Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
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A charismatic fox and his community must navigate the dangers of a high-stakes heist and the wrath of three ruthless farmers.
The story
After a series of thefts leads to his family being hunted by three farmers, Mr. Fox and his community find themselves in a perilous situation. Following a move into a new home, the fox family and their neighbors must deal with the consequences of their actions. When the farmers retaliate against the fox's raids, the community is forced underground. Mr. Fox must then lead a group of desperate animals on a daring mission to reclaim their safety and resources from the three farmers who have destroyed their homes.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
While raiding a farm, Mr. Fox and his wife, Felicity, are caught in a trap. Years later, they live in a tree home near three notorious farmers: Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. After a series of raids, the farmers retaliate by cutting off Mr. Fox's tail and destroying his home, forcing the local animal community underground. Mr. Fox leads the displaced animals on a mission to tunnel to the farmers' land to steal their goods. The farmers eventually flood the tunnels with cider, washing the animals into the sewers. During a rescue mission for a captured fox, a fight ensues between Mr. Fox and a security guard, resulting in the guard's death. The animals eventually settle into the sewers, where they find a new abundance of food. The film concludes with the animals celebrating their new life in the sewers while Mr. Fox and his wife discover she is pregnant again.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 87
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wes Anderson
- Writers
- Wes Anderson · screenplay; Noah Baumbach · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- George Clooney · Mr. Fox; Meryl Streep · Mrs. Fox; Jason Schwartzman · Kylie; Bill Murray · Conner; Willem Dafoe · Steve; Owen Wilson · Porter
- Genres
- adventure; comedy
- Tone and mood
- quirky; playful
- Premise and plot tags
- stop-motion animation; animal heist; class struggle
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1970 novel by Roald Dahl
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its humor, animation, and direction, though it underperformed at the box office.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 245; Metacritic · score: 83 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Animated Feature · 2010 · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Original Score · 2010 · Nominated; World Soundtrack Awards · Soundtrack Composer of the Year · 2010 · Won; World Soundtrack Awards · World Soundtrack of the Year · 2010 · Won; National Board of Review · Special Filmmaking Achievement · 2010 · Won
- Production trivia
- The film's aesthetic is intentionally anachronistic to the 1970s.; There is no frame in the film that lacks the color orange.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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This film adapts Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. Check the adaptation reference.
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