Isle Of Dogs (2018) ****

For round 2 of Isle Of Dogs (2018), I'd say that I felt largely the same as my first viewing, which is a good thing because I loved it.

I will say that there are some beats in this film that fall flat, unlike Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), which is close to perfect. Some of the characters don't do it for me, some are underutilized, and some of the scenes drag a bit, but on the whole the film is bursting with eye and ear candy. The voice work of Cranston, Norton and Goldblum in particular are all stellar. One thing I didn't mention in my original review is how excellent Alexandre Desplat's score is—at times full of drums beating like a heart, at times as sparse as a 3-note whistle.

Despite the shortcomings, my star rating hasn't changed and I can see myself enjoying many more viewings of Dogs, more than anything else to soak in its art form. A funny, sad, charming adventure that still has thought-provoking statements to make about the lives of both humans and dogs, how we all treat each other on this planet, and how we treat the planet itself.

You can find my Wes Anderson Feature Films Ranked list here.

Comments