Isle of Dogs (2018)
A love letter to dogs or Japan?
Presentation:
You may conclude after this film that Wes Anderson was born to make animation. His style certainly seems to be better complemented with this format, allowing him to utilize quirky dialogue, which feels less out of place in these fantastical situations. The film is similar to the The Secret Life of Pets, except this film seems to actually be marketed toward adults. The humor is mature, sensibilities and quirkiness have gruff adult jaded sensibilities, but the animation is really fantastic. Anderson’s stop motion finds a way to find the perfect balance between stop motion and fluidity, with characters brought to life with vivid personality. It also has a striking look for a stop motion, feeling even dystopian at times. The film takes itself overly seriously by design to elevate its ridiculousness, but it somehow still manages to feel over the top anyway. Overall its the personality of the dogs you’ll fall in love with and their character arcs, not necessarily the 2nd half of the script. Lots of Japanese in this one.
Conclusion:
The voice acting is impeccable for this film with these animated dogs feeling more alive than actual actors. This is more of an adult animation that requires some brainpower to follow especially since there is a lot of untranslated Japanese you’ll have to interpret. It feels a hair too long and there are some lulls toward the end, but it does succeed in its final message. You may find yourself convinced that dogs are still man’s best friend.
Recommendations
The most adorable homemade horror ever.