The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The movie you should put first on your list to see this week is the most inventive family film of the year.

"The Fantastic Mr. Fox" is a refreshingly non-digital animated film, starring a perfect voice cast: George Clooney as Mr. Fox; Meryl Streep as his steady wife; Jason Schwartzman as the Fox's son; and a wonderful supporting cast that includes Michael Gambon, Owen Wilson, and Willem Dafoe as the Rat.

Mr. Fox used to hunt chickens, but settled down when he got married, and is now a journalist. But time is catching up with him. He goes to his attorney, an opossum voiced by Bill Murray, and decides to move up—from his hole to a tree house. Clearly in mid-Fox life crisis, Mr. Fox decides it time for one, final chicken raid with his friends. It doesn't go well. The script is terrific, the performers are perfect, and you'll sit there wanting more.

Shows amazing ingenuity and skill, says The New York Times. Maybe the perfect kids movie for grown-ups: 4 ˝ out of 5 from the Arizona Republic. An adventure in pure imagination, says Rolling Stone. I say 4 ˝ out of 5.

"The Fantastic Mr. Fox" is rated PG