There are times movies are as simple as the synopsis, and then there are ones that far exceed your expectations. The previews for Kubo looked good, but I wanted to hold all reviews until I saw the movie. We were treated to a preview screening of Kubo and the Two Strings earlier this week, and the movie did not disappoint.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop animation movie based on the story by Shannon Tindle, and gets the viewer out of the animated world of princesses and space. Instead, you’re in a version of Japan filled with magic, mysteries and intrigue. Kubo is a young boy who’s mother fled from her family to protect him as a baby. With his magical shamisen, Kubo can create origami that can move on its own and even control nature. The small boy is warned to always be home before nightfall to protect him from his grandfather Raiden the Moon King. An evening out trying talk to the spirit of his father, turns dangerous as his aunts come after him to finish what was started when Kubo was a baby. The result of that night sends Kubo on a quest to find himself and more out about his family.
While Kubo and the Two Strings has the basis of the classic hero journey, the movie also has under lying stories of family, devotion and love. The stop animation of the movie is gorgeous, and there are time’s you question if it is indeed stop animation. The movie does deal with topics of death, loss, has some fighting scenes and even includes dark magic and spirits. Some moments may be too scary for younger viewers, but kids over eight should be fine with the movie.
Overall, I left Kubo and the Two Strings liking the movie. There are some moments that I’m still trying to figure out if I liked them or not, or how they were addressed. But the movie is a great departure from what we’re use to in animated movies. It will intrigue viewers and leave you with a sense of wonderment at the story and creativity behind it.
Kubo and the Two Strings is in theaters everywhere today!
About Kubo and the Two Strings:
Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thrones”) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara), to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family, and fulfill his heroic destiny.
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