The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

With “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Wes Anderson has made not only a jewel that pays homage to 1960s stop-motion classics such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” it looks as if it were made 40 years ago and stored in a wine cellar until now. As the characters move and speak, you can see odd ticks that seem old-fashioned but flourish with personality. Anderson, director of the infinitely smart and cool “Rushmore,” has turned Roald Dahl’s classic story into a clever heist comedy, a coming of age tail (bad pun intended), and a satire on – get this – real estate markets and capitalism run amok. Anderson’s “Fox” is played as a live-action film, envisioned by the smartest, coolest kids in art class. How many other animated films’ have scenes involving lawyer consultations and the woes of new home repair? The voice cast -- George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman – are a delight. Another high mark in a year of stellar animated films (“Up,” “Coraline” and “Ponyo”). A