.

Provided you're happy with that (or never read the book), you'll probably have fun. It's actually fairly lightweight, but it's lightweight in a very delightful sort of way.

I'm not sure it's exactly 2-year-old friendly (not that I'm ever going to be a good judge of that). It seems more like a children's film made for adults to feel nostalgic and warm with. But the kids in the cinema were enjoying it. Not that there were any as young as 2.

There is some scaryness, I suppose, that might be offputting for the very young.

[Incandenza]

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Thanks, LLR. I think I want to see it more than she does, and what you say about a children's film for adults to feel nostalgic seems very Anderson.

It's funny--I've never read any Roald Dahl books, and for the longest time I had no idea that he was British. Has there been a reaction over there that the movie is too American?

[Nico Rijnders]

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Incandenza wrote:

Has there been a reaction over there that the movie is too American?

There has a bit, yes. Complaints that the characters are all American but the baddies are English, the setting seeming ostensibly in the UK, but with American elements. I think that misses the point, myself. As LLR says, it's set in a deliberatly stylised Anderson world, so I kind of think that those complainants are missing the point. Not liking the stylised Anderson world on its own terms is fair enough though.

[Ek weet nie]

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I watched this yesterday morning in a packed cinema full of parents bringing their kids to the latest animation for a few hours respite. Judging from the crying, lack of laughter and audible grunting and sighing I may be the only one in the screening who loved this. It's brilliant but in no way a children's film.

Listening to Ang Lee on the latest Film programme podcast from the BBC talking about his forthcoming Life of Pi it would appear that the serious filmmakers going down the making child friendly films route are doing it because of budget constraints. I'm not sure this cynicism bothers me and I'm not entirely sure whether to blame the creative people or the advertisers but I wouldn't be happy coming out of this film after dragging small children a long. As it is I don't have kids so I enjoyed it but I wonder if my enjoyment would have been enhanced if I didn't have to experience the disappointed reactions of those around me.