Anthony's Film Review - Isle of Dogs (2018)

This animated film is engaging and sentimental, but also funny at times...

The 2018 animated movie Isle of Dogs stands out for not being too similar to other movies. In other words, the premise is a fairly original one, at least as far as I'm concerned. That's why I was curious about this film. Plus, I tend to think that there is no such thing as a stupid movie idea (OK, maybe except in extreme cases). How good a movie really depends much on how the idea is presented and executed.

To the toughest critic, the premise of Isle of Dogs may seem farfetched. Due to an overpopulation of dogs and the diseases they spread, Mayor Kobayashi of Megasaki City in Japan banishes all dogs to Trash Island, a nearby island used as a garbage dump, but one boy who is saddened about losing his dog goes to great lengths to search Trash Island for his beloved pet. The idea can seem crazy because it is highly unlikely for any one person in real life to even suggest such a cruel policy. But fiction is, by nature, speculative. Creators of fiction and their audience can enjoy seeing the direction things take after the presentation of the initial setup. Plus, such stories can help us look back in our real world in new and interesting ways.

The boy I mentioned, a 12-year-old boy named Atari, is just one of the protagonists. The other main characters are a pack of five alpha dogs: Chief (Bryan Cranston), Duke (Jeff Goldblum), Boss (Bill Murray), Rex (Edward Norton), and King (Bob Balaban). (Note: There are a few female dogs in this film, too, including Nutmeg voiced by Scarlett Johansson). However, of these canines, Chief is the one who stands out, on the basis of screen time and importance to the plot. Otherwise, this movie is not really one with significant character depth, but that's OK. There is at least a good story to follow, as Atari and the dog pack search Trash Island for the boy's dog, while Mayor Kobayashi orders their capture, using technologies like drones and robotic dogs.

I was satisfied with the story and how well it moved along, plus the few moments of revelation that came up. I also appreciated the emotional aspect of the movie, feeling mild sorrow for the dogs on Trash Island who are sick and weak from lack of good nutrition. But one thing took me by surprise: the movie also has bits of slight humor to balance out the drama. For example, there's a scene where Atari wants to play fetch with Chief, who resists because such an action is beneath him. Also, if there is a vicious fight between dogs and other characters, you'll see it in the form of one big dust cloud with arms, legs, heads, and various objects emerging from it briefly at random moments, very much like some old cartoons. The look of the stop-motion animation in this film also makes it comical.

There's another source of humor that I definitely didn't expect. Because this film takes place in Japan, you will often see on-screen English translation text. But it's not just for the opening title and credits, plus the points of the film announcing the prologue, Part 1, Part 2, etc. It's also done in plenty of other places. For example, you might see a plate of Japanese food, and each food item is identified with on-screen Japanese and English text. For other scenes, the appearance of English translation text might reveal something funny or amusing, at least for people who cannot read Japanese. Such moments are funny because something happens on the screen, the audience sees Japanese text associated with it, the audience wonders what it says, the film provides the on-screen English translation, the audience puts it all together, and the audience laughs at the humor of the situation.

I enjoyed Isle of Dogs for its story and humor, as well as its overall creativity and visuals. This is an animated film that a family can enjoy, if the youngest child is a teenager. That's because there are images, situations, and topics that are too sensitive for small children, like an organ transplant operation, murder by poison, and cannibal dogs. But don't let that stop you from admiring the brilliance of the animation and the imagination behind the story. Director Wes Anderson has given something to ultimately smile at. If you love dogs, you'll definitely fall in love with the ones here. And if you don't like dogs, I hope you're not so anti-dog like Mayor Kobayashi. Dogs are man's best friend for a reason, you know.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Isle of Dogs, visit the Internet Movie Database.