Roald Dahl’s children’s book come to life in a charming stop-motion animated family fare courtesy of the ever so twee filmmaker Wes Anderson.

CRITIQUE

Truly – well, fantastic – animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's lit classic as envisioned by filmmaker Wes Anderson (who co-wrote with Noah Baumbach and actually provides a voice talent too) about sly, wry Mr. Fox (equally wry and sly George Clooney, his voice as welcome as a blanket on a snowy winter's night) whose days of chicken rousting are numbered when he backpedals from his domestic bliss with wife & teen son (Meryl Streep & Jason Schwartzman equally cozy tones) to abscond with poultry from three community farmers (read: villains) and the consequences unleashed upon his animal community with impunity.

Fast, fun and sharply etched with fine comedic bravado throughout (thank you again Bill Murray for your insouciant vocals) and a truly amazing tour-de-force for the stop-motion animators and production design by Nelson Lowr with its autumnal palette and homemade puppetry look (waycool how everything bristles to life!) One of my favorites of the year 2009, and one of the best family films of the year to boot; hell, one of last year's best!

THE VIDEO

Crisp, pristine, awesome picture quality – boasts its diorama designs to the hilt.

THE AUDIO

Clear as a bell overall.

THE EXTRAS

To paraphrase any of the characters, “What the cuss?!”

The extras here are very skimpy: a trailer, two under 10-minute featurettes From Script to Screen and Still Life which skims on the adaptation process and the pain-staking craftsmanship to get the little critters to come to life via stop-motion animation (seriously needs a Criterion makeover STAT!), and A Beginner’s Guide to Wack-a-Bat is another glimpse of the fictitious sport displayed in the film (as well as its ingenious deployment in the climax).

FINAL THOUGHT

Worthy of a rental and for all hard core animation fans, a must-own.