This movie was awesome. I didn't think I would like it since it looked more like a kids' movie; but I was laughing through the whole movie. It was surprisingly funny.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
(2009, Rated PG, Family and kids, Starring George Clooney, Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Offbeat family adventure may charm adults more than kids.
Themes in this movie include: family relationships, friendship, honesty, revenge
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 7 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Fantastic Mr. Fox was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Parents need to know that director Wes Anderson's dry, offbeat adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's story Fantastic Mr. Fox is fine for most grade-schoolers but also has some themes and humor that will go over kids' head. The story features a lot of scheming and violence, as three farmers plot to kill Mr. Fox for stealing from them. There are explosions, guns, a knife-wielding rat, a rabid dog, and a secondary character's death, but none of it is graphic or too scary (just a bit startling and/or tense in spots). The farmers smoke and drink, as do the adult animals, who tend to drink with dinner. Aside from a couple of kisses between Mr. and Mrs. Fox, there's no sexuality to speak of, and the language is limited to the word "cuss" being used as a substitute for stronger words (as in "what the cuss?").
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about whether Mr. Fox is right to indulge in his "wild animal" instincts. Should he have honored his promise to Mrs. Fox? What motivates Mr. Fox to steal from the farmers?
- What can you learn from Kristofferson and Ash's relationship? How are they different, and when does Ash finally become self-confident?
- How is this movie's style different from other animated movies? What's the effect of stop-action animation compared to the slicker computer-animated animation?
- How does the movie compare to the book? Is this what you pictured when you read the story?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Fantastic Mr. Fox
What’s the Story?
Director Wes Anderson's latest quirky family drama, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, chronicles how Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney), restless in his tame job as a newspaper columnist, decides to indulge his animalistic urges to steal game (and cider) from the three biggest farmers in the area. Even though stealing means breaking his word to Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), Mr. Fox -- aided by his gullible opossum friend Kylie (Wally Wolodarsky) -- can't help but plan his next big score ... until farmers Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Bunce (Hugo Guinness), and Bean (Michael Gambon) team up to kill the wily thief. Mr. Fox leads his wife, adolescent son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), and nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) into hiding underground, where they meet neighboring badgers, rabbits, mice, and other animals who are suffering due to the farmers' war with Mr. Fox. Starving and unhappy, the animals spur Mr. Fox to keep scheming until they've outwitted the humans.
Is It Any Good?
After seeing a long parade of 3-D digitally animated movies, Anderson's stop-motion adventure is a welcome delight. The director brings his auteuristic obsession with family dynamics to this offbeat tale, which will probably appeal more to hipster cinephiles than kids who prefer the slick CGI style of other animated releases. Clooney and Streep (does it get much better than that?) are spot-on as middle-aged married parents struggling to balance their wilder instincts with their domestic responsibilities. Clooney in particular is amazingly adept with his voice work -- especially when he gives Mr. Fox's trademark "click click" noise after voicing his brilliant heist plans.
The relationship between cousins Kristofferson -- a gentle spirit with extraordinary skills at everything from meditation to martial arts -- and Ash -- a son desperately trying to live up to his father's grand reputation -- is surprisingly touching and believable. One of the film's most amusing sequences involves a deliciously complicated school sport called Whack Bat (the best fictional game this side of Quidditch), which is explained by none other than Owen Wilson, as Ash and Kristofferson's coach. In addition to Schwartzman and Wilson, other Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe play memorable supporting roles as a badger lawyer and a vindictive rat, respectively. Anderson's purposely quirky films tend to alienate mainstream audiences, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is a charming, heartwarming exception.
Movie Details
Studio: Fox Searchlight, Director: Wes Anderson
Run time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/13/2009
MPAA Rating: PG for action, smoking and slang humor
Run time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/13/2009
MPAA Rating: PG for action, smoking and slang humor
Our Members Say
See all 50 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Awesome family comedy
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I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
HERE WE GO AGAIN
im sorry but the previews make me wanna throw up. first where the wild things are now this geez QUIT RUINING GREAT KID BOOKS
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A must see for all ages!
This movie is so cute and fun! For violence, know that nothing bloody... just a red dot where Mr. Fox's tail used to be after it is shot off. There is a lot of fighting but the scene with the rabid dog is cute and funny! No language AT ALL. it is all replaced with "cuss". I just marked it because kids may ask what "cuss" means because it is frequently used. The stop motion animation is so cool, the sound track is really good, too! A must-see for all ages! Adults and children will love Fantastic Mr. Fox! I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! :)
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Don't Miss Mr. Fox!
Awesome animated movie that kids and adults can enjoy together! We still laugh about how they acted pretty civilized and would then devour their meals!
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
great!
i loved this movie! it's one of the many book movies that i've seen. i though that for younger kids the rat can be a bit frighting and since it's made all out of clay it can seem to be a little creepy.
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
Subsitutions for swear words is dispicable!
I thought the use of the word "cuss" in place of swear words was terrible, because I knew what the words would have been. It was a little too much for such a young audience. Also, the scene where the rat gets slit in the throat with a knife was very intese and a bit disgusting.
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
Pre-Teens
this movie...well,pretty so-so.i cant think of anything else to say.see ya
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I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
Total Junk, that hollywood loves, cheating, stealing and lying, with no good message
The message was weird... Lye, steal, lie to your family, use your friends, be unkind to your son (until he does something that you like (cheating/stealing/lying) The animation was cool in the begining, but didn't keep you interested. I thinlk it waqs a total waste of money and talent, I would go to the frog prince instead.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Amazing movie! Stop motion animation was wonderful! Littler kids might not get it though. Might be too violent for little kids. My brother, age 7, loved it.
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I rate this title off for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
Horrible Movie
This movie was terrible! The story was entirely confusing and boring. Totally hated it and so did everyone who watched it with me. DO NOT WATCH!!!
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
It is a beautifully made movie. The detail, the story telling, the character development. I truly can say that it is visually one of the most engaging movies I've seen in a long time. Kids? Didn't take them, they are 3 and 5 and not ready to see it yet. However, I made my husband promise we would buy it so that one day we may be able to share the experience with them.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
BEST EVER!?!?!?!?!
LOVE THE MOVIE!!i saw it in the theaters over thanksgiving break and its the best animated movie ive ever seen and ive seen billions.I love the part whe n he does his signal thing.He whistles holds up two fingers and clicks twice.So cute.go see it if u havent
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
BEST EVER!?!?!?!?!
LOVE THE MOVIE!!i saw it in the theaters over thanksgiving break and its the best animated movie ive ever seen and ive seen billions.I love the part whe n he does his signal thing.He whistles holds up two fingers and clicks twice.So cute.go see it if u havent
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Good, not great
My kids and I enjoyed this movie. However, I thought the theme/message was a little over their head (the idea that if when you take things too far, you make trouble for yourself) so they weren't quite sure what to make of the movie. They movie used the word "cuss" instead of swear words, but the dialogue was peppered with a lot of "cuss" words. I thought the writers could have been a little more creative than that.
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
4 and 1/2 could go either way.
At 4 and 1/2 our son loved this movie and found some bits really funny. But there were a few moments when I thought he would be scared, but they passed quickly. I personally loved the fact that the movie had many layers and an adult could enjoy it as much as the kids.
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I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Humorous but iffy..
I can't say it's very worth watching. Yes there were very funny parts but the violence is not good for small kids; nor the drinking and some language. However, this movie is exciting and you'll never think of foxes like ever before again!
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I rate this title off for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
how did this get such great reviews?
the older style of animation makes it sort of 'sentimental' but really, this movie was uncomfortable in it's amount of violence and aggression. it was a good discussion starter to talk about addiction and theft... but how many families will debrief this message and how many kids will get it. my kids were uncomfortable, the grandparents were uncomfortable and obviously, I was too!
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- My highlights are:
Tame enough for kids, but crearly amied at adults
This is a very good movie based on a very good book, the animation is like noting you've seen before and the plot and charectes are both intraguing and funny. But this film dose have some issues: 1. Mr. fox lies and steals, but he eventually learns his lesson. 2. The hunters try all kinds of things to kill mr. fox, from guns, drowning, exploshins, and electric fences, an evil rat dies, but it's not very graphic 3. One farmer smokes and drinks alot So overal this is a fine movie for both kids and adults!
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I rate this title iffy for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Whether this movie scares your kids or not may depend whether they know the book. My 6-year-old son has read the book many times, so he had the confidence that he knew what was going to happen & Mr. Fox and all the other "good guys" would survive. Admittedly, it departs tremendously from the book, but the ending is untouched. My son liked this movie as much as he liked the book. I, on the other hand, found the movie tedious, with long sections of pop-psychology babble about why Mr. Fox is motivated to steal chickens, yadda yadda yadda. In the book, there is no such soul-searching. Mr. Fox steals chickens because he is a *fox.* The movie also shoehorns in lots of pop psychology about the Foxes' marriage & the rivalry between 2 adolescent foxes. Now, I can like talky movies with lots of character' development, but this just hit me as a load of cliches and stale jokes. I was really surprised my son liked it. Maybe he liked it *because* all the poorly-done psychobabble went over his head. He said he liked it because there were good guys and bad guys and the good guy was smart. Well, I guess that's as close as it gets to a good message: smart is better than dumb. Otherwise, I found this a big waste of time.
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Great book, great movie!
I read this book as a young child and really loved the story. I was so excited when I saw that they were making a movie about it. I was very pleased at how it turned out. At first, I was skeptical of the kind of animation they used, but it grew on me. This film is entertaining for both kids and adults. There are also many hilarious, and very quotable, lines. The cast is great too! Definitely go see this!
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Ratings at a Glance
| 37% | of parents say it's too violent |
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