Isle of Dogs
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Rated: PG-13
Isle of Dogs...Isle of Dogs. Say that 3 times slowly. I love dogs too!
What if someone threatened to send your dog away? Well, that's what happens in Isle of Dogs. In the distant future, a dog flu runs rampant in Megasaki City, Japan. Instead of helping the dogs, the mayor begins banning them to a nasty place called Trash Island. Can something be done to save man's best friend?
If you're familiar with Wes Anderson's filmography, you know that he has a very distinct style. His films are often perfectly symmetrical, bursting with color, and very quirky. (We've seen this in his previous works: The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Grand Budapest Hotel) He's back with Isle of Dogs, a film that combines his style with stop motion animation. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this was to make. Here's a short video explaining a bit of the stop-motion animation process.
In terms of visuals, this film is aesthetically stunning. Each character, set, and frame is intricately detailed. There are kaleidoscopic colors on display, but prominently featured are rich reds and purples in the city, dull brown and grey hues on the island, and light yellow and green tones in the school scenes.
The film boasts a very talented voice cast including Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig, Tilda Swinton, Cortney B. Vance, Frances McDormand, and Liev Shrieber. Every member of the cast fits perfectly. I really love how each dog has a very specific personality. Every dog I meet seems to have a different personality so I appreciate seeing that dynamic explored in a movie. My personal favorites of the cast were Jeff Goldblum as Duke, a gossiping dog who loves to spread rumors, Bryan Cranston as Chief, a stray who refuses to take any orders, and Tilda Swinton as Oracle, a dog who sees "visions" because she understands the TV.
My one issue with Isle of Dogs is the Japanese to English translation. The film begins in a very clever way stating anything that is not in English will be translated through "foreign exchange students, news reporters, or barks." However, there are several Japanese characters in the film and there are some moments where we never find out what they're saying at all. I think it would have worked out better in these moments to let the characters speak in their language and then provide English subtitles.
Isle of Dogs is not just beautiful, but genuinely exciting. It's a quirky adventure from start to finish. If you're a fan of Wes Anderson or stop motion animation, you'll want to catch this impressive canine adventure!
My Rating: 8/10