Kubo And The Two Strings Film Review
What a magnificent journey Kubo and the Two Strings takes us on! This movie is truly a work of art, both in the literal meaning of the word – it will be one of the most colorful and technically advanced stop-motion film’s you have ever seen – and also in terms of its narrative brilliance.
The story revolves around a boy named Kubo, who was born with powers that he obtained from his sorceress mother that allow him to manipulate objects around him via music. Kubo also cares for his mother who we learn was injured by “The Moon King” when he was an infant, an injury that causes her to slip in and out of reality each day. Eventually, The Moon King finally tracks down Kubo and his mother again, sending his witch-daughter’s after them, resulting in Kubo’s journey to track down the magical sword and armor of his father to finally confront and defeat The Moon King himself.
It was truly impressive how well the story of Kubo manifested itself into a tale that’s equal parts an entertaining adventure story as well as a meaningful lesson to children and adults alike on various ways to come to terms with the deaths of loved ones. This film has the wisdom of a Studio Ghibli animated film, along with the joyfulness of early Pixar films, all mixed together with a storyline that’s admittedly mature for the younger audience it seems to target. This combination gives us what will, in my opinion, be a shoo-in for the best animated film of the year, as well as an instant classic.
It was a genuine pleasure to get the chance to experience the beauty of Kubo’s world. This is a film that is culturally rich and featured some of the finest animated cinematography I have ever seen. The audience is immediately drawn into the film from the very first line of dialougue (“If you must blink, do it now”) and remains immersed and engaged in Kubo’s fascinating world the entire time.
In addition to the fascinating story and visual delights, it should be noted that Kubo and the Two Strings also boasts impressive performances from its entire voice cast. The primary three characters are voiced by Art Parkinson (Kubo), Charlize Theron (Monkey), and Matthew McConaughey (Beatle), and all of them are all wonderful at providing great emotional depth for each of the characters throughout the film.
It is sad that there are so few movies today that can really strike an entertaining, yet heartfelt chord in people, but this film really is a rare gem in a field of stones that significantly stands out as unique, especially in comparison to all of the other recent children’s (and adult) films offered today. I have nothing but praise for this movie and hope that as many people as possible make the effort to go to theaters to see such a remarkable film, to ensure that works of this quality do not pass quietly, and without recognition.
