Isle of Dogs – Pawsitively well done

This is an unusual, unique and a “one of a kind” movie. On the other hand, what Wes Anderson production isn’t? He and his technical crew just took the art of “stop-motion animation” to a new level with this exceptional film. The story takes place in Japan, where virtually all of the human characters speak Japanese, but through a variety of clever techniques, we always know what’s being said. The dogs, however, the heroes of our tale (no pun intended), all speak fluent English. Thank goodness for that!

Before proceeding with the story line I am going to quote Brian Sciro, a fellow reviewer. “Dogs are a connection. Dogs are a beacon of loyalty and family. Dogs don’t need to be dogs. Dogs are a man’s best friend. How could you not love dogs? How could you not love a Wes Anderson film ABOUT dogs?” So if you are a dog lover, this film is for you. If you don’t like dogs, I have two comments, 1) Shame on you and, 2) You should probably stay home from this one, although you’ll be missing out.

The story takes place twenty years in the future. The city of Megasaki is dealing with an epidemic of dog flu and “snout” fever, for which there is no cure. The city’s totalitarian Mayor, Kobayshi, decides all of the dogs, sick or not, are to be banished to Trash Island, the garbage dump of all garbage dumps. They are unceremoniously transported and left to fend for themselves. As the story unfolds, we meet a small band of five determined dogs, who have become friends, as they struggle to survive.

Meanwhile, a twelve-year-old boy named Atari is determined, at all costs, to get his dog Spots back. The fact that he is related to Mayor Kobayshi is no deterrent, and he ingeniously finds his way to the island to begin looking. Getting there was no small feat, but the island is miles long, covered with mountains of trash and garbage and lots of dogs, some not so nice. He meets our band of five, and while the boy speaks no English, and the dogs no Japanese, somehow they communicate perfectly, thanks to Wes Anderson’s genius.

You can rightly assume there are obstacles galore as the story progresses. While the words “failure is not an option,” are not spoken in the film, it is obvious that is the case, as our little band of champions lets nothing deter them. There are a number of highly entertaining and unexpected twists and turns as the adventure evolves, always complemented perfectly by the animation.

This is not a movie for pre-schoolers, the Mayor alone will spook the little ones, and the story gets a little too intense for the younger set. That’s why it’s rated P.G.13. This is a decidedly different kind of movie, but if you’ve enjoyed Wes Anderson’s films in the past, you will love this one. That our household is occupied by an incredible little dog, had no bearing on this review. On the other hand…

tsansom2002@gmail.com

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