Review of Isle of Dogs (2018) by Bryanandrew — 09 Apr 2020

Isle of dogs is a world-building visual masterpiece suitable for all ages, with the most painstakingly detailed characters and set designs I've ever seen in a stop motion picture. The plot of this film has a pretty large scope for a stop motion film, covering an array of characters and subplots, with lots of heart and character development naturally integrated into it.

The director seems to have struck a good balance between story and art. The characterisation of the dogs fit perfectly with the actual voice actors, with some of the dialogue feeling like they were tailor-made for Jeff Goldblum's or Bill Murray's character.

The musical score adds an extra layer of lightheartedness to the overall feel of an already humorous and entertaining film. However, I do believe that there are deeper underlying themes surrounding political propaganda and how they can incite xenophobic fear and hatred.

Is it any coincidence that this film was in development during the rise of Trump's presidency? In any case, Isle of Dogs can be viewed multiple times for its immaculately detailed aesthetics (as it is so detailed you will never see everything upon the first viewing) or you can simply enjoy it for a heartwarming tale of the endearing relationship between a boy and his dog.

Isle of Dogs gets an 8.5/10.