Having watched a handful of Wes Anderson movies, the departure from his familiarly striking technicolor style with the bleak and brown Isle of Dogs made it that much more interesting to watch. The perfectly planned out sets – much like those of a theater production, or even a dollhouse – weren’t utilized in this stop-motion picture. While the frames themselves are well thought out, there’s a much more “real” and muted feeling to the world Anderson creates. The color scheme fits the desolate theme of the film itself, with neutral shades of gray and nude tones, as well as whites and reds to represent the setting in Japan. The music is also beautifully paired with the visuals (again, a significant reach outside of the widely agreed upon Wes Anderson tropes) in a way that builds tension to a point of continuous unease. While there are a number of examples of how the famous director strayed from what many film lovers are used to seeing from him, the Wes Anderson charm and attention to detail remains. There’s a very unique feeling to the whole movie, one that has stuck with me since the first time I watched it a few years ago.

8/10