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Movie review: ‘Isle of Dogs’

Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation gives audiences the feels

When saying the title of the film out loud, it unexpectedly sounds like “I love dogs.” Being a dog lover, I could not help but fall in love with Wes Anderson’s latest release, “Isle of Dogs.”

This stop-motion animated picture takes place in Megasaki City, Japan, where the cat-lover Mayor Kobayashi is reelected. His new decree orders that all dogs are quarantined to Trash Island to prevent the further spreading of the dangerous canine flu. Shortly ensuing, a 12-year-old boy named Atari travels to the island to rescue his dog, Spots. With assistance from a pack of helpful yet scrappy dogs, the group journeys across the island to find Atari’s furry friend.

There are a few elements that are obvious whenever you are watching a Wes Anderson film, with “Isle of Dogs” being no exception. Each shot is framed with symmetric perfection as if it is a portrait. There is the implicit, quirky dialogue that always is laugh evoking; as in the rest of his films, Anderson made sure he included his usual all-star cast. This movie flew by as its exciting, inventive story was a joy to watch. Each twist and turn captivated me thanks to each character being so lovable. Every dog was perfectly personified by their voice actors. The arrogance of Edward Norton, lackadaisical tone of Bill Murray, and the likeable weirdness of Jeff Goldblum shone through the snout of each outcast canine.

There were 1,000 puppets made: 500 dogs and 500 humans. The amount of detail and planning in every shot kept my eyes dazzled the entire time. It is truly unbelievable that there was little to no incorporation of computer-generated images; the audience was watching all practical effects. Pairing this unique art form with Wes Anderson’s vision has created a movie that can be loved for its visuals alone. That doesn’t mean that the other parts of the film are lacking as it is hilarious thanks to its witty — and sometimes dark — humor. Each line in the movie is well thought out as the clever diction causes chuckle after chuckle. I cannot wait to watch this again as there are more subtle jokes for me to catch that I may have missed.

“Isle of Dogs” is a heartfelt film that fires on every cylinder. It makes the dog-lover in every one of us smile. Perhaps Anderson knew he could easily appeal to audiences with a story like this. Even if you are more of a cat person, still see this movie.

Quinn Deitrick is a junior at Loyalsock Township High School. Movies are a true passion of his that he hopes he can develop into a career one day. By writing reviews, he strives to give a helping hand to inform people if a movie is worth their time and money.

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