Review Summary: A little uneven, but riveting, unique dog tale is pretty doggone good.
You might would think at first glance (based on the trailer) that Isle of Dogs would be a cutesy boy-and-his-dog story. However, upon watching the first half-hour, it becomes clear that this is not a kids' movie. Instead, we see a movie that is equal parts boy-and-dog story, apocalyptic thriller, foreign language film, and political fable.
That last part might not get people's attention in a good way, but I honestly thought the politicizing of some of the story worked pretty well. I found it as a fascinating take on the old movie stereotype of "cat lovers vs. dog lovers". As for the rest of the movie, however, acclaimed director Wes Anderson takes so many other creative risks here. It's quite an ambitious project, and becomes (in a way) an achievement for animated filmmaking.
Isle of Dogs starts out spectacularly, with roaring Japanese drums, a disclaimer to viewers on different languages, and a suspenseful introduction to the film's key conflict. Leading the way here is the film's fantastic animation. As a stop-motion/clay-based animated film, Anderson has crafted a futuristic Japan that is both gritty and picturesque. He truly immerses you in this world and its colors. The characters are given a unique and memorable feel. There's also impressive hand-drawn animation in the TV screens shown in Megasaki. The overall feel of the animation feels like a Rankin-Bass special from the 60's or 70's.
One other creative risk that pays off here is that Anderson has a lot of the movie in "trash island". Somewhat reminiscent of WALL-E, this island of dogs has its own visual flairs. From an obstacle course inside a trash compactor, to creatively-designed mice and owls, it serves as its own fascinating world so to speak. That being said, having at least half of the movie on the island allows more time for us to get to know the characters as well. The story, despite its' mature elements, remains easy-to-follow and never resorts to too much exposition.
Speaking of the characters, they are well-voiced. Bryan Cranston gives the lead performance, and its' a memorable one. Chief turns out to be a surprisingly multi-layered character that has a few surprising revelations up his furry sleeve. Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Murray voice his furry comrades, though they aren't given the same development (despite some solid and nicely-executed comedic lines).
The other strong performances come from Frances McDormand as Interpreter Nelson (who interprets the Japanese human dialog in several scenes) and Greta Gerwig as foreign exchange student Tracy Walker. Gerwig, in particular, shines with a fiery disposition in a handful of scenes. Scarlett Johannson is given three quiet (and very effective) scenes as show dog/love interest Nutmeg, while Koyu Rankin does a nice job bringing emotion to the human lead Atari.
The film plays out like a chapter book with most sections of the movie abruptly announced by narrator Courtney B. Vance (who sounds like a young Morgan Freeman). But, there are a few oddly-placed flashbacks here and there. One flashback at the end works well given the circumstances, but some of them don't quite gel with the scenes surrounding them (or might not be edited in very well). The film also has a pretty talky middle, which slows down the pace of the movie considerably for awhile. A few out-of-place moments that may not have been necessary upon reflection.
In the meantime, Alexandre Desplat composes perhaps the best score he's done to date. With a mixture of memorable beats, sound effects and music, he really dives into creating a blend of melodies that reflect Japanese culture (the beginning and ending group drum solo is one of the film's most memorable moments). I would not be surprised if he wins his third Oscar on this impressive musical feat.
Isle of Dogs may suffer some from an uneven pace, draggy moments, and a few awkward elements. But, ultimately, its' unique direction and themes, fantastic animation, charming and quirky characters, and its' heartfelt and deep story make it one worth watching.
My Score: 8.3/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Isle of Dogs is rated PG-13 for "thematic elements and some violent images". I would say mature 10 or 11 year olds on up might would be old enough to watch this, but I would recommend parents watching first. Dogs get into fights (mostly through cartoonish dust clouds), but one does bite another's ear off (we see the slightly bloody appendage on the ground a few times, as well as the dog missing an ear). Atari pulls something from his head, causing a few drops of blood to fall out a couple of times. Another scuffle results in a dog and a human badly injured. Someone is murdered by poison in their food. Dogs are nearly poisoned to death. Gunshots are fired at the dogs and Atari in a couple scenes. A robotic dog nearly takes out Chief (we see him badly bruised).
We see a (somewhat unnecessary) cartoonish kidney transplant surgery that involves a birds-eye view image of the surgery procedure being done (some detail is seen). One painting shows a severed head. Dogs in a building are shown to be badly injured. A few mild innuendos involve a dog "mating" or "made it" with a partner. There's a brief sighting of Mayor Kobayashi's bare backside as he comes out of a bathtub (he's covered a moment later by a towel). Brief language includes one use of "d--- it!", one "son of a b---h", one non-profane use of "b---h" (the English word for a female dog), and one of "balls".
