Chapter forty-nine: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Hello everybody! It's Wednesday. I say this dull statement supposing you are like me and needed a gentle reminder of what day it was. I woke up and thought it was Monday, which I believe is coincidental because I woke up on Monday thinking it was Wednesday. Oy vey. Can you imagine what it'll be like when I have to go back to school? Anyway, that's an irrelevant concern for the future. Today, I blog!

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This film, which evolved from the classic children's book by Roald Dahl of the same title, is about a fox (George Clooney) who makes his living causing havoc among humans with his wife (Meryl.) Told that he will be a father, Mr. Fox (no specific name) promises his wife that he will find another career that isn't so daring. Soon, he is a journalist and lives in a large, stable tree with his family. Now he also has three human neighbors who are farmers, and the temptation to mess with their livestock is irresistible. He breaks the promise and resumes his old ways with his buddy, Badger (Bill Murray.) The simile "sly as a fox" really comes into play and is a crucial part of the main character's personality.

The three farmers, Boggins, Bunce, and Bean, set traps to catch the pesky animals, but the traps only heighten the thrill of the invasion for the animals. That is until Mrs. Fox finds out, on top of which, news has spread that the farmers are plotting to cut down the tree where they all live. As Mr. Fox tries to take action against the threat, his cousin Kris (Eric Chase Anderson) is taken by the farmers as bait.

Mr. Fox begins to realize his foolish ways and that maybe he isn't able to do this alone in light of the fact that he isn't as young as he used to be. He swallows his pride, and all of the animals together develop a revenge plan. As a result, they build this sort of Rube Goldberg contraption, which triggers one reaction after another as Mr. Fox and Badger raid all three farmers and run them out of town. The efforts of the creatures provide them with a bundle of burroughs. One of which leads to a grocery store, creating a lifetime supply of food for the animals.

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My opinion of this movie is that "they" (no one, specific in particular) got an A-list cast to do an animated film. Don't get me wrong, saying that doesn't mean I didn't like it or that it's not worth watching. It stays true to the story and is created in the whimsical childlike style that Roald Dahl is known for; I'm just not a huge fan of the claymation technique.

I read somewhere that Roald was heavily involved with this movie and saved a scene from being cut where Mr. Fox comes face-to-face with a black fox who's aloof when being called to. Roald kept that scene because it represented Mr. Fox recognizing a past version of himself that had done wrong. I didn't know a creator could have that much power. Aside from that though, I mean Meryl and Clooney, I can't be the only person in America who wants to see them in a live-action movie.

On an unrelated note, I am also finally realizing that I missed my one shot to wish you a *Meryl* Christmas, so I am just casually sliding it in here at the end and hoping somebody finds the cringy pun slightly funny.

As always, thank you for the entertainment, Meryl.