What parents need to know about 'Isle of Dogs'

What parents need to know about 'Isle of Dogs'

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TRASH ISLAND — I guess I’m a bit of a hipster movie nerd because I get all sorts of excited when Wes Anderson has a new film.

Granted, I haven’t loved all of his efforts, but I am a fan of his movies and one of my all-time favorites of his is “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

When I saw the trailer for “Isle of Dogs,” I got a little too excited. Thankfully, the film did not disappoint me.

I was somewhat surprised when I saw a PG-13 rating on “Isle of Dogs,” since “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is rated PG. I figured with dogs and young protagonists that the filmmakers would go for a PG-level film, but I was wrong. This isn’t a film geared at kids and younger audiences.

Check out Dave Clyde's full review for more details about the movie. This article is to let you know why this stop-motion animation film got a PG-13 rating and will hopefully help you make a decision on whether or not you should take your family to see it.

Adult content

We often call this section “sexuality,” but that didn’t really seem appropriate here. The term "adult content" fits better for what “Isle of Dogs” offers up.

Most of the main characters are dogs, and there is a fair amount of talk about mating. It’s not obscene or raunchy, but it would likely raise some questions from younger audiences, so just be prepared to answer some curiosities.

In addition to that there is a shot of a bare butt from a human character when they get out of a tub. It’s played for laughs and is not graphic.

Overall, the movie has some heavy adult themes with talk of death, euthanization and the aforementioned mating. I don’t think the talk ever got offensive, but I also don’t think it is appropriate for younger audiences.

Language

There isn’t much language in “Isle of Dogs,” which makes the language that is there stand out even more. There are some uses of the words you hear on TV and a few references to a female dog.

It’s played for laughs considering it’s coming from dogs, but some audiences will find it offensive. In addition to cursing, there are a lot of adult conversation topics and scenarios.

Violence

I was somewhat surprised with some of the violence.

I know Anderson throws in some surprise violence in pretty much all of his movies, but this one features blood spatter, dismemberment, murder and maulings. It sounds worse than it is because it’s all done through puppetry and played for laughs, but it definitely surprised me a time or two while I was watching it.

I don’t think it ever gets to the point where it is overly graphic or disturbing, but it can be off-putting and is very adult focused.

Conclusion

I don’t think “Isle of Dogs” is close to an R rating by any means, but it fully earns its PG-13. This is an animated movie meant for an older audience and not for young children.

My kids, ages 7, 5 and 2, love “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and were excited about “Isle of Dogs,” but I don’t think I’ll be taking them to it anytime soon. Knowing my kids and their maturity level, I will probably wait until they’re 11 or 12 before introducing them to this movie.

“Isle of Dogs” is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images.


John Clyde

About the Author: John Clyde

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about. Contact him on Twitter at @johnnypclyde.

Language

There isn’t much language in “Isle of Dogs,” which makes the language that is there stand out even more. There are some uses of the words you hear on TV and a few references to a female dog.

It’s played for laughs considering it’s coming from dogs, but some audiences will find it offensive. In addition to cursing, there are a lot of adult conversation topics and scenarios.

Violence

I was somewhat surprised with some of the violence.

I know Anderson throws in some surprise violence in pretty much all of his movies, but this one features blood spatter, dismemberment, murder and maulings. It sounds worse than it is because it’s all done through puppetry and played for laughs, but it definitely surprised me a time or two while I was watching it.

I don’t think it ever gets to the point where it is overly graphic or disturbing, but it can be off-putting and is very adult focused.

Conclusion

I don’t think “Isle of Dogs” is close to an R rating by any means, but it fully earns its PG-13. This is an animated movie meant for an older audience and not for young children.

My kids, ages 7, 5 and 2, love “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and were excited about “Isle of Dogs,” but I don’t think I’ll be taking them to it anytime soon. Knowing my kids and their maturity level, I will probably wait until they’re 11 or 12 before introducing them to this movie.

“Isle of Dogs” is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images.


![John Clyde](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2608/260868/26086842\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: John Clyde ----------------------------

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about. Contact him on Twitter at @johnnypclyde.

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John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about.

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