Isle of Dogs
Mini Non-Spoiler Review
[31st of May, 2018]
[PG-13, 2hr 15min, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Star Wars, Science Fiction]
Only being a fan of Wes Anderson as a peculiar auteur just recently with the Grand Budapest Hotel is his most recent film that I actually got to experience in real time, I have been clamouring to watch his latest endeavour in the big screen but considering how much more niche motion pictures would not get their deserved due here locally i.e. the Shape of Water that was only being brought in for the Academy Award buzz, I was afraid that it won't be screened near me at all. It was the case actually for a couple of days as the nearest are two and a half hour away but thankfully I decided to check online the day before and noticed it had limited screenings at my now usual hangout, cutting my travel down by over thirty minutes. Nevertheless, I was willing to go either way to have my latest silver screen Wes Anderson fix!
Before watching it, I know by the trailers that it is definitively full of his own flairs and styles but also a much sought return to the novel yet underappreciated genre of stopmotion that he excelled in before with the charming Fantastic Mr. Fox. While I can't compare both movies without getting into spoilers, I can honestly say that it has its own heartwarming charms with the plethora of dogs onscreen and how they wonderfully interact with each other while their best friends treat them from both opposite spectrum extremes, becoming the throughline of the film and the motivations behind each of their actions. If you're not familiar with this particular director's peculiar style of storytelling and composing of scenes, you might be in for quite a trip and might need time to get used to it but for those who have been fans for years, it is a delightful ride from start to finish as we follow the start of the relationship between dogs and humans and how it deteriorates, and how the real life island becomes an effective background for the disposed canines to thrive in or rather scavenge for dear life.
Authentic Japanese are used smartly in my humble opinions from the very first scene until the end with native speakers speak dialogues that sometimes do not have subtitles at all while other are being translated by another person in the film or hilariously by a machine. This interesting mechanic of storytelling is actually being used quite frequently to the benefit of the final product as we transition from English to the language of the Land of the Rising Sun seamlessly, making the feature feels really authentic by adding to the atmosphere that is uniquely to their culture. The usage of the former actually suits the narrative as we hear the barks of the dogs being translated into English while some of the characters use it to suit the situation they are in without appearing pandering or misappropriate their cultures strictly for financial gains. The art of stopmotion hasn't been used as much as the conventional animating techniques hence the least people have been exposed to it, being the one obstacle that ones need to get over to settle in into the film if their eyes are still getting used to it. With that being said, there are other animation aids in the form of 2D hand-drawn and actual 3D CGI scenes being used sporadically as a nice contrast and break, resulting in a wonderful collaborative effort blending these different mediums together for a wholesome viewing experience.
Speaking of which, there were only just over half a dozen in my early evening screening since this is not as widely marketed as other big budgeted movies and are only known by the more movie-savvy audiences but at least we all enjoy the film thoroughly without any distraction. While Mr. Fox is more family-oriented, Isle of Dogs focuses on the relationship between the dogs and their relationship with the humans, with the different personalities being exuberantly portrayed by the voice over of the talented Hollywood cast and their puppet counterparts onscreen with the human characters being our surrogates in this bizarre world. The bizarre storyline could be a bit much for some but I was on this journey from the start and all the ups and downs certainly entertain me throughout this rollercoaster ride and by the end of it, I am left with my heart warmed by the glow of Wes Anderson.
- IMDb - wiki -
P.S. I hope this would shine more lights on the medium and brings it into maintstream even more ... Laika would be so proud!
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