New Release Birb: Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs
Voiced By: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Greta Gerwig, and many, many, MANY others
Co-Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
US Release Date: March 23rd, 2018
My First Viewing: March 31st, 2018

Wes Anderson goes back to animation for the first time since 2009's Fantastic Mr. Fox with his first feature film since 2014's Grand Budapest Hotel with Isle of Dogs.

Set in a not-to-distant future in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki, Mayor Kobayashi of the cat-loving Kobayashi tribe has ruled dogs to be excommunicated to Trash Island due to Snout Fever. The first dog sent to Trash Island is the security dog of his adopted son and ward Atari. Flash forward to Trash Island being overrun with dogs, where a group of five the rule the roost (voiced by Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, and Jeff Goldblum). Atari makes his way to Trash Island VIA a stolen plane, and, with the help of the pack of five, look for his lost dog Spots (Liev Schreiber).

There is a lot that goes into making this movie and Anderson makes sure that every single detail, down to the multiple animation styles and every flea on the dog's fur, is apparent. The voice cast is prolific, much like the casts of most Anderson films, and the script is crisp, making for a fun ride. Being both in Japanese and English, they made the conscious and inspiring decision to translate or subtitle only what's critical to the events of the film.

Some of my favorite characters come from the supporting cast, such as Scarlett Johansson's Nutmeg the former show dog, Frances McDormand as the Japanese interpreter, and Tilda Swinton as the clairvoyant pug Oracle.

This may go over the head's of younger kids if you decide to bring your child to this film. Some of the subject matter it deals with include the loss of a loved one and political gamesmanship. However, if you bring your kids just because they want to see the cute dogs on screen, there is nothing overtly offensive in this movie despite its PG-13 rating. With that being said, this is another notch in the cap for Anderson, and one that anyone can enjoy, even if you don't particularly like Anderson's typical quirky style.

Isle of Dogs is rated PG-13 for thematic images and violent images? What are your thoughts? Follow me on twitter here or at my Facebook page here and leave a comment. If you like the blog, check out my previous posts and check out my Patreon.

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