Fox Searchlight
Over the two past decades, Wes Anderson has established himself as a quirky, yet artistic director. His style of directing is often viewed as clean and well thought out. From films such as The Royal Tenenbaums to Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson easily solidifies himself as one of my all-time favorite directors. Personally, one of my favorite Wes Anderson films is Moonrise Kingdom released in 2012. In 2009, Anderson stepped into unfamiliar territory with his first animated movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Almost ten years later, Anderson returns to animation with Isle of Dogs.
Isle of Dogs tells the story of a young boy named Atari who is living in the city of Megasaki, a fictional future city of Japan. The city is experiencing an outbreak of canine flu and the Mayor exiles all dogs to Trash Island. Atari’s dog, Spots, is one of the first dogs sent to Trash City, which is off the coast of Megasaki. Atari ventures out to Trash City to find his lost dog and is aided by a pack of stray dogs occupying the island.
For a film centered around dogs living with a flu, the characters were surprisingly well-rounded and relatable. The dogs were uniquely written and each one was given just the right amount of back story to where you felt connected with them. The dogs are voiced by Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, and Scarlett Johansson. The standout amongst the dogs was Chief, voiced by Bryan Cranston. Chief has suffered enough in his past to where he doesn’t believe that dog should be pets to humans. What impressed me with Chief was the writing for the character. The progression was smooth to where you rooted for Chief at the end and wanted the best for him.
Anderson has always put a lot of effort into crafting every scene in his previous movies. The attention to detail in Isle of Dogs is incredible and every frame is dazzling in its beauty. There’s so much to absorb and process that this film needs repeated viewings just to take in the breathtaking sequences. I’m always amazed with the time and effort that goes into creating a stop animation movie. Seeing how each scene works and builds on the previous frame is a delight to watch. I spent most of the movie with my eyes wandering from corner to corner of the screen. Isle of Dogs offers the most detailed preparation of a bento box I have ever seen. The 45 second clip is framed like a typical Wes Anderson film and plays like an intermission for the film.
The music created by Alexandre Desplat is a success for him. His score aides the story and adds suspense to the right moments. Desplat previously won an Academy Award for his score on The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water and his work on Isle of Dogs adds to his already prestigious career. The score feels authentic and pays respect to the culture Anderson is showing us.
Anderson’s decision to have all Japanese characters speak Japanese and have only 1-2 humans speak English was a way for audiences to admire Japanese culture and art. The dogs speak English to help the audience understand their dialog, which brought some humor when the dogs didn’t know what the young boy was saying. Even though some characters only spoke Japanese, I still managed to build a connection with them and admired the relationships that blossomed on screen.
One of the strongest points of the movie is the message it’s trying to tell. The story of a young boy and his dog pulls on your heartstrings. The film is about companionship and love and that theme builds up throughout the movie. The relationship between Chief and Atari is a touching and endearing one and shows why dogs truly are a man’s best friend.
Wes Anderson creates yet another creative and unique movie. Anderson has remained one of my favorite directors working today and I see him continuing his craft for years to come. If you love dogs or have ever owned a dog, Isle of Dogs will certainly please you.
Isle of Dogs has a run time of 1 hour 41 minutes and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images.
Fox Searchlight
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