Rating: A+
Wes Anderson is back at the box office with his latest stop-motion film the Isle Of Dogs and I have to say that he does not disappoint with this film. Boasting an all-star cast which lends their voices to the amazing characters, a solid story, and a visual feast, Isle of Dogs is easily my new favorite Wes Anderson film.
The story is sent in the future in Japan where a dog flu has swept the country forcing the government to exile all dogs to one of the trash islands off the coast so the flu cannot spread any further. One of the first dogs to go is a dog named Spots who is the bodyguard of the Major's young nephew. Three years later the boy makes a plane to steal a plane and take off for the Isle of Dogs to rescue his best friend and bring him home. After crash landing right in the middle of the island, he meets a pack of alpha dogs who agree to help him find his long lost friend. As the government makes plans to exterminate any dogs left on the island to kill the flu once and for all the boy and his new friends must hurry to find his dog and figure out a cure before it is too late.
This film is awesome. There is no other way to say it. The story is original, fun, and engaging. The characters are unique and have that typical Wes Anderson flair to them despite being made of clay. The dog's in the film is so expressive and it is not just from the talents like Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, and Edward Norton voicing these roles, it is the writing that goes with it. This original story is just fun to see unfold on the big screen. I immediately wanted to run home and hug my pups. It is easy to see why so many in Hollywood clamor to work with Wes on his films like these. There is truly something different and special about them. I have to give a huge shout out to the animation team for this work on these characters. The detail is stunning and the combination of actual animation and clay animation is so cool to watch. Everything is put together very well in this film.
I have to give Isle of Dogs a solid A+. There was a reason they saved this one for last at SXSW because you want to save something unique, original, and awesome for last and this movie is exactly that.
Don't miss Wes Anderson's Isle Of Dogs in theaters everywhere March 30!