Isle of Dogs displays style and detail in a stop-motion treat for dog lovers

Movie Title: 
      Isle of Dogs

Grade:   A-

Rating: PG-13, 101 minutes

In a Nutshell:  I went to Japan with my family last summer for the first time.  It was so amazing that I know it won’t be the last time.  I absolutely loved it. 

The ground crew at the airport in Tokyo actually bowed in unison to all of the passengers on our airplane right before we took off.  I mean, how could you not love a country that does that?

My kids went crazy for Japan too.  It’s an incredible country with so much to offer, so I really got a kick out of this movie’s story and Japanese-influenced style.  

This stop-motion film is fresh, different, and extremely entertaining.  Some might even call it a work of art.

                                              

Tips for parents: 

• Your kids are probably going to want to adopt a dog after seeing this movie.
• This is only the 3^rd stop-motion in the USA that is rated PG-13.  While this is an animation, the movie is really geared more toward adults.  That's not to say there is a lot of profanity or suggestive material; there isn't.  The humor is just more sophisticated and subtle.

Uplifting theme: 

• Loyalty
• Friendship
• Pet ownership

                                                  

Things I liked:

• The talented voice cast includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Live Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Greta Gerwig, and Koyu Rankin. Most of those actors are either Oscar winners or nominees.  Pretty impressive.
• Director Wes Anderson showcases his talent for detail.  Sooo much detail.  I love detail.
• The introductory back story was hilarious.
• The locations were so full of depth.  Each trash zone area was unique and named according to what happened there. For example, "Spots’ Landing,”  “Drone Beach” and “The Crash Site.”
• Clever humor.

Facts that showcase the craft in this movie:

• Many of the newspapers seen in the film include real articles that have been translated into Japanese.
• All of the shots from the dog’s perspective don’t have red or green in them since dogs can’t see those colors.
• Spoken in English, “Isle of Dogs” sounds like “I love dogs.” 

Things I didn’t like:

• A lot of Japanese is spoken with no subtitles, so you have to assume dialogue based on context. There is also a lot of written Japanese.  I wish I could have read it.
•  Some of the cleverness turns into smugness.

Funny lines:

• “Da## it.  I’ve got a crush on you.” – Foreign exchange student Walker 

                                                      

                                          @trinaboice

Max 2: White House Hero is meh

Movie Title:  Max 2: White House Hero

Grade:  C

Rating:  PG, 1 hour 25 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This family-friendly flick is DOGGONE harmless fun for the kids.  It's somewhat of a sequel to the 2015 Max (2015), produced by Warner Brothers and MGM. 

At the end of the movie, you get to see a bunch of cool pictures of U.S. presidents with their dogs.

Uplifting theme: 

• “There is no reward without risk.” – Alex (Francesca Capaldi)
• Keep your promises.
• Obedience, bravery
• Family, friendship

Things I liked:

• I love Washington, D.C.  The images of those epic buildings strike patriotism into every American’s heart.
• Max is a great dog.  When I was growing up, everyone had a German Shepherd.  You just don’t see them as often anymore as family pets.
• Alex, the little Russian girl played by Francesca Capaldi, is super cute.
• Beautiful countryside scenes during the river rafting trip.
• I love twists, even if they’re expected.

Things I didn’t like:

• None of the original Max cast or crew were involved in this sequel.  That’s pretty unique for a sequel…and weird, right?
• A lot of the acting is really bad, like....most of it.
• I have a hard time believing that a child of the president wouldn’t think it was the coolest thing ever.  The First Son does a lot of whining.  It’s pretty hard to believe he’d be sent with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on his first day of public school.  Both seem extremely unlikely.
• Max only does a few heroic acts; otherwise, he rolls around and gets pet a lot.
• As is typical for kids’ movies, the children are smarter than all of the adults.
• Unimaginative dialogue.
• Older kids and parents might get bored.
• The script is pretty dumb.

Funny lines:

• “I hope she looks good in orange.” – TJ Bennett  (Zane Austin)   Parents might need to explain the prison uniform reference to their kids.

Tips for parents: 

• No profanity whatsoever.  Yay!
• You might need to explain American-Russian political relations.  The Russian president in the movie is a version of the manly Vladimir Putin.
• People fall out of a river raft and are caught in peril.
• The children are disobedient.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice