Isle of Dogs (2018) [Blu-ray]
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

In this stop-motion-animated film from writer/director Wes Anderson, an outbreak of canine flu in Japan leads all dogs to be quarantined on an island. A boy (voice of Koyu Rankin) journeys there to rescue his dog Spots (Liev Schreiber), and gets help from a pack of misfit canines who have also been exiled. His quest inspires a group of dog lovers to expose a government conspiracy. The voice cast also includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Greta Gerwig, and Yoko Ono.

ISLE OF DOGS tells the story of ATARI KOBAYASHI, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.

Storyline: An outbreak of dog flu has spread through the city of Megasaki, Japan, and Mayor Kobayashi has demanded all dogs to be sent to Trash Island. On the island, a young boy named Atari sets out to find his lost dog, Spots, with the help of five other dogs... with many obstacles along the way. Written by Mike202

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, July 16, 2018 One of the glories of Phil Hartman's late, lamented reign on Saturday Night Live was his essaying of the so-called Anal Retentive Chef, a supposed recipe maven who could never quite get around to actually cooking anything since he was always so busy arranging the cozies he had adorning all the objects in his kitchen, or who regularly got sidetracked into detours like the "proper" way to dispose of food scraps (chopped, placed into a paper bag, which was then repeatedly folded, and finally stapled shut). Hartman in fact played a number of anal retentive characters, or perhaps more accurately the same anal retentive character involved in various activities (a kindly YouTube use has uploaded several), but to my knowledge he never tried out playing an anal retentive filmmaker. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say Wes Anderson qualifies for that actual "diagnosis", but Anderson's well documented obsessive attention to detail is certainly front and center (and sides, not to mention forward and backward) in Isle of Dogs, a completely peculiar but absolutely charming stop motion tale that posits a future Japanese world where canines, under the sway of a flu like epidemic, are exiled to Trash Island, a waterbound "refuge" that is covered with the sorts of things the Anal Retentive Chef probably delighted in discarding. This is another Anderson effort that is positively picayune in its weird little plot points, but which coasts along rather effortlessly in its kinda sorta "road trip" journey of a kid named Atari Kobayashi (voiced by Koyu Rankin) who is on the hunt for his beloved dog Spots, who was the first pet sent to Trash Island courtesy of Atari's nefarious uncle and foster parent, Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura).

The fact that Isle of Dogs utilizes stop motion animation and has a lead character bearing the same name as a vintage computer brand may lead some to believe the film is hopelessly old school, but as with many Anderson films, there's a really appealing and quite distinctive combination of elements that are "archival" in nature with a post-modernist spirit that is almost New Wave in its dismissal of anything and everything that has gone before. It's perhaps indicative of Anderson's always subtly provocative artistry that most of the film is told resolutely from the dogs' point of view, and despite a setup that features the Mayor and some other humans, even the arrival of Atari somewhat later in the story doesn't materially affect this perspective.

Atari's "tour guide" on the Isle of Dogs is a scruffy looking canine named Chief (voiced by Bryan Cranston, adding yet another completely unique characterization to his resumé), who actually isn't all that thrilled to be thrust into such a role. There are a number of "supporting dogs", and there's a kind of vignette driven approach throughout the film that tends to highlight various characters, even as the throughline of Atari trying to find Spots is never far from the surface. A gorgeous female dog named Nutmeg (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), a purebreed who looks decidedly out of place on the haphazard and garbage strewn island, is a main instigator in getting a pack of dogs to help Atari, but two other canines warn of a dangerous group of feral dogs who have unbridled appetites (so to speak).

Much as with Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, a "mere" plot summary really can't suffice to properly communicate what an invigorating viewing experience watching the film provides. Presentationally, this is one of Anderson's more audacious efforts (something that may raise a few eyebrows, considering what's gone before), and there are a whole host of other media like silk screen prints that are referenced aside and apart from the uniformly charming stop motion animation. (It's probably salient to mention that this Japanese-esque story has been adapted into a manga.) The film is also filled to the brim with little nuggets of comedy, some verbal, many delivered via on screen text additions, that continually provide little jolts of energy along the way.

But it's the essential sweetness of this tale (tail?) that will probably stick with most viewers, a kind of heartfelt aspect that beautifully infuses and helps to inform the animation style. This is a film where even nefarious villains are offered a chance at salvation, and the entire film plays like a kind of slightly hallucinogenic allegory that may in fact speak to headline making debates about isolating "the other", especially if that "other" is perceived to be life threatening. But any screed like tendencies are actually thankfully kept to a minimum here, and Isle of Dogs turns out to be a spot(s) (sorry) that many will enjoy visiting, despite the prevalence of refuse and the occasional snarling canine or two.

It's hard to think of another filmmaker who so regularly confounds expectations and delivers such sui generis offerings as does Wes Anderson. Who else would even think of making a film with so many disparate plot points, and then up the ante by presenting it in stop motion animation (along with some other animation techniques). It's just flat out odd — but it's also unbelievably charming, delightful, laugh out loud funny and (most importantly) touching. This is another "one off" from Anderson that would take a considerably more gifted writer than I am to fully describe, and my bottom line advice about Isle of Dogs is: stop reading and go see it! Once again Fox has delivered a Blu-ray with near flawless technical merits, and while the supplementary package is a little lean, Isle of Dogs comes Highly recommended.

[CSW] -3.9- The above reviewer mentions "disparate plot points" and a "road trip" presentation, don't take those lightly. The writer/director Wes Anderson is a master of this type of skit. All of your classic Wes Anderson tropes of symmetrical shots, zany dialogue, and an outlandish take on underdogs (pun intended) rebelling against the system are present. The Japanese themes were artistically delivered as well as one could expect, without resorting to base stereotypes. Many of the themes presented are serious ones that hit home all the more because of the amusing and artful way they are served up. This story has everything: politics, protestors, conspiracies, science and science fiction, cliff hangers, hilarious dialog, parables, life-lessons, bro-mances, Bogart-Bacall banter, and even a tragic love story. The subtle allegory on an evil leader stirring the pot against the most helpless in our society is timely and well wrought. Don't miss this one if you are a Wes Anderson fan, or simply want a great comedy.
[V5.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box


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