Kubo and the Two Strings
Director: Travis Knight
Stars: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey
Duration: 101 mins
Class: PG
KRS Releasing Ltd.

Kubo and the Two Strings is the fourth movie from animation studio Laika, which has so far given us the Oscar-nominated Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls.

These are films that have made an impact not only for their ground-breaking stop-motion animation techniques, but also for their ambitious and richly-textured dark and funny tales.

Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson) lives on a high cliff above the sea with his ethereal but ailing mother, whom he supports by entertaining the local villages with his elaborate tales of the brave Hanzo, the greatest samurai warrior who ever lived.

When Kubo one day inadvertently summons sinister beings from his past that are dead-set on seeking vendetta for past ills, he goes on the run, and is taken in by the wise and no-nonsense Monkey (Charlize Theron).

Eventually, they stumble onto a giant warrior Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), and the unorthodox trio set out to solve the mysteries from Kubo’s past starting with the search for three items that belonged to Kubo’s father: The Armor Impenetrable, The Sword Unbreakable and The Helmet Invulnerable.

Laika can easily give animation giants Pixar and their ilk a good run for their money

Yet, the vengeful Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and the very evil twin sister witches (both voiced by Rooney Mara) will stop at nothing to ensure he does not succeed.

With just a handful of films under their belt, Laika can easily give animation giants Pixar and their ilk a good run for their money with the superb animation, expressive and emotive characters, and breathtaking action that make up their films... Kubo and the Two Strings is no different.

There is much to be savoured here, both visually and emotionally. The story is told against a backdrop of colourful and awe-inspiring backdrops in a mythical Japan of the distant past as Kubo’s quest takes him from the mountainside village where he resides to the so-called Far Lands, the daunting underground caverns where he must fight a giant skeletal being, the sinister Garden of Eyes situated at the bottom of a lake and the dangerous Bamboo Forest. Special mention must go to the opening storm scene where, as an infant, he and his mother battle the dark, raging seas to get to safety.

The magic in the story comes from Kubo’s abilities to manipulate origami figures as he transforms sheets of coloured paper into characters and objects that come alive as he tells his stories to the strumming of his beloved and enchanted shamisen, with the paper floating, flying and transforming at his will.

The script by Marc Haimes and Chris from a story by Haimes and Shannon Tindle adds three-dimensional and richly-drawn characters to supplement the magic and adventure with superb performances from the voice cast.

Parkinson makes for an appealing, funny and brave young hero and, together with his companions, makes for a rather unorthodox family as he embarks on his quest. Charlize Theron is delightful as Monkey, a creature of depth and wisdom.

Monkey is suggestive of the kind of disciplinarian but good-hearted teacher. I’m sure we all had at one point, with a penchant for the occasional droll quip – when Kubo, resentful of her constant criticism, overprotectiveness and pronouncements of doom ask her to be more encouraging, she languidly tells him: “I encourage you not to die!”

Much of the humour, however, comes from McConaughey’s giant warrior Beetle, whom Kubo and Monkey stumble on by chance. Forgetful, goofy and extremely funny, his bumbling character is the polar opposite to Monkey’s wisdom and solemnity and the two actors make for a great buddy-buddy couple with their constant snipes at one another with Kubo observing this supposedly adult behaviour with incredulity.

Fiennes, no stranger to creating evil creatures, has a small but scarily effective appearance as the Moon King, while Mara also shows a hitherto unseen wicked side as the sinister witchly siblings.

Kubo and the Two Strings is another first-class entry in Laika’s canon, an original story suffused with the gravitas and grandeur of Japanese folklore with some thrilling martial arts action, droll humour, and eclectic characters making it a film that is equally epic in scope as it is warm in heart.