Roald Dahl got it long before the big players at DreamWorks and Pixar were out the womb.  The best kids’ creations have a few witty shots of adulthood – and not just to keep parents awake.  Mix a children’s tale with the ironic and the sinister, and it grows up with them. You keep coming back to dig deeper into the darkness.

The stop-motion world Wes Anderson creates is a vibrant Fauvist patchwork set alive by the odd passing train or lonely figure. Dahl’s protagonist is the delightfully cocky Mr Fox (George Clooney’s smooth tones), addicted to the thrill of chicken-capture despite his wife’s protests.  When the family move to a new tree near the three thriving farms of Boggis, Bunce and Bean, it isn’t just the marital disputes that increase.  Foxy kicks off a war of wills that will jeopardise the whole animal neighbourhood.

Anderson was never going to resist his chance for a little family drama, and Mr Fox’s son twitches with teenage angst.  Athletically and romantically challenged, Ash watches cousin Kristofferson stroll away with adored lab partner Agnes.  Her protests of the platonic are met with deadpan brilliance:  “No. You’re disloyal.” 

Sure, Anderson’s committing a little creative infidelity himself, but if the director’s additional relationship woes grind, his other trademarks work. Each potential curse is replaced with the word ‘cuss’ to create a quirky dialogue both hilarious and absurd.  The soundtracks of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums were whimsical perfection. That of Fantastic Mr Fox is just cussing unforgettable. A children’s chorus whisper Dahl’s Boggis, Bunce and Bean rhyme, which refrains to a sinister shriek towards the finale. Stones and Beach Boys classics capture the youth for which Foxy can’t help but crave. Pulp legend Jarvis Cocker even pops up as the banjo-strumming Petey.

For kids delving into Dahl for the first time, it may all seem a little strange and backward. For you who’ve known the story for years and appreciate the hilarity of a “cluster-cuss”, this is as good as it gets.