This movie is more grounded addition to the Batman mythology, a less fantastical prequel than many of the other entries. The story is solid and straightforward, pretty much what anyone with any knowledge of Batman would expect at this point, but with all the crazy interpretations out there it’s nice to have a standard by which to measure.
Closest comparison: It’s like The Batman by way of The Long Halloween.
Setting: Noir
Plot: Crime
Tone: Super hero
The most fascinating part of this movie is its predictive qualities, weaving its narrative like CNN coverage of 2020, albeit nine years before it happened. The direction is dry but the acting, cinematography, and editing more than make up for it. The story is grounded and human, taking the good with the bad in a docudrama style that works well for the subject matter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere and can’t manage to pull the threads together in the end.
Content warning: mild gore
Closest comparison: It’s like Munich by way of Babel.
Setting: Spy Thriller
Plot: Disaster
Tone: DocuDrama
This movie is predictably funny, sweet, quirky, and occasionally a bit harsh in the signature style of Wes Anderson. It’s an evolution of The Fantastic Mr. Fox visually, but the story is more classic rescue adventure fodder with some fantasy and sci-fi elements thrown in. Its quirkiness will impact audiences differently, but where Darjeeling Limited and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou had the quirkiness on full display Isle of Dogs relegates it more to the deeper levels of story and narrative structure.
Closest comparison: It’s like The Fantastic Mr. Fox with a more grounded story.
Setting: Near Future Sci-Fi
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Quirky
This movie is mostly passable, but is needlessly convoluted for what amounts to a simple plot. It relies heavily on its special effects and for the most part they’re passable, but they lack enough polish to carry the movie. The main characters aren’t particularly likable, which could make for an interesting, morally ambiguous movie, but doesn’t work in a family film. There’s a good amount of extravagant action, but if you’re looking for anything more you’ll be disappointed.
Closest comparison: It’s like Cowboys and Aliens (2011) by way of Jupiter Ascending, as a family movie.
Setting: Western Sci-Fi
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Family Action
