A look at Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs.

Isle of Dogs is the perfect blend of wit, heart, and adventure. My love for Duke, the gossip loving dog voiced by Jeff Goldblum, grows every day. The incorporation of Japanese language and culture is well executed (the sushi scene wow!) but stereotypes are a common theme throughout. The film’s ending, while beautiful, is slightly rushed and underwhelming and left me with a “that’s it?” feeling, although I still wouldn’t change anything about it. Personally, it’s inevitable to compare Wes Anderson’s latest venture in stop motion animation to his first and only film of the same nature, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Isle of Dogs gets away with less of the actual stop motion, utilizing animated TV screens as a medium of advancing plot points in the story. Both films have clever twists and emotional weight, but there’s something rather surface-level about Isle of Dogs. Everyone in the theatre understood it, and did so within their first viewing. Granted, this doesn’t mean that I am not willing to watch Isle of Dogs again, because I am still blown away by the detail behind its beauty. There could have been more, but life is far from symmetrical or perfect, and a standalone, surface level, easy to digest movie is sometimes exactly what’s necessary. Isle of Dogs is its own adventure and experience, similar yet separate from Fantastic Mr. Fox, that should be enjoyed by all ages.

Live in Peace. Best Wishes, Madee