100 Movies - No. 96: Bottle Rocket

96. Bottle Rocket (1996)
Comedy, Crime, Romance, 91 minutes
Directed by Wes Anderson
Starring Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, James Caan and Robert Musgrave

Bottle Rocket is one of the hardest movies I've ever decided to review. The story isn't great and the acting isn't meant to be taken seriously. There aren't any memorable messages or profound events. So why has it become one of my favorite comedies?

It's all about tone and style.

Director Wes Anderson doesn't look for the obvious laugh. It doesn't matter whether the story makes sense or whether events fit perfectly. Anderson reminds me of David Lynch in some ways, but the subject matter is generally much lighter. He creates worlds, and there's something not quite right with those worlds. It makes them fascinating places to visit.

Bottle Rocket begins with Anthony (Luke Wilson) feigning escape from a mental institution which he attends voluntarily. He does this to make things more exciting for his friend, Dignan (Owen Wilson). Dignan is an interesting character. He's capable of doing idiotic things, but he's not exactly stupid. He just can't see the danger in some of the bizarre things he attempts. We are shown his 75-year plan, outlining all the goals he's aiming to reach over the course of his life.

Dignan sees himself as a criminal mastermind and practices by helping Anthony rob his own house. The pair hang around with their friend, Bob (Musgrove), who drives their getaway car because he's the only one of the group who owns a car. The group proves how utterly inept it is during a bookstore robbery. They are so bad that it works well as comedy. After the robbery, the group decides to flee the town and hides in a motel.

Anthony falls in love with a housekeeper at the motel, despite the fact that she can barely speak any English. He does his best to communicate and occasionally enlists the help of someone to translate. That leads to major confusion at one point in the movie.

Dignan eventually introduces the gang to Mr. Henry (Caan), who once fired him from his job as a landscape gardener. Dignan believes that Henry's company is just a front and that he's also a criminal mastermind. He wants to prove to Henry that he can pull off robberies of his own and so he plans a raid on a storage facility with Anthony, Bob and some of Henry's friends. This sequence is ridiculous and highlights just how idiotic Dignan can be. When the robbery is interrupted and they have been seen, he instructs the group to put on their bandit masks.

Bottle Rocket marked the debuts of Luke and Owen Wilson, and Owen Wilson helped Wes Anderson with the screenplay. It's a film made by a group of friends who had known each other since they met in school. The film was rejected by the Sundance Festival, and initial test screenings were a disaster. It appeared that nobody wanted to embrace Anderson's quirky sense of humor. However, over the years, Bottle Rocket has gained a lot of fans.

Wes Anderson's career has blossomed since his debut, but he's always retained that quirky style and tone. Bottle Rocket isn't perfect, but it's significant to me because it's where everything began for Anderson.

If you like Bottle Rocket:

Anderson's work is an acquired taste. Like many directors, he trusts certain actors and works with them on a regular basis. I would honestly recommend all of his films if you are a fan of Bottle Rocket. Start with Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.

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My Top 20 animated movies: Part 2, #11-15

My Top 20 animated movies (continued)

I promised yesterday that I would reveal the next five movies from my 20 favorite animated titles, so here they are:

15. Watership Down (1978)

Directed by Martin Rosen

Starring the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers and Ralph Richardson

The first thing you should know is that I love rabbits. That made me curious about Watership Down, so I borrowed the DVD from my local library. Richard Adams’ novel tells the story of a small group of rabbits threatened by a development scheme which could destroy their home. Fiver (Briers), is a young rabbit with a gift; he catches glimpses of the future. He sees imminent danger and encourages the other rabbits to leave, but only a small group listen. Hazel (Hurt) is Fiver’s brother and leads the group as they search for a safer home. They are joined by Bigwig, Silver and Buckthorn. The group faces dangers from other animals, rival warrens and humans, and the quest continually encounters perilous situations. The film is informative for anyone interested in group dynamics as we see how the individuals find their roles in the new order. It also shows the difference between those with strong character and those who are too weak to do anything but follow the established rules. There’s a lot of blood as the rabbits fight for survival, and there is no shortage of death.

I wouldn’t recommend showing this to small children as it could give them nightmares for years to come. It’s suitable for older teens and up though. I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of the German Blu-ray and I’ll write a full review after it arrives.

14. Tangled (2010)

Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

Starring the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy

Are you tired of seeing Disney films involving princesses and too many songs? I was, and that’s why I resisted the temptation to see Tangled. But after a while, I caved in and gave it a try. It was a pleasant surprise in more ways than one.

It’s the story of what happens when Rapunzel (Moore) and Flynn Rider (Levi) meet. Rapunzel is kept trapped in a tower by an old woman who taps her powers in order to remain young, while Rider is a thief. The two go on an adventure that’s full of discovery and action. You’ll also meet Pascal, a chameleon who has befriended Rapunzel. He doesn’t speak, but his body language is hilarious and he steals a few scenes. Maximus is the other source of humor. He’s a horse who spends his time tracking Rider in an attempt to bring him to justice.

Disney’s 50^th animated title is a delight and suitable for people of all ages.

Here’s my full review.

13. Bambi (1942)

Directed by James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield and Norman Wright

Starring the voices of Hardie Albright, Peter Behn, Stan Alexander and Bobette Audrey

Bambi is a prime example of classic Disney. The main theme of the film is innocence, and it details the early years in the life of a young deer. I saw the film as a child and again recently when it was released on Blu-ray, and found that I had forgotten just how beautiful the story is. Bambi is raised by his mother and befriends various other forest animals such as Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk. We see Bambi learn how to walk and talk, always with the help of his friends. Like any youngster, he’s curious about his surroundings. The film is full of scenes in which he discovers new things and learns how to interact with his environment. The one scar on the film’s beauty is the death of Bambi’s mother. It happens offscreen, but it’s obviously something which could disturb small children. In fact, I know a few adults who won’t watch it because of that event. The remainder of the story is full of charm and we see how Bambi and his friends discover love and choose their mates.

The Blu-ray presentation is outstanding and the film looks great considering it’s almost 70 years old. Bambi gets my vote for the most beautiful story Disney has ever told.

12. Castle in the Sky (1986)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Starring the voices of James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill

Sheeta (Paquin) is a young girl who falls from an airship at the start of the story. She wears a magic crystal which enables her to float safely to the ground. She meets Pazu who is a boy about her age and the two become friends. Friendship is a common theme in Miyazaki’s films and often forms the foundation of the story. The pair are being chased by pirates who want the crystal for themselves. Sheeta learns that knowledge of the crystals was once common and that an entire island was created which floated in the sky. The crystal is thought to have the power to show the location of the legendary island and so they try to establish its whereabouts. The story is full of action and adventure, as well as some surprises along the way. It works because of the sense of friendship between Sheeta and Pazu, and it has plenty of charm.

The film has been released on Blu-ray in Japan, Australia and the UK, so a North American release can’t be very far away. It's a good family film and can be enjoyed by people of any age.

11. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Directed by Wes Anderson

Starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray

Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story is often funny, but also contains serious themes which might be lost on some children. It uses stop motion and tells the tale of Mr. Fox, who has trouble resisting the temptation to steal from the local farmers. He’s not a very good father and can’t be trusted by his wife, but has a certain roguish charm. The film mixes standard animated action with a quirky sense of humor that’s more subtle than that found in most stories. His antics put his family and other animals in danger as the three farmers he robs team up and decide to kill him. The humor is close in style to that used in Bottle Rocket and The Darjeeling Limited, rather than something you would expect to find in an animated film. The story isn’t afraid to show animals being hurt or even dying, so caution should be used if you’re planning to watch it with smaller children.

The Blu-ray presentation looks incredible and the voice acting is strong throughout. There’s no other animated film quite like this one.

Here’s my full review.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson's signature style shines through

Fantastic Mr. Fox (animation, adventure, comedy)

Directed by Wes Anderson

Starring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Michael Gambon

20th Century Fox | 2009 | 87 min | Rated PG | Released Mar 23, 2010

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English, French, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), Portuguese, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy (with digital copy)

The Film 4.5/5

Wes Anderson’s films are traditionally quirky and full of complex themes, and his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is no different. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s animated (stop motion); this material is not targeted at children.

When we join the story, Mrs. Fox (Streep) is telling Mr. Fox (Clooney) that she’s pregnant. The two proceed to rob a chicken farm and narrowly escape capture. Mrs. Fox makes him promise to look for other work now that they are about to become parents. Mr. Fox agrees and finds a job writing a newspaper column. 

Mr. Fox settles down in his new life, but always regrets giving up his old ways. He’s also tired of living in a hole in the ground and wants a better home for his family. He goes to see Badger (Murray), who advises him about properties for sale in the area. Fox wants a house near three local farms, but Badger suggests that the neighborhood is too dangerous. The local children even have a rhyme about the farmers:

Boggis, Bunce and Bean

One fat, one short, one lean

These horrible crooks

So different in looks

Were nonetheless equally mean

Fox is aware of the danger, but yearns for his former chicken-stealing days. As Anderson regularly reminds us, these are wild animals. Fox can’t deny his nature and buys the new house so that he can be close to the three farms.

His decision goes directly against his promise to his wife and that was his first mistake.

There’s a lot of humor in the film, but it’s generally quite subtle. The family sits down to eat dinner and they eat like wild animals. The food is gone in seconds. Their son, Ash, is moody and craves attention from his father. He spits on the floor when he’s angry or disappointed and he clearly has problems. When his cousin Kristofferson comes to stay, the situation worsens. Fox seems to favor Kristofferson over his own son and compliments him constantly.

Forget that we’re dealing with animals for a moment and think about the story. If that happened in a regular movie, we would be dealing with a typical family drama. Husband and wife break promises and have trust issues, while their son is being raised by parents who don’t understand him. This is not the kind of story that small children would understand, although some of the scenes are funny and contain action that would appeal to a child.

Fox enlists the help of Kylie Opossum and the two steal chickens from Boggis. The action is typical animated fare and the way the two sneak around is funny. They lace blueberries with a sedative to get past the dogs and the way the dogs react is also funny. They successfully steal from Bunce and plan to stop once they steal cider from Bean. For the final robbery, Ash wants to come along. Fox won’t let him, but allows Kristofferson to take part. He seems to have very little idea that such a decision could hurt his son’s feelings.

The robberies are fun to watch, especially when the animals wear bandit hats. It reminds me of the robbery in Bottle Rocket when the participants decide to wear similar hats even though their victims have already seen their faces.

Ash yearns to be an athlete and wants to emulate his father’s success at Whack-Bat (a game which parodies cricket). Kristofferson is a balanced individual who regularly meditates and knows karate. Ash is extremely jealous of his cousin and his ability to win his father’s approval.

The three robberies annoy the farmers, so Bean (Gambon) decides to organize the trio and plans to kill Fox. This is where the film starts to take on a more serious tone. Mrs. Fox discovers that her husband has been lying to her and scratches his face in a fit of temper. This scene annoyed one of my friends who expected the film to be lighthearted and suitable for the whole family. Mrs. Fox acts like the wild animal she is. There’s another scene in which one of the animals is maimed. Although it’s presented in a humorous way, it could disturb people.

The remainder of the film deals with the three farmers finding ways to threaten the existence of Fox and his friends. They escape by tunneling deeper, but face the threat of starvation if they don’t find a solution. Some of the other animals resent Fox for putting them in such a dangerous situation.

There’s considerable peril which could worry small children, and a lot of humor which would probably fly over their heads. It was only given a PG-rating, but be aware that not every child will like this harsh world. The animals are true to their nature.

The reason I like the film so much is the style of humor. Like Bottle Rocket and The Darjeeling Limited, the characters speak with a sense of irony or sarcasm and most of the humor is tongue-in-cheek. It feels similar to Tarantino or the Coen brothers at times. There’s no swearing, but every character uses the word "cuss" in situations in which they would normally swear. I found that particularly funny. One animal questions why a ransom note was made using words cut out of a magazine when everyone already knew the identities of the kidnappers. That’s also funny to me. The missions all have elaborate titles and remind me of the way Tarantino uses chapters in his stories.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is an exercise in style. Mr. Fox himself is very stylish, dressing smartly and using his trademark whistle when he thinks he’s being clever or cool. Clooney was a great choice for the part and the other actors all do a good job too.

The story is essentially about a dysfunctional family and shows how Ash attempts to come to terms with his existence. Will Mr. Fox eventually become a better father? Will Ash grow up and take responsibility for his own actions? Do Mr. and Mrs. Fox strengthen their marriage, or will the trust issues tear them apart? There’s a lot going on beneath the surface.

Video Quality 5/5

The look of Fantastic Mr. Fox is virtually flawless. The frames were shot digitally with a high quality camera and the detail is superb throughout. You can see every hair on the puppets and the stitches in their clothing. Some scenes look deliberately flat when shot from a distance and the color palette is full of brown and yellow tints, but that’s all intentional too. I didn’t spot any errors in a single shot and the presentation looks as good as anything I’ve seen.

Audio Quality 4/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has its moments, despite the quiet nature of the film. Most of the story is driven by dialogue, but there are occasional bursts of sound in scenes involving music or explosions. The rear speakers aren’t used prominently, but there’s no cause for complaint overall.

Special Features 3/5

The features were all shot in high definition.

Making Mr. Fox Fantastic (45 minutes) – A six-part feature which can also be viewed all at once. Topics include the look of the film, how it was adapted from the book and how the puppets were made. There’s an in-depth look at the filming process and a look at the actors behind the voices. The final segment shows Bill Murray talking to some of the animators.

A Beginner’s Guide to Whack-Bat (1 minute)

Fantastic Mr. Fox: The World of Roald Dahl (3 minutes) – Touching on the main points shown in the opening feature.

Trailer (2 minutes)

Fantastic Mr. Fox has a lot of intelligent humor and subtle charm and it’s clearly aimed at adult audiences. I wouldn’t rule out showing the film to children, but be aware that wild animals sometimes show their true nature and their world can be brutal. I’m a fan of Wes Anderson’s work and this met all my expectations in terms of style and humor. It’s one of the most complex and unusual animated titles I have seen and recommended for fans of subtle humor. The world is an interesting place to visit and the film is a lot of fun if you go in with the right expectations.

Overall score 4.5/5

Click here to see where Fantastic Mr. Fox ranks among my Top 20 animated films.


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