Isle of Dogs Review

Certificate: PG

Running time: 101 minutes 

Directed by: Wes Anderson.

What’s it about: A boy sets out to rescue his dog from an island to which all dogs have been sent to after a ‘dog flu’ outbreak.

The verdict: Wes Anderson is well known for his distinctive visual and narrative style, and Isle of Dogs follows suit with this. And I have to say I absolutely loved it.

The stop motion is beautifully animated and visually there is so much to enjoy - the warm colour palette draws you in and keeps your eyes glued to the screen as you marvel at the sophisticated animation techniques.

The script feels slightly sparse, but not in a bad way. The dialogue is witty and incredibly droll at times which illicited quite a few laughs in the screening. Although I suppose this will very much depend on your sense of humour, as the humour in Isle of Dogs is dry and deadpan - if you’re not in any way prone to cynicism then the jokes may either fall flat or just completely pass you by.

Be warned though, if you decide to try this film, it can definitely be described as strange. This style isn’t for everyone and Isle of Dogs wouldn’t be out of place in an art house cinema. Even though this is a PG film about dogs, I also wouldn’t necessarily say it’s suitable for children either. Obviously all children view things differently, but this isn’t a fluffy animation.

This film has been the subject of controversy due to it being accused of cultural appropriation. Whenever it comes to controversies surrounding films, I always go with what my gut feeling was whilst I was watching the film. In this case, I never felt uncomfortable or that anything was inappropriate. It’s important to remember that Isle of Dogs is set in a future dystopian Japan, and Director Wes Anderson has also pointed out that the film was borne of a love of Japanese cinema.

Overall what made Isle of Dogs so appealing and enjoyable to me is that it’s so incredibly different to everything else that has been released in recent times. It’s unique, it’s quirky, and it’s insanely original. This film really falls into that category of filmmakers making their own art, and I can’t help but appreciate that. I was engaged in the film throughout, and it’s definitely a film that you’ll leave the cinema discussing.


Should you watch this film? My vote is very much yes for this one! I think Isle of Dogs really won’t be for everyone and perhaps it won’t find a wider audience, but if you’ve found yourself craving something a bit different in terms of films then I’d definitely recommend it.