Like Anderson's marvelous 2009 endeavor The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Dogs was shot using stop-motion animation and unfolds in a near-future Japan where dogs have been banished to an island of refuse by the totalitarian mayor of Megasaki City after an outbreak of canine flu.
Most of the furry friends move in packs and the one driving this story consists of Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum).
When the mayor's young ward Atari Kobayashi crash lands on the island in search of his lost canine bodyguard Spots, the rag-tag group of mutts agree to help the boy in his quest and get caught up in a revolt to reclaim their man's-best-friend status.
Newly released on home video by 20th Century Fox, Dogs looks great on Blu. Presented in its native 2.35:1 aspect ratio, interiors and cityscapes are vibrant and crisp, with the island locales menacing and gritty.
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 Audio track sounds great and both dialog and Alexandre Desplat's score are clear and robust at minimum levels.
Extras include a still gallery, theatrical trailer and six short promotional features, the best of which is Isle of Dogs Cast where the stars talk about their characters in the form of the dogs they play. Very funny.
Isle of Dogs is classic Wes Anderson, packed with all the sumptuous visuals and irreverent wit we've come to love over the filmmaker's 20-year career. While there are a lot of characters and ideas to wade through at times, Anderson continues to put a smile on our faces with every unique story only he can tell. Grade: B+
