The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales Blu-ray Review

The AVC encoded image of "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales" is a brilliant showcase for non-CGI animation, highlighting the bright watercolor world meticulously rendered by Benjamin Renner. Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the 1080P resolution preserves the vibrant splendor of the original artwork with exceptional clarity. The character designs boast defined primaries while the backgrounds offer seasonal nuances, providing a visually stimulating experience from start to finish. Details remain sharp throughout, enhancing full frame appreciation and capturing the playful antics of the characters with precise delineation.

Licensed from StudioCanal, the Blu-ray's transfer is executed with unparalleled precision, revealing a depth of color and vibrancy that truly bring Renner's whimsical animal characters to life. The perfect AVC encode ensures an uninterrupted viewing experience, free of any banding, while maintaining excellent black levels that support the richly colored palette. This disc stands as an exemplary model of traditional animation on Blu-ray, merging simple line art with a subtle color palette to produce stunning visuals. Overall, this release is an ideal piece for videophile enthusiasts and animation admirers alike, showcasing how beautifully non-CGI animation can be preserved and presented.

The Blu Ray presentation of "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales" features an engaging 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix, available in both French and English options, providing viewers with a versatile auditory experience. The sound mix is primarily frontal, focusing heavily on dialogue exchanges, which are delivered with sharp precision and nuanced performance. While the feature's audio design doesn't extensively utilize surround capabilities, it compensates with clear and lively scoring that enhances the film's whimsical nature. The low-end is moderate, with selective moments of enhanced weight through well-placed explosions and accidents.

Both the original French audio and the English dub exhibit excellent recording fidelity. Dialogue exchanges are crystal clear, maintaining a high level of precision throughout. The English dub, featuring British comedians and actors, is particularly well-executed, often expanding on the original French dialogue to elevate the humor for English-speaking audiences. Subtitles are thoughtfully included in English SDH, French, and Spanish, ensuring accessibility for a wider audience. Additionally, the subtitles come in a clean white font, enhancing readability without distraction.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales" provide insightful and entertaining looks into the creation of the film. Renner and Imbert’s interview delves into artistic challenges and the direction of the small-budget film. The behind-the-scenes "Making Of" stands out with a humorous approach, featuring children interviewing the crew, imparting additional whimsy. The Q&A and English Dub Featurette offer further glimpses into the film's wider appeal, emphasizing efforts in international and comedic talent adaptation. Despite the lack of a commentary, the bonus features are well-curated, adding depth to the charming animated release.

Extras included in this disc:

• Interview with the Directors: Directors discuss adapting Renner’s graphic novel to screen.
• Making Of The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales: Children interview various production team members.
• Q&A at New York International Children’s Film Festival: Renner answers audience questions.
• English Dub Featurette: Behind-the-scenes with British voice actors.
• Trailers: Includes English and French trailers, cast spot, and home video teaser.

Co-directors Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert bring to life another delightfully whimsical animated feature with "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales," building on the charm of Renner's previous work, "Ernest & Celestine." Adapting Renner’s heartwarming graphic novel, this anthology production comprises three interlocking shorts connected through the simple framing device of the Honeysuckle Farm Theater Company. The stories, while loosely tied together, follow a pig, a fox, and various other barnyard animals as they set out on notably comedic adventures laden with French humor and ends with a quirky attempt by a duck and rabbit to save Christmas.

The narrative kicks off with "A Baby to Deliver," where Pork (voiced by Justin Edwards in the English dub) is tricked by a lazy stork into delivering a baby left in a tree, alongside his bumbling companions, Duck (Bill Bailey) and Bunny (Adrian Edmondson). This segment shines brightest in its hilarious depiction of Pork's frantic efforts amidst a forest of slapstick mishaps. In "The Big Bad Fox," the titular fox (Giles New) inadvertently becomes a mother figure to three chicks, leading to comically heartwarming moments punctuated by tension with an awaiting Wolf (Matthew Goode). Closing the anthology, "We Must Save Christmas" follows Duck and Bunny's far-fetched plan to become Santa Claus, which predictably spirals into chaotic fun involving assistance from Pork yet again.

Exquisite hand-drawn animation, inspired by watercolors, renders each segment with vivid expressiveness. The whimsical artistry recalls classic cartoons but imbues them with a distinctly French flair that is both endearing and engaging for all ages. The movie's superb English dub features an array of talented British actors who breathe life into these likable characters. "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales" is not only a delightful piece of entertainment for children but also offers nuanced humor that will amuse adult viewers—an excellent testament to the enduring appeal of traditional animation in the modern cinematic landscape.

"The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales" Blu Ray offers a delightful package that is both artistically captivating and humorously engaging. The film, from the creators of the beloved "Ernest & Celestine," consists of three enchanting stories that blend superb animation with whimsical narratives. The animation, inspired by watercolor paintings, boasts lush hues which beautifully complement the environmental changes and bring a warm, nostalgic charm to the viewing experience. The characters are meticulously brought to life through nuanced tics and grand comedic acts, making each story a captivating watch for both children and adults.

The technical quality of the Blu Ray is commendable, presenting a clear and vibrant visual experience that enhances the hand-drawn charm of the animation. The audio delivers crisply articulated dialogue and an immersive soundscape that supports the whimsical nature of the tales. The production navigates a smaller scope compared to "Ernest & Celestine," yet it skillfully manages to make each tale feel full and satisfying. The picture quality and color depth stand out, maintaining the integrity of the original artistic vision.

"The Big Bad Fox and We Must Save Christmas" continue the humor and charm of the initial tale, albeit with a slight dip in narrative inventiveness. This minor decrease is continually offset by the delicate balance of heart and cartoon chaos, making it immensely enjoyable. The Blu Ray edition of "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales" successfully captures and preserves the whimsical essence of the stories while inviting audiences of all ages to indulge in its lively, endearing world.