Fantastic Mr. Fox

Right now you can watch Fantastic Mr. Fox in Australia on Disney Plus and Stan, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 6,166 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. George Clooney is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Put it on tonight on Disney Plus and see for yourself.

There is a reason Fantastic Mr. Fox keeps coming up in conversation. Fantastic Mr. Fox gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. The Fantastic Mr. Fox, bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers. The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family. George Clooney and Meryl Streep lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2009. The timing in Fantastic Mr. Fox is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a strong candidate. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. George Clooney anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.