Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings Review

If I could only describe Kubo and the Two Strings in one word, it would be “magical”. The movie is a masterpiece with amazing stop motion animation, mystical mythology, and engaging and relatable characters. It’s like a Hayao Miyazaki made into stop motion. The film is made by the stop motion animation studio Laika who have also produced Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls. However Kubo and the Two Strings might be their most impressive accomplishment. It’s a wonderful movie and it is one of the best films of the year. 

The story is about a boy named Kubo (Art Parkinson) who lives with his sick mom as they hide from Kubo’s evil grandfather, Raiden the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), who wants to catch him. Kubo learns how to move paper by using a magical instrument and he tells story with moving origami to get money. However one night, Kubo is found and is force to run away. Now he is forced to find the armor that his father once wore so he can fight his grandfather. At the same time Kubo learns more about his father who was the greatest samurai warrior in all of Japan. Also on his journey he comes across a monkey and a beetle voiced by Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey.

The first thing that definitely stands out about this movie is the animation. Stop motion animation always looks great and this is the best use of stop motion animation I have ever seen. The character animation looks seamless and you get real emotions from the characters designs. Also Kubo use moving origami throughout the movie, and the movement and creation of paper origami really lends itself to stop motion animation. I also was amazed by how the water in the movie seamlessly blended with the models and sets that were made for stop motion. At the end of the credits we see a model being built for the movie which makes you appreciate the animation even more. The lighting in the movie is also amazing and brings a sense of mysticism to the movie.

The movie also provides the viewer with great and well developed characters. Kubo is a great protagonist because he is hard worker and is always optimistic. We also learn and see everything from his point of view and we see him grow as a character. Kubo is played by Art Parkinson, from Game of Thrones fame, and he does a great job. Kubo’s mom is also a great character because we see the lengths she goes through to keep Kubo safe ever since he was a baby. Monkey is also a great character who is understandably stern and overprotective of Kubo. Beetle however is a perfect contrast to Monkey and the chill personality is perfectly personified by Matthew McConaughey. Rooney Mara plays the Sisters, who are Kubo’s aunts, and her performance is very chilling. George Takei is also in the film which is never a bad thing.

Even thought the story is a very simple hero’s journey, it works because of the mysticism and sense of uncertainty. Throughout the movie there is a sense of mystery to the villains which brings more weight to the movie. The stories told by Kubo’s mom also perfectly add to the mythology. We also see magic when our main characters battle monsters and spirits. What surprised me about the film was how funny it was. There is a lot of witty banter between characters, especially between Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle. The film also has a great message about family and always staying connected with your ancestors. This is perfectly shown in the climax and the finale of the film. 

The only issues I have with this film is that a part of the film involves character that suffer memory loss which is a little confusing. I also wish that Raiden the Moon King was a little more intimidating since the film builds him up so much. He’s not bad but I wish he was better. However those are the only issues I have. 

Kubo and the Two Stings is one of the best animated movies I have ever seen. It has wonderful animation, spectacular characters, and interesting mythology. I would recommend this movie for anyone. There are some scenes that might scare some kids but the movie is very family friendly. If you haven't seen Kubo yet, see it as soon as possible. I guarantee you’ll be blown away. 
Grade: A