Wes Anderson went back to stop-motion for Isle of Dogs, a Japan-set adventure about dogs banished to an island of garbage and the pack that helps a boy search for his own lost pet. It opened in 2018 to warm reviews: critics loved how it looked and how much heart it had, though its picture of Japan started a real argument.
What critics loved
The craft came first for nearly everyone. IndieWire called it "staggeringly well-crafted" and Anderson's most imaginative work so far, and Steven Weintraub at Collider said the detail in every shot left him blown away. David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter enjoyed its sly humour, playful graphic inserts and chapter structure, and predicted cult status. A review in the Nashville Scene called it a marvel of painstaking construction and singled out Alexandre Desplat's taiko-driven score.
Plenty of critics also found it warm and pointed. Scott Mendelson at Forbes praised the voice work and Frances McDormand in particular, Jessica Kiang at The Playlist highlighted its political commentary, and Jonathan Romney at The Guardian called it "hugely enjoyable", praising its anti-bigotry message. Gregory Ellwood found it less funny than other Anderson films but more resonant and moving.
Where critics split
A few reviewers found it slight. Guy Lodge at Variety said it was "perhaps not an entire meal", Thomas Humphrey at Screen Anarchy found it a little familiar and less polished than Anderson's best, and Hannah Woodhead at Little White Lies wasn't sure who it was for.
The bigger debate was about Japan. Justin Chang at the Los Angeles Times questioned the choice to leave the Japanese characters' dialogue untranslated while the dogs speak English, arguing it pushed them to the margins. Angie Han at Mashable felt the humans ended up as inscrutable foreigners, and Greta Gerwig's character, Tracy Walker, drew criticism for white-saviour undertones. Chang later stressed his review was mixed and measured, and that he had largely enjoyed the film.
The consensus
On craft, critics put Isle of Dogs near the top of Anderson's work, which earns it a high QC score, with the cultural questions keeping it just short of perfect. Fun lands a step lower but still strong: it's funny, sweet and inventive, though some found it lighter and less of a laugh than his best comedies.
Sources
- /Film: Isle of Dogs reviews round-up (The Playlist, Screen Anarchy, Forbes, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, IndieWire, Collider, Little White Lies, The Guardian, CinemaBlend)
- Motion Picture Association: reviewers on Isle of Dogs (Collider, David Ehrlich, Gregory Ellwood, Alex Billington)
- TheWrap: Isle of Dogs triggers debate over cultural appropriation (Los Angeles Times)
- Nashville Scene: Wes Anderson's latest is a cinematic marvel that raises some questions (Nashville Scene, Los Angeles Times, Mashable)