Few fans fit the definition of the term "cult following" more than those of Wes Anderson. Honestly, the only other director I can think of with such a unique style and following would be Quentin Tarantino. Ironically, their movies are wildly contrasted, yet contain a similar director's base formula. Honestly, both of them are basically their own genre. Granted, I have seen far more films by Quentin Tarantino than I have Wes Anderson. Regardless, I know enough about Wes Anderson's style to know that Isle of Dogs is another installment of his formula; but that doesn't make it any less whimsical or entertaining.
I have very few actual talents; however, among said "talents" is my ability to recognize almost any actor by their face or voice, provided I've seen or heard them before. So, for me, that's one of the things that made Isle of Dogs so much fun to watch. The lead voices of the dogs are stacked with terrific actors, some of which are far more talented in the craft of voice acting than I had anticipated. I mean, you'll hear Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson....that's about it. I mean, it's not like voice acting always makes-or-breaks an animated movie per se, but the cast and line-delivery for Isle of Dogs was top-notch.
One welcome aspect about the plot of Isle of Dogs is that it is well-paced. How often do you find yourself talking about a movie and saying something along the lines of, "Well, it started off well, then got really boring, but picked back up by the end." Honestly, one of the most frustrating things about some movies is when they're only mostly good. However, I was never bored watching Isle of Dogs, and the plot stayed on-pace. I'm also not the biggest fan of the use of flashbacks in a narrative, but in this case, they actually worked. The plot also didn't become unnecessarily complicated or turn out to be something completely different than advertised.
One welcome aspect about the plot of Isle of Dogs is that it is well-paced. How often do you find yourself talking about a movie and saying something along the lines of, "Well, it started off well, then got really boring, but picked back up by the end." Honestly, one of the most frustrating things about some movies is when they're only mostly good. However, I was never bored watching Isle of Dogs, and the plot stayed on-pace. I'm also not the biggest fan of the use of flashbacks in a narrative, but in this case, they actually worked. The plot also didn't become unnecessarily complicated or turn out to be something completely different than advertised.
Wes Anderson occasionally tries too hard to be artsy, but his artistic vision paid off well in Isle of Dogs. He's kind of obsessed with symmetrical shots and overhead paneling, but his shots sure are gorgeous. I can remember one scene in particular where the dogs are talking in a tent, and you can only see the silhouettes of the characters against a beautiful backdrop. That may sound somewhat simple, but it's a way to take a token expositional scene and add an artistic twist. You'd be surprised at how enjoyable it is to see basic shots filmed at unusual angles.
Earlier I mentioned that I loved all the voice actors in this movie; and I also love the characters they portrayed. The first act of the movie focused on the main several dogs and the dynamic of their relationship to each other. By the latter half of the second act, however, several characters got separated, and the story line shifted focus to just a couple of characters. I didn't necessarily dislike this narrative choice, but part of me wishes that we could have seen all the characters together for the whole film. Additionally, only one or two characters got true resolution and showed significant development; which is good, but several characters that were so excellently introduced were kind of left by the wayside by the film's end. I couldn't help but feel slightly cheated.
I'd be willing to bet that most of you looked at Isle of Dogs and thought that it looked incredibly weird. I know this because I was one of those people. Thankfully, I had a friend convince me to see it, and I actually found it to be a really fun movie. I'll admit that its tone is a little obscure, and it's definitely more "artsy" than your typical big-name releases. It definitely had a bit of an indie feel to it. Nevertheless, I know good moviemaking when I see it, and Isle of Dogs fits that category.
It's not perfect, but it's good enough to earn an 88% and to be deemed
Earlier I mentioned that I loved all the voice actors in this movie; and I also love the characters they portrayed. The first act of the movie focused on the main several dogs and the dynamic of their relationship to each other. By the latter half of the second act, however, several characters got separated, and the story line shifted focus to just a couple of characters. I didn't necessarily dislike this narrative choice, but part of me wishes that we could have seen all the characters together for the whole film. Additionally, only one or two characters got true resolution and showed significant development; which is good, but several characters that were so excellently introduced were kind of left by the wayside by the film's end. I couldn't help but feel slightly cheated.
I'd be willing to bet that most of you looked at Isle of Dogs and thought that it looked incredibly weird. I know this because I was one of those people. Thankfully, I had a friend convince me to see it, and I actually found it to be a really fun movie. I'll admit that its tone is a little obscure, and it's definitely more "artsy" than your typical big-name releases. It definitely had a bit of an indie feel to it. Nevertheless, I know good moviemaking when I see it, and Isle of Dogs fits that category.
It's not perfect, but it's good enough to earn an 88% and to be deemed
Theater Worthy
P.S. Isle of Dogs...."I love dogs"....Get it? *rim shot
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