AT FIRST glance, the animation in Fantastic Mr Fox may appear crude and amateurish.

But look closer and you'll know that this adaptation of a children's book by Roald Dahl (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory) is pure art precisely because it is intentionally low-tech.

This film, directed by Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums), relies on the old-school charms of puppetry and the handcrafted stop-motion technique, which was recently used to great effect in Henry Selick's Coraline. Anderson aims for a more old-fashioned, less-polished feel, hence the sometimes-jerky movements of the characters.

But he spares no effort in crafting the perfect backdrop (for example, Mr Fox's study is modelled on Dahl's writing room) or ensuring that the stop-motion puppets are covered in realistic fabric and fur.

The story follows a family of foxes headed by Mr and Mrs Fox, voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep. Clooney, in particular, is a genius in his role as a fox-dad with a wild side. When the restless Mr Fox answers his own existential question by reverting to his old vocation as a chicken thief, it feels like Clooney is actually reprising his character of heist mastermind Danny Ocean from Ocean's Eleven (2001).

Much of the movie's fun and hilarity comes from the fact that the animals are dressed up in civilised attire - for example, a corduroy jacket for Mr Fox and a full business suit for Badger the lawyer (Bill Murray) - but, when you least expect it, they start acting like animals.

Aided by an opossum accomplice (Wally Wolodarsky), Mr Fox plans his heists with precision and succeeds in pilfering from mean farmers.

When the enraged victims strike back, the Foxes - including their misfit son, Ash (Jason Schwartzman) - find themselves fleeing from their destroyed tree house.

What ensues is a feisty display of community spirit as they rally their furry neighbours to collectively outsmart their human oppressors.

Children will, no doubt, find the characters lovable and their animal antics amusing.

But it takes an adult to fully appreciate Anderson's quirky sense of humour and the topics that he brings to the fore - marriage, effective parenting, community bonding and, in the case of one fantastic Mr Fox, how to weather your midlife crisis and emerge victorious.

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