The last time Wes Anderson ventures into the world of stop-motion animation he gave us Fantastic Mr. Fox, a film that holds up to, if not surpasses, anything seen by the experienced folks at Laika. It's a tremendous film that showed animation may be the perfect vehicle for Anderson's exuberant storytelling, adding an extra dimension that live-action can't match. Basically, I'm excited to see what Isle of Dogs has to offer, and intrigued by the first trailer.
Featuring the voices of F. Murray Abraham, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Kunichi Nomura, Edward Norton, Yoko Ono, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber, Tilda Swinton, Akira Takayama and Frank Wood, the film takes place in Japan where a dog overpopulation has forced the government to quarantine them on an island. An entire island of talking dogs with celebrity voices? Yes please. Here's the synopsis:
ISLE OF DOGS tells the story of ATARI KOBAYASHI, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
A few years have passed since The Grand Budapest Hotel became Anderson's biggest mainstream hit, and audiences who took a gamble on him then will be looking for an equal followup. Animated talking dogs should be enough to lure in the family crowd, I think. Isle of Dogs opens March 23rd 2018.
