I knew I would be in a for a treat (no pun intended) when Wes Anderson would make another Stop-Motion animated film the first being Fantastic Mr. Fox which I really liked and is one of my favourite Stop-Motion films of all time, that's the only film I have seen from him but now I should more of his films since Fantastic Mr Fox really impressed me.
I was really pumped for this movie since it's by Wes Anderson, it has a huge cast and it's about Japan and Samauri Dogs fighting, now that sounds amazing, I hope Wes knows what he is doing with this and thanks to my local cinema getting a early screening on Sunday the 25th, I was delighted to see film early before coming out on the 30th, so I did see it and......... I LOVED IT!, this is even better then Fantastic Mr. Fox, this could arguably be one of the best films of this year, so what's it about?.
In the city of Megasaki, Mayor Kobayashi banishes all flu infected dogs to a island called "Trash Island" where all dogs live in a grey, unpleasant, rotten and dangerous island where junk food is thrown away and other props that have now turn into junk, however a 12-Year-Old boy named Atari Kobayashi travels to the island to look for his loyal bodyguard dog named Spots (voiced by Liev Schreiber) with the help of five other dogs, Chief (Bryon Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), Boss (Bill Murray), Duke (Jeff Goldblum) and King (Bob Balaban).
So from what I just said, you'll know what will happen, in just the most basic way possible and it will be just as generic as any other animated film, but not this one, Wes Anderson put in so much elements in to one and for some strange reason it.... actually works, comedy, drama, suspense, adventure, fantasy and sci-if, all of these elements in this movie work off each other with every unique turn, it all stays on point with It elements and doesn't feel out of place, it creates atmosphere and different moods, the film also have genuine emotion that anyone who has dogs can relate to and can pull off really funny moments at the same time can be quite mature, the film also have moments that I didn't see coming and quite graphic and a bit sweary for a PG which shows Wes is taking risks, seeing the film as more of a adult film then a harmless family movie, I never thought I would say this but this is not only a original idea with it's fantastic direction, writing and a powerful moral about Dogs should be treated equally and old things shouldn't be replaced with new things to change the future, in all honesty this much effort feels so.... groundbreaking.
The animation is fantastic, I know it's expected for a stop-motion film like this but you can't help but be impressed by it, comparing it to Fantastic Mr. Fox, this animation has ideas, for example the different styles used when a character is seen on CCTV cameras or when characters are seen in a far distance is used in different art styles and it works unbelievably well, the characters have a down to earth and real look to it, the dogs are all each identified by their types, you can tell who's who from Chief to Nutmeg to Jupiter, their fur moves normally like wind is blowing through it, which is such a unique small detail that is just creates realism and believability, the humans look fantastic, looking almost realistic with very expressive faces, they all have a unique look that stands out as well, the backgrounds are so well-crafted like the city is a place full of colour and makes you feel welcomed while Trash Island has a grey, dirty, nasty, unpleasant and sad look to it that again creates a mood of misery and fear, the animation truly knows how to make stop-motion animation look impressive, extraordinary and beautiful fall at the same time.
The characters are all unforgettable and so likeable that people will have at least one favourite, They all play a part in the plot that gets it going and they all have a moment to shine to show who they are and what their goals are, my favourite characters are Chief, Spots, Atari, Rex, Tracy, Nutmeg and Jupiter, they all have personality and some memorable about them, same with the villains, they create fear and conflict with our heroes and they can be quite intimidating, the voice acting is top-notch, with big names like Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Scarlet Johansson, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum and the rest of cast as well, everyone put in great voice performances, Bryan Cranston, Scarlet Johansson, Liev Schreiber and Greta Gerwig all stand out for me and just put so much emotion and effort into their performances, I'm happy that the major character have development and all the rest have a purpose with wonderful voice acting.
And on a side note, the score by Alexandre Desplat is one of the best movie scores I have ever heard, seriously, check it out, it's so fascinating, but after the movie of course.
So yeah as you can tell I love this movie so much, need I say more?, an originally plot, groundbreaking and brilliant animation, characters that have development while others all have screen time with a moment to shine with wonderful voice-acting and an amazing score, people if you love Fantastic Mr. Fox and/or Wes Anderson, you'll love this, take the kids to see this one if they can handle blood and swears, it's a mature and adult film that everyone must watch, please see it while it's still in cinemas because we need more stop-motion films to prove that they can still make money and bring us something timeless, but Wes Anderson, you did me proud, cannot wait to see the next stop-motion you make next.
I'm at delighted to give Isle of Dogs a solid 10/10.
I was really pumped for this movie since it's by Wes Anderson, it has a huge cast and it's about Japan and Samauri Dogs fighting, now that sounds amazing, I hope Wes knows what he is doing with this and thanks to my local cinema getting a early screening on Sunday the 25th, I was delighted to see film early before coming out on the 30th, so I did see it and......... I LOVED IT!, this is even better then Fantastic Mr. Fox, this could arguably be one of the best films of this year, so what's it about?.
In the city of Megasaki, Mayor Kobayashi banishes all flu infected dogs to a island called "Trash Island" where all dogs live in a grey, unpleasant, rotten and dangerous island where junk food is thrown away and other props that have now turn into junk, however a 12-Year-Old boy named Atari Kobayashi travels to the island to look for his loyal bodyguard dog named Spots (voiced by Liev Schreiber) with the help of five other dogs, Chief (Bryon Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), Boss (Bill Murray), Duke (Jeff Goldblum) and King (Bob Balaban).
So from what I just said, you'll know what will happen, in just the most basic way possible and it will be just as generic as any other animated film, but not this one, Wes Anderson put in so much elements in to one and for some strange reason it.... actually works, comedy, drama, suspense, adventure, fantasy and sci-if, all of these elements in this movie work off each other with every unique turn, it all stays on point with It elements and doesn't feel out of place, it creates atmosphere and different moods, the film also have genuine emotion that anyone who has dogs can relate to and can pull off really funny moments at the same time can be quite mature, the film also have moments that I didn't see coming and quite graphic and a bit sweary for a PG which shows Wes is taking risks, seeing the film as more of a adult film then a harmless family movie, I never thought I would say this but this is not only a original idea with it's fantastic direction, writing and a powerful moral about Dogs should be treated equally and old things shouldn't be replaced with new things to change the future, in all honesty this much effort feels so.... groundbreaking.
The animation is fantastic, I know it's expected for a stop-motion film like this but you can't help but be impressed by it, comparing it to Fantastic Mr. Fox, this animation has ideas, for example the different styles used when a character is seen on CCTV cameras or when characters are seen in a far distance is used in different art styles and it works unbelievably well, the characters have a down to earth and real look to it, the dogs are all each identified by their types, you can tell who's who from Chief to Nutmeg to Jupiter, their fur moves normally like wind is blowing through it, which is such a unique small detail that is just creates realism and believability, the humans look fantastic, looking almost realistic with very expressive faces, they all have a unique look that stands out as well, the backgrounds are so well-crafted like the city is a place full of colour and makes you feel welcomed while Trash Island has a grey, dirty, nasty, unpleasant and sad look to it that again creates a mood of misery and fear, the animation truly knows how to make stop-motion animation look impressive, extraordinary and beautiful fall at the same time.
The characters are all unforgettable and so likeable that people will have at least one favourite, They all play a part in the plot that gets it going and they all have a moment to shine to show who they are and what their goals are, my favourite characters are Chief, Spots, Atari, Rex, Tracy, Nutmeg and Jupiter, they all have personality and some memorable about them, same with the villains, they create fear and conflict with our heroes and they can be quite intimidating, the voice acting is top-notch, with big names like Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Scarlet Johansson, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum and the rest of cast as well, everyone put in great voice performances, Bryan Cranston, Scarlet Johansson, Liev Schreiber and Greta Gerwig all stand out for me and just put so much emotion and effort into their performances, I'm happy that the major character have development and all the rest have a purpose with wonderful voice acting.
And on a side note, the score by Alexandre Desplat is one of the best movie scores I have ever heard, seriously, check it out, it's so fascinating, but after the movie of course.
So yeah as you can tell I love this movie so much, need I say more?, an originally plot, groundbreaking and brilliant animation, characters that have development while others all have screen time with a moment to shine with wonderful voice-acting and an amazing score, people if you love Fantastic Mr. Fox and/or Wes Anderson, you'll love this, take the kids to see this one if they can handle blood and swears, it's a mature and adult film that everyone must watch, please see it while it's still in cinemas because we need more stop-motion films to prove that they can still make money and bring us something timeless, but Wes Anderson, you did me proud, cannot wait to see the next stop-motion you make next.
I'm at delighted to give Isle of Dogs a solid 10/10.