Isle of Dogs (2018) - The greatest animation movie in a decade - 8/10 (25/07/18)

Usually, I'm not a big fan of animation movies but Isle of Dogs certainly deserves the praise it gets. I would even consider it the best animation movie since the brilliant Wall-E ten years ago. I predict this movie is going to win at least one Academy Award next year.

There are several elements that make this film stand out. First of all, the stop-motion animation manages both to honor influential animated films and series of the sixties and seventies and to develop some stylish retro-chic that makes the movie look fresh. The numerous references to Japanese culture in form of clothes and settings, drinks and foods as well as spoken and written language are quite charming. The story is interesting enough as well and follows a group of dogs who help the orphaned nephew of a tyrannic mayor who wants to exterminate dogs find his vanished guard dog. The film teaches values such as courage, democracy, freedom, friendship and resilience. Its messages are important for children but also apply for adults. Despite its intelligent plot and intriguing intentions, Isle of Dogs is a movie that remains entertaining and easy to digest. The dog characters complement one another in a humorous way and especially Chief is quite sympathetic as tough dog with a soft core. The human characters aren't as detailed but also rather charming, especially the resilient Atari and the courageous Tracy. The fates of dogs and humans will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

There isn't much to criticize about this beautiful movie. The plot could have been a little bit more creative and surprising. The movie might moralize a little bit too much here and there. There are a few too many flashbacks that break the movie's flow. It's debatable whether choosing an American exchange student as one of the protagonists in a story taking place exclusively in Japan was truly necessary. However, all those things are only minor details that won't take away from your enjoyment of this superb flick.

If there is a movie for the whole family to watch this year, it has to be the beautiful yet profound Isle of Dogs. Wes Anderson's latest project is emotional, entertaining and intelligent and should please the brains and hearts of old and young cinephiles alike. If even someone who usually doesn't appreciate animation movies a lot like me likes this film quite a lot, I guess it must be something truly memorable.