Acclaimed film director Wes Anderson is known for many things. He’s known for having a penchant for detail, an impeccable eye for color, an obsession with symmetry, making small-budget movies with big-budget stars, writing quick dialogue, and bizarrely, a habit for killing off or harming the pets—particularly the dogs—in his movies. With this knowledge, I was shocked when I found out that his latest project was to be a stop-motion, animated movie all about dogs, as I had assumed up to that point that Anderson was no animal lover. However, after seeing Isle of Dogs, I now know this could not be further from the truth.
Isle of Dogs is perhaps Anderson’s most ambitious story yet. He tells the tale of the fictional Megasaki City in Japan, with a fabled past of conflict with man’s best friend and a recent dog flu epidemic. The city’s mayor, Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura), decides that the best way to stop the spread of the dog flu and keep the people of Megasaki City safe is to have every dog in the city sent away to a nearby island inhabited only by heaps of garbage. While it appears that the majority of the city stands with the mayor’s decision, dissenting kids and teens plot to put an end to this injustice. One kid in particular, a 12-year old Japanese boy called Atari (Koyu Rankin), refuses to be complicit in this act of blatant animal cruelty. He hops in a small plane and flies himself to the Isle of Dogs in the hopes that he might find his own dog, Spots (Liev Schreiber). When Atari reaches the island, he becomes acquainted with a pack of (mostly) friendly, English-speaking dogs, eager to help him find Spots.
The movie is an absolute delight in every way imaginable. I had high expectations going in as a diehard Wes Anderson fan, and they were exceeded. It was visually spectacular, so mind-blowingly detailed that thinking about how harrowing it was to create such a stunning film using stop-motion makes my head hurt. Every dog is exactly as scruffy as they should be, and every character is so facially and physically expressive that I found myself on several occasions forgetting that they were puppets.
Isle of Dogs isn’t just a pretty face, however. Its original story is incredibly unique and flawlessly executed. Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman and Kunichi Nomura are all credited as writers of the story. Together, these four managed to make something simultaneously timeless and surprisingly timely. Its central themes of loyalty and friendship are universally appealing, and its message about standing up for what’s right and demanding reform are especially relevant in this day and age. Isle of Dogs suggests that politicians are corrupt, science is undervalued, and most importantly, it insists that young people are the future. Wes Anderson’s most recent venture is, all at once, a brilliant allegory for our current political climate, a rollicking adventure story, a heartwarming tale about companionship, and a fun, smart comedy.
While the film might not sound like a laugh-out-loud comedy, Isle of Dogs is truly hilarious. The most amusing characters are, without a doubt, the dogs who aid Atari in his quest. Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray), Duke (Jeff Goldblum), Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson), Jupiter (F. Murray Abraham) and best of all, the tiny pug with a special “gift,” Oracle (Tilda Swinton). Their banter is hysterical, their voices are remarkable, and their many quirks are unforgettable. Its fast-paced, dryly amusing dialogue is one of its most charming qualities, quite similar to Anderson’s first foray into stop-motion, Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).
While Wes Anderson is growing in popularity and is well known in the film community, he’s not totally mainstream yet, and he probably never will be. On one hand, this is positive because he hasn’t yet shown any signs of selling out and abandoning his vision for a more conventional style. On the other hand, the average person is more likely to miss out on his fantastic work because Anderson refuses to pander to the masses.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like to go out of their comfort zone when it comes to watching movies, I get it. Sometimes I just want to watch The Empire Strikes Back for the billionth time instead of one of the lengthy period pieces or indie dramas I’ve had sitting in my Netflix queue for ages. However, it is always worth it to take that leap and see something different. Isle of Dogs might look a little weird, and maybe the trailer isn’t as exciting to the average person as Mission: Impossible-Fallout (which is insanely good, by the way), but you should definitely give it a chance.
What makes Isle of Dogs truly special is its story. The whole film radiates the kind of love and warmth only Wes Anderson can create. It might just be his sweetest movie yet. Atari’s determination to find his beloved dog and the other dogs’ willingness to help the only dog owner who cared enough to come looking for his pet form the heart of the film. It’ll leave you with a smile on your face and a sudden urge to adopt every dog in the world.
