Fantastic Mr. Fox parents guide

Fantastic Mr. Fox Parent Guide

Regrettably for parents and kids looking for a literary treat, Mr. Fox and his friends are anything but fantastic company.

Overall C

When the local farmers decide to declare war on the mischievous predators invading their henhouses, they forget to take into account how hard it can be to out-fox a fox! And these field critters are particularly clever because they are following the lead of the Fantastic Mr. Fox (voice of George Clooney).

Release date November 25, 2009

Violence C+
Sexual Content A-
Profanity B-
Substance Use C

Why is Fantastic Mr. Fox rated PG? The MPAA rated Fantastic Mr. Fox PG for action, smoking and slang humor.

Run Time: 87 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

It doesn’t take long to realize Fantastic Mr. Fox bears a strong resemblance to another George Clooney action movie, Ocean’s Eleven, where crooks are the good guys and their criminal antics are glamorized. In this animated adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book about a four-legged lawbreaker (which is voiced by George Clooney), the main character is forced to give up his life of thievery when his wife Felicity (voice by Meryl Streep) announces she is pregnant.

Yet after 12 years, his honest job as a newspaper columnist and life in a foxhole has lost its appeal for the wily animal. In spite of his lawyer’s (voice by Bil Murray) better advice, Fox buys a tree house and moves his family in across the field from three of the fiercest, grumpiest farmers in the whole country—Walter Boggis (voice by Robin Hurlstone), Nathan Bunce (voice by Hugo Guinness) and Franklin Bean (voice by Michael Gambon). But living within sight of the town’s biggest chicken producer is too big of a temptation for the reformed crook. Before long Fox is sneaking out on his wife and son (voice by Jason Schwartzman) to steal plump hens from Boggis (voice by Robin Hurlstone). His crime spree extends to filching smoked meat from Bunce and apple cider booze from Bean’s wine cellar.

Unfortunately his felonies don’t just impact Fox and his family. The other forest animals also suffer when the determined farmers attempt to put an end to these escapades with guns, explosives and backhoes. Forced underground without food or water, Fox’s friends all face a terrible fate. In spite of that, Fox’s addiction to robbery, and the attention it brings, keeps him from repenting of his misdemeanors. And he simply looks for something else to pilfer.

Using puppets, this animated tale offers a creative version of the story, however the themes it promotes—crime, drinking and lying—are hardly family friendly. While the script avoids the use of any common profanities, it frequently uses the substitute "cuss" in conversations. Like many of Dahl’s other stories, including Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this film also features negative depictions of obese characters and subtle messages about class distinctions.

Regrettably for parents and kids looking for a literary treat, Mr. Fox and his friends are anything but fantastic company.

Directed by Wes Anderson. Starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray. Running time: 87 minutes. Theatrical release November 25, 2009. Updated

Fantastic Mr. Fox
Rating & Content Info

Why is Fantastic Mr. Fox rated PG? Fantastic Mr. Fox is rated PG by the MPAA for action, smoking and slang humor.

The film contains frequent scenes of alcohol and cigarette use. Characters are shot at, electrocuted, tied up, caged, bullied and chased by dogs. During an argument, a woman scratches a man’s face. Men attempt to drown animals. Explosions destroy homes. A graphic description is given of the farmers’ intentions for the animals. A rodent is killed and his dead body is put into the sewer. Characters steal items, lie to others and destroy property. The script substitutes the word "cuss" for profanities throughout the film. A married couple kisses briefly and discusses pregnancies.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox Parents' Guide

What activity does Mr. Fox’s son finally engage in to prove he is a man? How does Mrs. Fox feel about her husband’s life of crime? What types of crime are glorified in this script?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Fantastic Mr. Fox movie is March 23, 2010. Here are some details…

Release Date: 23 March 2010
Fantastic Mr. Fox releases to DVD (single disc) with the following extras:
- Widescreen presentation of the film on DVD
- From Script to Screen
- Still Life (Puppet Animation)
- A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat
Fantastic Mr. Fox also releases in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo edition. This version offers all of bonus materials of the DVD edition plus:
- Widescreen presentation of the film in Blu-ray
- Digital Copy of the film
- Making Mr. Fox Fantastic
- The Look Of Fantastic Mr. Fox
- The Puppet Makers
- The Cast
- Bill And His Badger
- Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World Of Roald Dahl

Related home video titles:

Despite the apprehensions of his family and friends, a little mousefollows his unusual dreams to explore and read, as well as make friends with a human princess in The Tale of Despereaux. In the movie Ratatouille, a rat living in Paris aspires to be a world famous chef.