Isle of Dogs Review

     There are few directors out there quite like Wes Anderson, one of the few directors really deserving of the term “auteur.” His films are unabashedly quirky, goofy, and downright strange, though to varying degrees. His last film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, finally earned him some Oscar love in the major categories, so I was curious as to which direction he would take his career next. Does his new film, the stop-motion Isle of Dogs, carry on the quality? Let’s find out!

      Isle of Dogs takes place in Japan twenty years in the future, where Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) has ordered the quarantine of all dogs onto Trash Island, supposedly out of fear of a “dog flu” epidemic. His plans are interrupted when his ward Atari (Koyu Rankin) steals a plane and journeys to the island, searching for his lost dog Spots (Liev Schrieber). Teaming up with local dogs Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum), Atari journeys across the new colony while locals in Megasaki begin to uncover Kobayashi’s true motivations. 

     When discussing Wes Anderson films, there is only one question to ask if you’re a fan: how Wes Anderson-y is it? Does it go way out there with the quirk and the childishness and diorama-style filming like Moonrise Kingdom, or is it a little more restrained while still weird like Grand Budapest Hotel, or is it somewhere in the middle? In my opinion, it falls along similar lines to his other stop-motion film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. That film, while keeping the Anderson charm and weirdness, was much more accessible to a mainstream audience. This one has its own strange quirks, such as having the Japanese characters speak only their native language, but it’s fairly tame overall. 

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Heh, tame... Because they're dogs... Heh. I'll see myself out.

     Tame, for Wes Anderson, is still going to be a different experience for those who aren’t familiar with his work, but this one I feel will be more inviting to new audiences. The diorama, dollhouse shot setups that he employs works very well with the stop motion style. It helps that these were sets he and his production team actually constructed, and create some beautiful imagery that just pops on the screen. The film also lacks the janky look that Fantastic Mr. Fox had with its stop motion, looking much more refined almost to the point where I didn’t believe it was in stop motion at all! The setting is very inventive, whether it’s the constantly shifting and unique locales of Trash Island or the near future Megasaki, it all looks amazing on the big screen and always keeps your attention. 

     The true appeal of this movie is the purity of the story and its depiction of the bond between people and dogs. Despite being abandoned by their owners without question, the pack of dogs rallies around Atari to aid him on his quest. As one of their fellow dogs, Nutmeg (Scarlett Johannson) says, “He’s a twelve-year old boy. Dogs love those.” The characters are built around this concept, with Chief feeling resistance to Atari’s presence and Rex finding purpose in the young boy, and it helps endear you to both the boy and the dogs. It’s a heartwarming tale that, despite having tons of humor and oddness on top of it, shines through and will appeal to people of all ages, especially folks who have been lucky enough to feel the love of a dog. 

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Just some heckin' good puppers, no big deal.

     If I had any real complaints, it would be that the story of how the mayor is found out on Megasaki is a little unnecessary. It's always nice to hear Greta Gerwig's voice (she plays Tracy, the American foreign exchange student), but her character doesn't function as anything more than a plot device. It doesn't detract too much from the real meat of the film, the story of Atari and the dogs, but it is a distraction. In fact, the female characters also don't have much to do in general, which is a shame because of the talent they got to voice those roles. 

     A few people have brought up claims of cultural appropriation in regards to this film, and while I'm not Japanese and wouldn't know as well as someone from that culture would, I do think those concerns are unfounded here. It's very clear that Wes Anderson has a lot of respect for Japanese culture, and this is more of a loving tribute to it than a mocking portrayal in my opinion. Hell, the film is littered with visual references (right down to shot compositions) that honor famed director Akira Kurosawa, something that made me smile quite a bit. The attention to detail and care taken with Japanese culture doesn't ring of any kind of ill intent, but a true love for it. Of course, that's only my opinion and I'm sure others have their own views, but I think trying to slam this film with such a heavy term is pretty unfair. 

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Also helps that this city is so Wes Anderson-y that it couldn't possibly exist in real life.

     Isle of Dogs is another win for Wes Anderson, combining the best of his signature weirdness with a simple yet powerful tale to give us a fun time at the movies. It has a few minor issues, but the beauty, the script and the performances more than make up for it. You'll laugh, you might cry, and you'll want to go home and hug your dog afterwards. What more could you ask for from a movie? 

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

Isle of Dogs is in theaters now