It is compelling, exciting (the second act battle with a giant skeleton is a wonder to behold), funny, and deeply moving in equal doses. This is another powerhouse animated gem deeply rooted in spiritual mythology. It is also the beneficiary of a razor-sharp screenplay via Marc Haimes and Chris Butler (from a story by Haines and Shannon Tindle) that offers voluminous comedy and layer upon layer of thematic subtext in regards to after-death mythology and our emotional and spiritual connections to lost loved ones. The picture is, of course, awash in eye candy from beginning to end. Kubo and the Two Strings is an uncommonly luxurious experience. I won’t even hint at the third act, except to say that it blends somewhat traditional hero’s journey tropes with a poignant open-hearted enlightenment.
LAIKA ANIMATION MOVIES PLUS
The first act is a towering portrait of loneliness and mourning while the middle portion has incredible action scenes plus the sparkle of a well-written character comedy. That’s more than enough story for you, but just know that the film goes in some truly unexpected directions. Hot on their trail is the Moon King and his chief emissaries, namely two hauntingly masked demons (both voiced with icy authority by Rooney Mara) who also happen to be Kubo’s aunts.
The monkey and eventually the beetle spar with each other and with Kubo and eventually form a surrogate family unit for the young child. While the first act is rooted in pathos and wrenching grief for lost loved ones, the second act becomes something of a spry adventure comedy. Instead, his travels put him into contact with a protective monkey (Charlize Theron) and eventually a forgetful but courageous beetle (Matthew McConaughey). This relatively peaceful existence doesn’t last for long, as tragedy strikes and young Kubo is forced to flee on what amounts to a quest to find the legendary armor and possibly the fabled Hanzo warrior. But he never quite finishes the story, since he must return home at the first hint of nightfall lest the evil Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) spot him. Now a teen, this young man spends his days entertaining villagers by telling a story about a brave warrior and a fabled armor, a story he enhances with a magical ability to make origami figures come to life with the pluck of his shamisen. The picture concerns a young boy, Kubo (Art Parkinson), who lives alone with his mother after she absconded with the young boy to save his life from his kin. Oh, and it tells a pretty darn good story in the bargain. This film is a visual wonderland of beauty and genuine big-screen magic. Once again, without denigrating any other kind of filmmaking techniques, I am in absolute awe at the almost unthinkable amount of work and patience that goes into creative a stop-motion animated feature. Like every Laika film before it, it is packed to the gills with eye-catching sights and offhand beauty that more than justifies the 3D upcharge. This one is a period piece fable, set in Ancient Japan, is a powerhouse adventure partially about the power of storytelling and art. Yup, it’s every bit as good as you’d hope.
And now we have Kubo and the Two Strings, which is another gem of an animated movie.
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