The Fox and the Child (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:26
Fresh:13
Rotten:13
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: Jackanory-esque voiceover from Winslet lends a syrupy tone to this mawkish and slow, but beautifully shot, human/beastie buddy movie.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jun 20, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS director Luc Jaquet makes his narrative debut with this family-friendly film. Inspired by Jaquet's childhood, THE FOX & THE CHILD centers on a young girl who discovers the... [More]
Director: Luc Jacquet
Reviews for The Fox and the Child
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 3/5 |
The result is Nature seen through the eyes of a solitary and fanciful child with Jacquet intensifying the theatricality of it all by playing around with scale, amplifying every sound and raising the wildlife count. Full Review |
||
|
3.5/5 |
The Fox and the Child is more than a wildlife documentary. It invites us to contemplate alternative worlds of sensation and experience, to enter the consciousness of other species, to explore our contacts with them. Full Review |
||
 2.5/5 |
It's very beautiful, but it's so contrived. Full Review |
||
|
3.5/5 |
Luc Jacquet doesn’t do great narration, but he does animals really well. Full Review |
||
|
|
A strange mix of doco/fairy tale, this film does have beautiful cinematography but is let down by inconsistencies in tone. Full Review |
||
|
|
Exquisite cinematography and a beautifully told story about the unlikely friendship between a little girl and a wild fox, make this a magical experience Full Review |
||
|
|
There's plenty of scope for sentimental tears, but I hope most children will go away with something punchier - a longing to observe the natural world in this much detail, and a new respect for the difference between owning something, and loving it. Full Review |
||
|
2.5/4 |
If, for example, Alvin and the Chipmunks is a children's movie, then The Fox and the Child is a children's movie for children who'd prefer to hang out at the local arthouse cinema than at the multiplex. Full Review |
||
|
8/10 |
The Tally-ho! brigade may need an extra snifter of sherry if they see Jacquet's new film. It's about to do for foxes what Babe did for pigs back in 1995. Full Review |
||
|
2.5/5 |
Gorgeously scenery and a virtually dialog-free script lends this film an almost fairy tale quality that makes the most of the astonishing camerawork. And this almost makes it bearable as it heads into a rather cloying finale. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
Children will undoubtedly adore the film, and the local tourist board will probably have to take its phones off the hook. Full Review |
||
|
2/5 |
Kate Winslet does a syrupy voice-over to this bedtime story, but given what we know of foxes, it's a tough one to swallow. Full Review |
||
|
|
There seems no other reason to tell this rambling, glutinous tale – other than for us to go “ooh, aah” at the scenery, the seasons and the melting-eyed close-ups of Reynard the heart-throb. Full Review |
||
|
2/5 |
There is little insight into the life of this resourceful creature and it certainly will not educate your cubs. Full Review |
||
|
|
The main problem is it’s so incredibly slow as we’re forced to endure the unnamed girl’s patient attempts to gain the animal’s trust, while the youngster herself is too wide-eyed for her own good. Full Review |
||
|
2/5 |
This isn't Fantastic Mr Fox, it's just an ordinary vixen who I wished would stay well away from this tiresome child, and let her make some friends with someone of her own age and species. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
Kids will be hooked, but adult viewers may yearn for something a bit racier, with fewer cute field-mice and more fox fucking. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
Perhaps a shade too long to hold the youngest viewers in permanent thrall, this is a family film in the truest sense - only the grouchiest bear won’t find something to like. Full Review |
||
|
2/5 |
The twee, simpering voiceover is annoying, and what dialogue there is has been badly dubbed. Full Review |
||
|
1/5 |
All the while Winslet bangs away remorselessly, trying to pull the narrative into focus but pushing the viewer farther from it with each cack-handed observation. Full Review |
CommentWhat’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.
TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.
The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser
Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.
We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection
IGN RSS Feeds