REVIEW: Kubo and the Two Strings

Courtesy of Focus Features

The end of August is generally a cinematic wasteland, but there are still plenty of gems out there if you know where to look. I raved about Hell or High Water last week (which is expanding to more theaters this weekend thanks to healthy ticket sales) and now I have another strong contender for my 10 Best List in December. That’s not supposed to happen this time of year.

Kubo and the Two Strings is the latest film from the magicians at Laika Entertainment, the studio known for using stop-motion animation to craft beautiful, dark tales like Coraline and ParaNorman. While those movies certainly had their charms, they definitely feel like a warm-up act for director Travis Knight’s gorgeous, quietly devastating story (co-written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler) of a young boy on a mystical quest in ancient Japan.

While that description might seem trite and simplistic at first glance, viewers who spend even a few moments experiencing these fascinating characters and the stunning imagery will likely realize that something special is going on. Perhaps most surprising of all is the story – essentially a fairy tale full of dream logic and visual poetry – is an original creation. That’s astounding in this age of properties based on preexisting books, movies, television shows and board games.

Kubo (Art Parkinson) has lived most of his life in isolation with his traumatized mother. The two have spent his childhood in a seaside cave, hiding from his evil grandfather (Ralph Fiennes) and his twin aunts (Rooney Mara), all of whom have magical powers. Kubo’s parents clashed violently with them when he was a baby, resulting in the loss of Kubo’s left eye and the death of his samurai father.

He’s familiar with his mother’s big unbreakable rule: Kubo is welcome to explore the island village during the day, but he must return to the cave by sundown. If not, their wicked relatives will be able to find them. It’s not hard to guess what happens next. The young boy disobeys (albeit for a completely understandable reason), launching him into a battle for his life.

Kubo’s mother uses her final bit of magic to summon Monkey (Charlize Theron), a protector who tells him they must track down three special items in order to defeat his enemies. Along the way, they meet the peculiar Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), a warrior cursed with the body of an insect and no memory of his former self. During this journey, Kubo and his makeshift family learn to overcome their fears and accept their pasts.

I wasn’t prepared for the emotional complexity of Kubo and the Two Strings. The opening moments, in addition to being visually astonishing, also let you know the story won’t be sugarcoating anything for kids. Soon after a mother and infant brave massive tidal waves that bash the woman’s head on a rock, viewers are subjected to a heartbreaking shot of the terrified infant Kubo with bandages covering his ruined eye.

It took me a while to adjust to the sudden narrative shift that occurs once Kubo’s twisted grandfather and aunts discover his whereabouts, but once the disorientation wore off I found myself quickly becoming invested in Monkey and Beetle becoming a family to this young boy who’d been through so much trauma. Plus, like the best magic tricks, the story is great at misdirection. I got so invested in the story that I stopped wondering why I still didn’t understand the movie’s title. That’s a good thing, because once the meaning becomes clear it’s like a punch to the gut. I was an absolute wreck.

The film’s animation team is packed with – if I might resort to hyperbole for a bit – miracle workers. Practically every shot in the movie could be a framed piece of art. Not only are the otherworldly environments jaw-dropping, so is the astonishing character design. Although every element feels like a part of the same world, no two characters look the same. It’s an outward manifestation of their complex personalities.

The voice cast is absolutely stellar, particularly Theron and McConaughey. As Monkey, Theron manages to be both stern and loving, which is a tricky combination to pull off. McConaughey’s dimwitted warrior mostly serves as the comic relief, but he really steps up when it’s time for the story’s more dramatic elements. Fiennes is also quite good, despite only being in a couple of scenes, particularly in how he manages to distinguish this villainous role from his iconic turn as Voldemort in the Harry Potter series.

I was impressed with the story’s conclusion, which avoids both easy answers and a cutesy “happily ever after.” It’s a great way to teach younger viewers that sometimes life doesn’t give us the outcome we want, so it’s up to us to make the best of whatever gets thrown our way.

Based on last weekend’s lackluster box office results, Kubo and the Two Strings probably won’t be on the big screen much longer. I urge you to seek it out while you still can. Much like The Iron Giant, this is one of those films viewers will discover a few years down the road and kick themselves for not experiencing sooner. Don’t be one of those people.

Kubo and the Two Strings is rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, action and peril.

Grade: A