Kubo and the Two Strings

In their past offerings, such as Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls, the Oregon-based animation studio, Laika, have gained a reputation for thinking outside of the box when it comes to American animated features.  Not only do they freely use stop motion puppetry (an art form seldom used in traditional animation), but the stories they have told in their films have often been dark, wickedly funny, and certainly much more twisted than the stuff we see out of Pixar, while still making them acceptable for families.  Their latest film, Kubo and the Two Strings, goes one step further.  This is not just a spellbinding and beautiful animated film steeped in Japanese mythology, but it is also surprisingly mature and poetic.

We have seen plenty of films about plucky young boys who face adversity, but nothing quite like this.  When we first meet young Kubo (voiced wonderfully by Art Parkinson from Game of Thrones), we immediately notice that he is missing an eye, which he hides behind a patch.  We soon learn that his own grandfather was responsible.  Yes, in Kubo's world, family can be terrifying, and it made me realize how seldom we see that in stories aimed at children.  So many current animated films stress the importance of family and friendship, it's nice to have a film to remind us to be cautious once in a while in whom we trust.  He is also forced to look after his ailing mother, who frequently seems in a vegetative state.  The only time she truly comes to life is when she shares stories with her son around the fire about his father, the great Samurai Honzo, who died protecting him from his treacherous grandfather.  Kubo is a great storyteller himself, only he chooses to tell stories with music through his guitar.  He goes into the nearby town, and spins stories for money about a great warrior and his quest to battle the Moon King.  Kubo's music possesses magical properties, as when he plays, the tiny paper figures that represent the characters in his story can come to life and act out what he tells.

The time Kubo spends in the local village is the only time he gets to be around others, as his mother and him live in hiding in a cave on the outskirts.  The only rule Kubo must obey is that he must be home by nightfall.  We soon learn why, as it turns out his mother was once a powerful witch who betrayed her kind, and those who once respected her now want them both dead.  Again, we don't see this kind of melancholy storytelling much in modern mainstream animation, and Kubo handles it beautifully so that it is compelling but not overbearing.  One day, naturally, Kubo gets distracted during his time in the village, and winds up staying out past dark.  Before he can get to safety, he is confronted by twin witches (both chillingly voiced by Rooney Mara), who have been searching for the boy.  His mother uses the last of her power to save her son, and when Kubo awakens, he has been transported to a far off place covered with snow, where a Monkey (a wonderfully deadpan Charlize Theron) informs him that she has been placed in care of him by his mother before she died.  Together, they must track down some mystical pieces of armor that once belonged to his father, so that Kubo can defeat his grandfather (Ralph Fiennes), a dark soul who still searches for his human grandson so that he can possess his other eye.  Along the way, our young hero is also joined by Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), a human cursed in the form of an insect, who once fought alongside Kubo's father.

If the plot I am describing leaves you with many questions, that is the point.  This is the rare animated film that has a plot worth discovering, and may hold some surprises, so I am doing my best to be vague.  The movie itself likes to reveal information slowly, so that we are as spellbound by what is happening as much as by the visuals.  That's saying something, because artistically, this movie is gorgeous.  The artists at Laika have created some of the most unforgettable images of the year here, chief amongst them a grand fight with a massive skeleton that towers over our heroes.  A piece of advice - Sit through the end credits so you can see some behind the scenes footage of how this was pulled off.  The movie also has incredible atmosphere for an animated family film.  When the two evil sisters make their first appearance before Kubo, it is a sequence as tense and as powerful as some live action suspense films.  Some of the more emotional and mature scenes may be surprising to some, but in my mind, they're only surprising because more animated films don't trust that kids are strong or intelligent enough to handle them.

Kubo's story does not shy away from the darker elements.  A town is destroyed at one point, and there is personal loss.  But there is also plenty of humor (provided in the banter between Monkey and Beetle), and some absolutely rousing adventure scenes.  This is not a glum or morose film.  It's lively, full of imagination and wonder, and completely enthralling.  As I think back on it, this is probably my favorite movie of the summer.  We've had some good entertainment this season, but nothing that really wowed or transported me like a great film can.  This is the first movie in a while that truly transported me into the world it inhabits, and had me completely under its spell.  It's also the kind of movie you want to see again as soon as it's over, because you just know that additional viewings will add more to the film.

When you see as many movies as I do, this is the kind of film you dream of getting - One that mixes spellbinding images with a story that is not only fantastic, but emotional.  I have a strong feeling that Kubo may not just be my favorite movie of the summer, but possibly one of my favorites of the year as a whole.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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