Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is fresh and wonderful. Based on the Roald Dahl novel of the same name, it is what the child inside me has longed to see since The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s witty enough in dialogue to keep adults entertained and playful enough to keep young children captivated.

Visually, Fantastic is radiant beyond imagination. The stop-motion animation gives it a unique feel; if it had been made with computer-generated animation like a Pixar movie, the cartooniness would have taken over. Sure, The Incredibles received great acclaim in its attempts to mimic a blockbuster, but it could have easily been shot as a live action film.

Anderson took advantage of the animation style to bring the audience closer to the film and perform shots “that you can’t do in live action,” he says in the New York Times’ “Anatomy of a Scene” film commentary clips. “There’s freedom that we got from working this way that I really enjoyed,” he adds. The scenes in particular are done with what-may-seem-cheesy-if-done-wrong Looney Toons-style thematics. A perfect example is when the camera pulls back to reveal the entire cross section of underground tunnels, or the literally confused eyes of Mr. Fox and his friend Kylie.

The story is also one that suits all kinds. Mr. Fox goes out to steal chickens. This plot, however, quickly turns against him. The antagonist farmers go after not only him, but his friends and family as well. There is suspense and anticipation gripping in every scene, while its despondency is kept at a minimum – which was the downfall of last month’s release Where the Wild Things Are. If you can, pony up the money and see this movie in theatres. It is truly fantastic.