QR Film Reviews: Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs is the latest utterly distinct film from director Wes Anderson. His second foray into stop motion animation following 2009’s Fantastic Mr Fox. This is a heartfelt and stylish canine caper which takes full advantage of Anderson’s wild imagination and its star studded cast of canines.

Isle of Dogs is the second stop motion animation from Wes Anderson. The films tells the story of dystopian Megasaki city in near future Japan. A city led by Mayor Kobayashi. Following a plague of snout fever, dog flu and canine over-population Kobayashi orders all dogs exiled to Trash Island off the coast of the city. Months later a group of dogs encounter a young boy in search of his dog Spots on Trash Island and endeavour to reunite the boy with his missing friend.

The cast reads as a who’s who of Hollywood. The group of heroic dogs include Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), Duke (Jeff Goldblum), King (Bob Balaban) and Boss (Bill Murray). All men have excellent chemistry together and great comedic timing. Although Cranston’s Chief is the only true stand-out with a surprisingly poignant character arc. Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johannsen, Liev Schreiber, Yoko Ono and Ken Watanabe round out a star studded cast. With a cast of this size the film does struggle to give everyone their own moment. This not a criticism, per say, the film is a tight 1 hour and 40 minutes and not a second is wasted, the film is delicately balanced and never drags.

The conduit for these performances is the stop motion animation Anderson has previously employed in 2009’s Fantastic Mr Fox. The stop motion approach gives the film its own unique style and plays into much of the film’s physical comedy. The distinct movements of the characters, in particular the dogs is very reminiscent of some of the physical comedy in the style of something like the Muppets. The stop motion animation alongside the stylized designs of both the film’s; landscapes and characters help to craft a hyper-stylized world which perfect contrasts with the trash Island the dogs now call home. Anderson blends the distinct style of these puppets with some grand cinematography, reminiscent of a Kurosawa film and the desolate landscape of Trash Island to pinpoint the film’s own distinctive style.

This style and the precision evident in every scene speaks to a film in which Anderson has been permitted almost unlimited creative control and this film reaps the rewards of this at every turn.

An area of the film which is very deserved of praise, especially in its final act is the emotion, character and pathos this story has been imbued with. For a film about stop motion dogs, the core characters are surprisingly deep and complete. The core characters are well developed and earn well deserved emotional reactions in the film’s final act. On top of this the film's unique method of story-telling with sudden short cutaways and flash backs and the running gag of finding a contrived method of translating all Japanese dialogue all contribute to building a complete cast and world completely confident in its own style and tone

The controversy surrounding this film is something which should be discussed. Many critics have accused the film of racial stereotyping and promoting a white saviour trope through Gerwig’s exchange student character and the distinctly American tones of our protagonist dogs. As a whole the film has a reverence for Japanese culture and in particular classic Japanese cinema, with some shots and moments appearing to be direct references to Kurosawa and similar directors.

The only real criticisms I can level at Isle of Dogs is that at times some members of the cast are overshadowed in a way and never truly get a chance to shine. It is a shame when a film features Bill Murray & Harvey Keitel but you’re only properly reminded of this during the opening and closing credits

I thoroughly enjoyed Isle of Dogs but determining who this film is aimed at is difficult. It is not quite a kids film but some kids will enjoy it, it is a film all its own, a comedy in parts and a hearty adventure in others. As with most Anderson films this is a very distinct product. On a scale of Anderson’s work this is somewhere between the quiet humour of fantastic Mr Fox and the heart of The Royal Tenenbaums.

Like most Anderson movies this is a love it or hate it affair, if it doesn't click with you, you will struggle but if you think it is for you, you will absolutely enjoy your time on the Isle of Dogs.

Verdict 4.5/5

Run Time: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

By Sean Hughes