If you love dogs, you’re in for a treat, when you go to watch Wes Anderson’s "Isle of Dogs" upon its release in March 2018 by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The trailer for the movie was released on Thursday, September 21. This will be Wes Anderson’s first movie since the well-received film "The Grand Budapest Hotel" which was released in the year 2014. "Isle of Dogs" is clay animation, similar to Anderson’s previously directed stop-motion movie "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009).
A chaotic world of dogs and an island filled with garbage
The plot of the "Isle of Dogs" is touching and a bit melancholic but a comic and heartwarming portrayal of the relationship between dogs and children.
The story is based in a futuristic Japan, where a dog flu endemic has forced the government to take drastic steps and send all dogs on exile to an island which serves as a garbage dump. The dogs are left to live off the rubbish, where they ultimately give up and lose all hope for a better life.
However, when a 12-year-old boy named Atari Kobayashi manages to reach the island in search of his pet dog ‘Spots’ the life of a few dogs takes an exciting turn. The film shows the adventure of a pack of five dogs and the boy, on their quest to find the pet dog on the island, giving the dogs new reason and hope as they defend the boy from the people sent by the authorities to come to the isle and retrieve him.
You have seen them act, now hear them go woof.
With the "Isle of Dogs," one can expect the best of voice-over artists, in the form of actors like Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, and F. Murray Abraham, who also happen to be actors in Wes Anderson’s film "The Grand Budapest Hotel." The "Isle of Dogs" also has well-known artists like Scarlett Johansson, Yoko Ono, Ken Watanabe, and others who have lent their voice to the characters in the film.
The character of the 12-year-old boy, Atari who speaks Japanese in the movie, is voiced by Koyu Rankin. On a global platform, the movie has received quite a bit of flak and criticism for whitewashing the cast of the film based on Japan.
Anderson revealed that the inspiration behind "Isle of Dogs," was legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s films like "Ran," "Rashomon," and "Seven Samurai," as well as American stop-motion animations such as Christmas TV specials that he saw during his childhood.
All in all, "Isle of Dogs" is a film to look forward to which brings together excellent direction and amazing artists to give form to a beautiful depiction of the bond between man and his best friend.
