I’m probably a little delirious in the afterglow of this film, but I’m going to make a bold claim. Despite the kid lit pedigree and old-school animation, this may be Wes Anderson’s best film yet. It’s very nearly perfect.

First, there’s the medium. Stop-motion is a discipline that rewards zealous attention to detail, and it’s a great fit for Anderson’s famous obsessiveness. Every frame has been lovingly pored over, and all that texture makes the film delightfully immersive. If you were worried that it was going to be a lame re-creation of the herky-jerky work of Rankin and Bass, you can officially relax.

Then there’s the subject matter. Like “Where the Wild Things Are” the movie takes a slight story originally aimed at children and uses the empty space to tackle some very grown-up issues – the film is essentially about a midlife crisis. A very breezy, witty midlife crisis, but a midlife crisis nonetheless. What does it mean to be a fox? Can the beast inside of us ever really be tamed? Should foxes live in trees?

It’s a home run on nearly every level. The voice talent is stellar. The writing is pitch-perfect. The physical aspect of the film is witty, nostalgic and delicious. You should see it on the big screen while you can. One of my favorite films of the year, and a real achievement for Wes Anderson and his troupe.