Starring the voices of Ed Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bryan Cranston

Directed by Wes Anderson

When dogs are banished from Japan’s Megasaki City, young Atari crashes a plane on their prison island to rescue his beloved dog, Spots.

Wes Anderson’s stop-motion comedy adventure is filled with so much love and invention that I’d be tempted to hand over the year’s Best Animated Feature Oscar already. Superb on every level, this follow-up to the director’s Fantastic Mr Fox packs so much into its 101 minutes, and is clearly about so much more than a daring pet rescue.

The younger members of the audience will be enamoured by the gorgeous canine puppets, their hair ruffling in the breeze, and with the most gorgeous clear eyes. Adults will be impressed by the creativity in the world-building and the stellar voice cast – Ed Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and the movie-stealing Bryan Cranston as damaged stray Chief.

The themes of immigration, xenophobia, animal experimentation and dictatorship are all explored – not your average family fare – and there’s some very clear messages coming through, handled in a clear and even-handed way. It’s also very funny. Mention must also go to Alexander Desplat’s Taiko drum—heavy soundtrack which perfectly places the action.

The Japanese humans all speak in their native and we have to work out what this foreign language means (in the same way that dogs have to interject human words), though we’re occasionally helped by an on-screen translator. It’s just part of the creativity that runs through every aspect of this gem.

Verdict: Probably the best film you’ll see this Easter, Wes Anderson’s animated adventure is an absolute winner, best in show… and that’s no shaggy dog story. 10/10

Nick Joy