Wes Anderson is back…in animated form, thank god! I run VERY hot and cold with his live action films, but I loved Fantastic Mr. Fox. Isle of Dogs is a return to that lovely stop motion animation Anderson meticulously makes for us. This movie is at times very dark and problematic, but if you’re a dog lover, this movie will be a love letter to those canines you cherish.
Picture us transplanted to Megasaki, a giant city in a near future Japan. Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) is running for reelection on a platform of banishing all dogs to a trash island because they are sickened with a flu that makes them aggressive. On the island a pack of 5 dogs including Rex (Edward Norton), Boss (Bill Murray), Duke (Jeff Goldblum) and King (Bob Balaban), are struggling to survive, being dragged along by Chief (Bryan Cranston), their leader. Their world gets turned upside down when Atari (Koyu Rankin) a boy of 12, crash lands on the island looking for his dog Spot. 4/5 votes later, the pack agrees to accompany Atari to find his protector and friend.
Tonally and storywise, Isle of Dogs takes many big risks and mostly succeeds. In the theater, it was clear people were expecting another whimsical entry into the Wes Anderson catalog, of which this movie will clearly not disappoint, However, to my great surprise, this movie at times hits Shakespearean levels of stakes and melancholy. Maybe this is because of the voice acting or the fact that most of the leads are animals, but the backstories of some of these creatures and their cruel separation from their masters give Isle of Dogs a more grand scope of emotion to connect with. The best parts of Isle of Dogs focus on this seemingly larger than life journey, cementing dogs’ rightful place beside their human companions. Anderson tries to give equal weight to the human story by forcing in some incisive political commentary, but because the speeches are so on the nose, you laugh at what those scenes are going for more often than not (plus there’s a very uncomfortable issue of a white person educating the Japanese and leading the rebellion). The disparate twee, melancholic, and satirical notes don’t fit perfectly, but when they do, oh boy do you feel it.
Because Anderson found the powerful connection at the heart of the movie: the bond between a pet and an owner. Chief is constantly outvoted in his pack because he is the least housebroken and most cynical towards humans, being a street dog with a propensity towards biting. His edge makes humans not understand him, and therefore, leads to a vicious cycle of being loved then unloved. On the other side, Atari forged a bond with Spot in his most vulnerable moments, and this connection makes him believe in the power of dogs and puppy love. Anderson does close ups of the people and animals eyes, to give you a glimpse of that emotion up so close that you can see tears welling in everyone’s eyes, which melted my heart. This affection for characters leads to most of the Isle of Dogs’ time being spent with good natured people or creatures, with at least some form of complexity or fun characteristic to root for.
Homeward Bound might be the best showcase of the power of the puppy, but Isle of Dogs is the better movie that achieves the same result. Wes Anderson must have a dog that meant a lot to him; maybe we need to start getting more filmmakers dogs. That certainly worked to resurrect Tim Burton from the trash heap.