Isle of Dogs Movie Review

Isle of Dogs (2018)

Rent Isle of Dogs on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: (voice) Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Yoko Ono, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Set in Japan, a boy travels to the Isle of Dogs in search of his lost dog.

Verdict
The story is a very typical boy befriends dog. It hits the emotions you'd expect, but even then it does that very well. The movie is surprisingly compelling. It's stop motion, but the models of the dogs skew uncanny valley with their eye movements and expressions. My reluctance in seeing the movie is because of the look, but it's really enjoyable.
It depends.

Review
The premise is a centuries old feud between dog and cat owners that culminates in all dogs being banished to ward off canine flu that could spread to humans. That sets up Akira's journey to find his beloved dog Spots. Akira flies to trash island, now known as Isle of dogs where he meets a pack of five dogs.

The vantage point of the movie is the dogs, so we don't understand what Akira says, but the dogs pick up on his goal. The pack encounters various other dogs in the journey to find Spots, while the evil mayor attempts to track Akira.
I get why we don't understand Akira. Dogs don't understand humans, and that's out point of view. The mayor also speaks Japanese and is understood only through translators. It seems like a needlessly complicated addition for a movie that released in the states.

Chief is a stray and de facto leader of the pack. Chief doesn't need anybody, especially humans so of course he and Akira end up separated from the others. Chief and Akira bond. Those scenes are really well done. The what and how they bond showcases the talent of Wes Anderson. By the end of the movie, Chief has developed quite the story.

There are plenty of dog and kid movies, but this one is a great example. I'm not sure it's something that's a must see, but the quirky animation style gives this a distinct visual look. The look is what sets this apart. With stop motion there are certain constraints, and that also adds to the visual style.