Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Fisher Stevens, Harvey Keitel, Liev Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham, Frank Wood, Kunichi Nomura and Yoko Ono.

The film follows a young Japanese boy and a group of dogs searching for the boy’s lost dog on the trash island their species has been place.

As with any Wes Anderson film the visuals are as much a character in itself. Amplifying all the colors and creating frames worthy of appearing in museums. The stop motion animation also contributes to the beautiful look of the film. The detailing on not only the background but each and every dog, human and environment were typically extraordinary.

The voice cast is all on point in particular Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, and Liev Schreiber. I loved that due to the setting a large chunk of the dialogue is entirely in Japanese.

The story and tone are well done and the dry wit typically found in Wes Anderson films is once again at full force. The score and soundtrack are also a large part of the film, mostly Japanese artists and Alexandre Desplat providing a drum heavy sound. I found it slightly darker than most Wes Anderson films, which may put off some fans of the eccentric director.

The film does try to pull at emotional heartstrings and while it works for people like me who is a dog owner, it may alienate some viewers, who don’t think they earned it.

Isle of Dogs is a fun, weird and beautifully unique experience that’s sure to delight and fan of Wes Anderson, stop motion or adventure films.

Isle of Dogs gets a 4.7 out of 5.