Directed by:
Wes AndersonScreenplay:
Wes AndersonCinematography:
Tristan OliverComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Yoko Ono (more)VOD (4)
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The story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture. (20th Century Fox UK)
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Wes Anderson directed a fun animated film for the whole family, in which he travels through animated Japan alongside the lovable Hufflepuffs. And that's it. As a family flick, it's fine, but as a novelty from a man who has always managed to impress with his playfulness, fun, quirkiness and originality, it's a bit of a slog. Isle of Dogs is OK. Just pretty ordinary and plays it too safe, which may be a bit of a problem for fans of the director.
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One of the most creative directors of today, especially in the realm of animated films, has once again delivered an exceptional film. Not everyone might see it as their cup of tea, but it undoubtedly found an audience that appreciated it. Wes Anderson won me over with Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Grand Budapest Hotel, and now he has completed a truly unique hat-trick of bizarre, yet one-of-a-kind films. Setting the film in Japan speaks volumes on its own; I was particularly impressed with the decision not to translate some of the Japanese dialogue, allowing the viewer’s imagination to play a significant role. The animation may not be groundbreaking, but the moving figures still have their charm, and the scenes of the four-legged furry creatures with their fur blowing in the wind were very calming. There are also hilarious moments, and while another person’s attention to detail and perfectionism might cause uncountable issues, you don’t have to worry about that with Wes. A genius like him with a sense for detail has no equal. This was quite a film, and I give it 86%.
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It seems that Wes Anderson found himself in the way he made Grandhotel Budapest. Isle of Dogs runs in exactly the same vein. The things that Wes only hinted at in his earlier movies are given full reflection today. The absurdity of the characters, a billion of not only pop-cultural ideas, in this case amplified by the animated motif, the editing, the limited camera movement… all these are things that represent Wes Anderson today, and I said to myself more than once how similar this movie was to Grandhotel. Despite all that, it’s still somehow different. The thing is that sometimes I feel that Wes has gotten lost in his artistic motifs. At times things get so wacky and so over-the-edge that the film actually stops being funny and humorous. But that only happens sometimes. In terms of the overall impression, it’s still a very good flick.
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Playfulness at its best. Somewhere in the middle of the film, I found myself getting completely carried away by the beautiful animation, the tons of ideas, the humour, those touching dog eyes and Desplat's music, and not really focusing on the plot, but all the more reason to watch Isle of Dogs again.
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Isle of Dogs once again accumulates a distinctive and unique directorial signature, which may not necessarily be to everyone's taste, but I like the horizontal camera movements, the cleverly planned shots, the distinctive framing of the characters and their specifically bizarre speeches. For a hundred minutes we visit an island full of diverse dogs that sneeze, enjoy garbage and at the same time utter relatively meaningful dialogues. Of all the canine characters, I was definitely most impressed by the Boss and the omniscient Oracle. A truly unconventional animated film that addresses, among other things, mass brainwashing. It will more those enchanted by Wes Anderson's rules of the game.
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Gallery (72)
Photo © 20th Century Fox
![Isle of Dogs - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/162/575/162575654_ffa6fc.png)
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