I took one look at the title and trailer for this movie, Kubo and the Two Strings, and openly mocked it. Really? A kid with a magic ukulele is gonna make poignant storytelling? But there’s a deep well of lessons for kids, not all happy, that Kubo has to teach children in an understandable way. Bring on more ukuleles!
Kubo’s (voice of Art Parkinson) life has been under duress since birth. His mother (Charlize Theron) saves Kubo’s eye from his grandfather – her father – the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) at great cost, leaving her catatonic. Kubo’s other eye is still sought after by his aunts (Rooney Mara). To protect himself, Kubo has to seek the armor necessary to defeat everyone. On his quest, the boy befriends a monkey (also Theron) and a soldier beetle (Matthew McConaughey) who help him try to fulfill his destiny.
Kubo and the Two Strings is the most adult kids movie since Inside Out. The concept of death has been in and out of kids movies for sometime now; Bambi has been traumatizing children for decades. However, very few kids movies embrace the fact that death is a part of every person’s life. Kubo and the Two Strings tackles that heavy subject matter head on, channeling pieces of Japanese folklore. Under the concept of storytelling, Kubo learns about how people may die, but their story can live on through many people in many ways, a very comforting message that paints death with less fear. The mildly humorous hero story Kubo goes on also touches on themes of depression, human emotional states, and belief without being too heavy handed. Mark Haimes and Chris Butler’s deft writing hand elevate the by the numbers story into a truly important quest for the audience as well.
Calm down, everyone, this is also just a magically animated story by Laika studios (Who have a sketchy movie history: Coraline good, Box Trolls too cheesy.). The natural shots are downright majestic from the first scene: a nighttime stormy ocean battle on a tiny boat. The CGI/stop motion combination equally succeeds at haunting (the first image of the sisters is creepy as hell) and euphoric (I was in tears at the honor ceremony), big (the moon will hit your eye like a big pizza pie) and small (the little paper origami is adorable) imagery which enhance the themes and emotions of the story Kubo is telling. No matter the size, kineticism, or emotion surrounding each scene on Kubo’s epic tale, director Travis Knight is up to the task of creating the perfect image to complement his stellar story.
I’m happy Laika Studios got back on track. Their films are always intriguing, and Kubo and the Two Strings puts the pieces of the puzzle together mostly right. Except that terrible title! Come on, how about Guitar Hero? Is that one already taken?