‘The Fantastic Mr. Fox’ a little less-than-fantastic adaptation

It’s not your kid’s talking animal cartoon. There’s little that is cuddly or cutesy in this stop-motion animation about eloquent woodland creatures bantering in comedic deadpan about their complicated family and social dynamics. Rather, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” comes out of the cool, smart, yet also detached sensibility of the indie filmmaker who adapts the Roald Dahl book.

Bright, more curious children will like it precisely for its uniqueness.

But this tale of a rascally carnivore and his associates often seems more suited to adults, especially since it has the hipster/quipster hallmarks of its director-co-writer Wes Anderson. With a sophisticated alt-pop soundtrack, particular dialogue rhythms, semimelancholy mood and idiosyncratic look — in this case, from the retro handmade artistry of stop motion — Anderson’s first animated effort fits right into his oeuvre. That includes “Rushmore” (1998), “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001), “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (2004) and “The Darjeeling Limited” (2007).

Like those predecessors, “Fantastic” also features an impressive ensemble.

George Clooney voices conflicted protagonist Mr. Fox. When his life partner, Mrs. Felicity Fox (Meryl Streep), becomes pregnant with their nerdy, insecure son, Ash (Jason Schwartzman), Mr. Fox agrees to give up being a professional farm animal thief and settle down to a less risky career lifestyle. But temptation looms. Three nearby agricultural enterprises owned by Boggis, Bunce and Bean boast an abundant stock. And Mr. Fox joyfully loots them.

Bent on revenge, nasty entrepreneur Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon) leads the other humans to take actions that will trap not only the Fox family, but also threaten the lives of their entire mammal community of opossums, badgers, moles, beavers et al. The feisty critters, forced underground, won’t go down without a fight. Meanwhile, as this hybrid of heist thriller, under-siege war picture and relationship comedy-drama unfolds, Ash will combat sibling rivalry with his more accomplished cousin Kristofferson (Eric Anderson), and Ash’s parents will try to work out their marriage ambivalence.

Megastars Clooney and Streep do fine as the Foxes, though they don’t energize through voice alone as they both usually do in live action. Joining Schwartzman, other Anderson cast regulars Bill Murray and Owen Wilson also provide voices for this movie oddity. It’s the kind of piece that film critics admire. But Anderson’s highly detailed, envelope-pushing effort lacks emotional connection to character and story. That keeps it from being as “Fantastic,” or absorbing, as it might have been.