– By Cate Marquis –
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is lovely, dream-like adventure sure to charm little ones
Younger audiences, say under 8, will be entranced by the story in KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, a tale about a Japanese boy with special powers who goes on an adventure that reveals the mysteries of his own family. All ages will delight in the film’s magical and lovely animation, appealing characters and rich Japanese cultural flavor. The visuals are wonderful, no matter what your age, but the classic fairy-tale story will feel very familiar to grown-ups.
Myth and magic are strong themes in KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, and the story asks viewers to suspend disbelief from the beginning. Set in a mythic past, Kubo (voice of Art Parkinson) is a little Japanese boy who makes his living telling stories in the nearby fishing village. But Kubo is no ordinary boy – his bangs hide an eye patch and when he plays his string instrument, called a shamisen, the stacks of colorful paper he brought with him float into the air and fold up into origami creations to illustrate his tales. His adventure-filled tales are about a great warrior named Hanzo. “If you must blink, do it now,” he tells his audience as his tale begins.
But Kubo does not live with the other villagers but in a seaside cave with his mother, near where they washed ashore when he was a baby. His beautiful mother barely functions, traumatized by something in the past, but Kubo takes care of her. Why they are hiding in the cave and what happened to Kubo’s missing eye are part of the mystery. All Kubo knows is that his mother fears for his safety and insists he be home before dark, lest the evil Moon King return to take his other eye.
Brenda Vaccaro provides the voice for a funny, feisty old villager and George Takei lends his voice for another. When danger comes too close, Kubo must flee his home alone, assisted by a snow monkey called Monkey (voice of Charlize Theron) and later by a giant beetle dressed as Samurai warrior, called Beetle (voice of Matthew McConaughey), who cannot recall his past beyond a link to Kubo’s father. One of Kubo’s origami creations, samurai warrior Hanzo, helps lead the way. In pursuit are two powerful witches, his mother’s two sisters (voiced by Rooney Mara), and the powerful Moon King (voiced by Ralph Fiennes).
Kubo and his companions travel through a dream-like landscape in search of three objects to protect him: the Sword Unbreakable, the Armor Impenetrable, and the Helmet Invulnerable. Kubo’s quest takes him through a mythic, beautiful and dangerous landscape, gorgeously rendered in 3D on the screen, in an action-packed adventure that tests the young boy and teaches him lessons about himself and life.
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is the fourth film from Laika, the American animation studio that brought us “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” and “The Boxtrolls.” The film uses a 3D stop-motion animation that gives Laika films a unique style. This film also draws inspiration heavily from Japanese animation films like “Spirited Away” but has a little Walt Disney in it too. There is plenty of kid-friendly humor, often in the form of bickering between serious Monkey and much-less-serious Beetle, along the way and adventure as well. As attractive as it is, KUBO does not have the same deeper levels for grown-ups. The classic mythic quest tale will thrill children, for whom it is new, but adults will figure out the mysteries long before the end. KUBO’s beautiful animation is the chief delight for parents, but its warm message about family, remembering and community will please too.
© Cate Marquis
