Isle of Dogs - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Isle of Dogs

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Wes Anderson is a peculiar director who has fast become one of my favorite muses in my cinematic journey. He is most notable for The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, but, my favorite adventure of the man’s quirky palate is probably Grand Budapest Hotel. Watching a Wes Anderson film usually defies logic of genre confines, and taxes the viewer to leap into a completely magically weird world of fantasy, that could be just as alien as Narnia is to our world. He jumps from familial dramas, to talking animal fantasy flicks, all the way over to introspective dramedies that usually star a recurring cast of characters (the Wilson brothers, Bill Murray and Edward Norton are always repeat visitors to the director). But through it all, Wes Anderson makes a film that is accessible to most viewers, but one that requires a certain taste for depth and bizarre creativity in their films. Isle of Dogs happens to be one of his best to date (still not going to beat Grand Budapest Hotel for me), and hearkens back to Fantastic Mr. Fox more than any of his other works.

Set in the future world of Japan (most likely a way for Wes Anderson to completely saturate the environment with all his quirks and changes to technology), Isle of Dogs revolves around an initiative to move dogs off to their own remote isle in the middle of nowhere due to the spread of a canine flu. This isle (known as Trash Island) houses every dog from Japan, but this was not exactly done with 100% agreement from everyone. Young Atari Kobayashi (Koyu Rankin) decides to sneak a ride over to Trash Island, and subsequently retrieve his dog Spots (Liev Schreiber) from his isolation. Upon arriving, Atari is aided by five other dogs (voiced by Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, and Bryan Cranston), all of whom help the little boy in finding his beloved pet.

Isle of Dogs is decidedly peculiar, and the stop motion animation lends a sort of nostalgic flair to the film that is decidedly Wes Andersonish in nature. The plot points themselves are fairly throwaway, but the film itself coasts along with effortless ease as it exudes a sort of “road trip” style storytelling that just unfolds naturally. Needless to say, we’re not to caught up in the machinations of the villain, or the actual points of GETTING to Spots, but more more interested in how the characters interact on Atari’s journey of self discovery. There is a laid back, almost lazy tone to Wes’s dialog, but the actors themselves are simply superb in their roles. With Bryan Cranston and Edward Norton stealing the show, with Jeff Goldblum coming in a close third to their performances.

There American film is given a rather even mix of American and native Japanese actors, and their collaboration in the film gives a sense of authenticity and nuance to the futuristic Japanese world. The vignette driven approach to the film allows for each and every side character (and there is a ton, including Tilda Swinton, Yoko Ono, Harvey Keitel, Scarlett Johansson, Francis McDormand, Greta Gerwig, Ken Watanabe, and many more) to have their moment in the limelight without dragging down the pace of the film. In fact, the vignette style allows for them to come and go naturally without feeling a need to explain WHY they leave, or whey they even come.

The film is whimsical, charming, and completely respectful of Japanese works (Wes Anderson has huge influences from Akira Kurosawa), but it still maintains it’s own “Wes Andersonish” quality about it. The stop motion is considered “retro” for us today, and Anderson uses the style to its max, using lusciously computer animated stop motion sequences that really add a unique flair to the movie’s ambiance. The humor is dry, the wit is sharp, and the actors are completely having fun with the project. The 101 minute film just FLEW by for me, and I sunk into my chair with a sort of relaxed enjoyment that one gets from sipping a fine bourbon paired with a nice cigar.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images




Video:

Isle of Dogs was reportedly shot, frame by stop motion frame, with the Canon EOS digital camera system (at 5.6K resolution) and then finished with a 2K master for home video. I would have LOVED to have seen this film in 4K UHD, as the source material was definitely high enough, but the 1080p Blu-ray is absolutely a treat to watch on Blu-ray. Everything in the animation is superbly rendered, with intricate details on Trash Island as well as intimate clothing and textural details along faces. Colors are bright and warm, with a dusky tinge to it that is indicative of Wes Anderson’s moody tonal shifts in the film. Blacks are deep and inky, and I couldn’t find a hint of any digital artifacting to the naked eye. In short, this is a picture perfect demo disc for Blu-ray, and falls right in line with Wes Anderson’s typical retentive attention to detail in his films.








Audio:

Anderson’s 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is not the most powerful and exciting of tracks, but it is immaculately done from a more subtle perspective. The film’s audio thrives on discrete ambient noises throughout, with a lot of emphasis placed upon the background noises on Trash Island. The soundscape makes wide use of the front channels, with flitting panning noises that shift from one end of the sound stage to the other, and wonderfully nuanced LFE levels that makes great use of different tonal changes in the low end. The dialog is natural and cleanly replicated up in the center channel, with a mild dynamic range that really excells in the quieter moments throughout the film.







Extras:

• Featurettes
- Animators
- Isle of Dogs Cast Interviews
- Puppets
- An Ode to Dogs
- Magasaki City and Trash Island
- Weather and Elements
• Image Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

The lingering feeling watching Isle of Dogs is the endearing sweetness of the film. It’s this sensation of kindness and heartfelt love that weaves its way throughout the film, and the sensation lasts after the film has ended as well. There’s a lot to dig through and peel back upon further viewings, but the initial watch will most likely leave the viewer with a warm and fuzzy feeling, which then expands to a deeper appreciation of some of the interpersonal relationships upon further reflection. Once again Fox’s Blu-ray is near impeccable, with the only caveat being the notable lack of extras on the disc. Other than that, this is a must watch film for people of all ages and one of my favorite movies the year.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Written by: Wes Anderson, Roman Copoola, Jason Schwartzman, Kunichi Nomura
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish, French DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, and French
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 101 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: June 17th, 2018

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Must Watch

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I've always found Wes Anderson films to be missed opportunities, like he's always so busy trying to see how quirky he can be, just how far he can take the Wes Andersonification™ of his films, that he often leaves a lot on the table. Ironically, I found Grand Budapest Hotel to be the pinnacle of this misfiring.

I did, however, really enjoy the Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I will most definitely take this for a spin.

 

[Michael Scott]

I've always found Wes Anderson films to be missed opportunities, like he's always so busy trying to see how quirky he can be, just how far he can take the Wes Andersonification™ of his films, that he often leaves a lot on the table. Ironically, I found Grand Budapest Hotel to be the pinnacle of this misfiring.

I did, however, really enjoy the Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I will most definitely take this for a spin.

he's definitely an acquired taste. You either love him, or you can't get into his stuff.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Us Andersons like to push the envelope!

I'm all over this one!

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Will get this one.