Isle Of Dogs Review Roundup: New Wes Anderson Film Delights
Wes Anderson's stop-motion animation Isle of Dogs is one of the most anticipated releases of the years. The reviews are in, and they're predictably great.
Good Doggies
The movie, the director's second foray into stop-motion following 2009's Fantastic Mr. Fox, features the voice talents of Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, and loads more.
The Isle Of Dogs hits theaters on Mar. 23, but the initial reviews are extremely positive across the board. In fact, the flick is currently sitting pretty at a whopping 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.
"The director at his best," says The Daily Beast's Richard Porton.
The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney noted the inclusion of many of Anderson's frequent collaborators, including Norton, gives the film a familial feel.
"The presence of so many members of Anderson's unofficial repertory acting company only reinforces the sense of a lovingly hand-crafted project from a true maverick screen storyteller," he noted.
Pretty Mess
The simple-enough premise of Isle of Dogs sees a young boy searching for his lost pooch. The complications come when a rag-tag tribe of canines elects to help him in his quest. The journey takes place mostly on the trash-strewn island of the title amid the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world where adults are most definitely the enemy.
This intentional messiness is part of the film's overarching charm, as noted by Indiewire's David Ehrlich.
"Ultimately ... the most striking thing about Anderson's fastidiousness is that it's all in done in the service of chaos," he enthused.
The Daily Telegraph's Tim Robey was in full agreement.
"This is by some measure Anderson's weirdest concoction ever, in all sorts of good ways. And it probably counts as his most daring, too," he said."If you're looking for cute, cuddly Wes Anderson you're barking up the wrong tree."
The Guardian's Jonathan Romney also pointed to the film's impressive environmental message.
"This hugely enjoyable package shows an indefatigably fertile imagination letting rip in inimitable style — and packing an eco-themed, anti-bigotry message as well," he gushed.
The Isle of Dogs is currently storming the boards at Berlinale in Germany after opening the 2018 festival to massive acclaim.
General audiences will have to wait until next month to catch Anderson's not-so-family-friendly kids' adventure movie. However, if these initial reviews are anything to go by, it will definitely be worth the wait.
