Kubo and the Two Strings- Movie Review

Review by: Will Canalizo (follow him on Twitter @Amphabio). 

When I walked out of the theater last night after seeing Kubo and the Two Strings my friend Liam turned to me, and said “I would go back in right now and see that movie again.”, and there go my plans for tonight. Nevertheless, Kubo and the Two Strings is an absolute masterpiece, and if anything, my only negative about it is that it has made everything else I saw this year retroactively worse. 

The film takes place in ancient Japan and begins by introducing us to Kubo’s mother and her set of magical powers, manifested through a three stringed lute. She teaches her son, Kubo, how to use these powers, and he uses them to bring his origami figures to life to tell stories. We learn about the legend of Hanzo, an ancient and powerful samurai, and his defeat at the hands of the Moon King. Through a slip up by Kubo, the Moon King is able to return, and Kubo sets out on a quest to recover three ancient artifacts, once used by Hanzo to do battle with the Moon King. 

I’ll start with the performances, as they’re probably the easiest thing to talk about. Art Parkinson (Rickon Stark on Game of Thrones, for those not in the know) does a fine job as Kubo. He expresses emotions well, and during the more emotional scenes in the movie, gives a really great performance. Same with Matthew McConaughey. They both do fine jobs portraying these characters. However, the standout performance is easily Charlize Theron as Monkey. She absolutely steals the show, delivering her arsenal of quippy and sarcastic lines better than anything I’ve seen in an animated film in the past several years. It’s always nice to see a “celebrity voice cast” deliver this range of emotion at such a high quality. That also probably has a lot to do with the screenplay itself, which is endlessly charming and witty, along with providing  plenty of heartfelt and one or two serious tear jerking moments.

 
I’m going to talk about the animation next, and Jesus Christ. I have a serious passion for stop motion animation, I really do. It’s how I got my start making short films, and although I’ve fallen out of love with creating it, I’ll always have a soft spot for watching it. I love Laika’s previous work, specifically Coraline, but the animation in this film in next level. Even things like minor little details, like the ruffling of someone’s kimono as they walk, or how dried leaves break beneath characters feet is jaw dropping. It's really just a joy to watch and I was consistently left with “how did they do that” running through my head after almost every scene. The film does incredible things with scale and creature design that I haven’t seen since stumbling upon the Brothers Quay somewhere in the neighborhood of ten years ago. The film is really just such an incredible visual spectacle, and most scenes I had a permanent smile on my face. 

So yeah, Kubo and the Two Strings is a masterclass in film making, not just animation, but the practice in general. In a summer of lackluster reboots, sequels, and adaptations, this is more than just refreshing. Kubo and the Two Strings is an absolute delight, and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Rating: A+