‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ is a visual feast
What It's About: A magical, mystical sense of wonder permeates the visually stunning "Kubo and the Two Strings," the fourth innovative feature from the Laika Entertainment Studios.
Specializing in stop-motion and digital animation, Laika presents an awe-inspiring, beautifully rendered fantasy set in ancient Japan.
Based on Japanese folklore, this mythical journey begins as a one-eyed, shaggy-haired tyke Kubo (Art Parkinson), a gifted storyteller, weaves wondrous tales in his seaside village. He makes magic happen by playing a samisen, a three-string lute with a square body.
But he conjures up an age-old vendetta that threatens his family and is swept away on a fantastical adventure in order to fulfill his destiny. His journey is fraught with danger and many scary monsters as he learns of his legacy.
He must defeat the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and his two evil aunts (Rooney Mara) to take possession of his late warrior father's suit of armor. Along the way, he gets help from a brave Samurai Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) and a bossy, snide Monkey (Charlize Theron).
Performances: The voice work is satisfactory, but outside of the plucky Kubo, not much stands out.
What Works: The origami is eye-popping, and the panoramic scenes of landscapes and starry skies are gorgeous. It is truly a visual feast.
What Doesn't Work: The story, at times repetitive and somewhat confusing, gets bogged down in minutiae.
The horror elements are frightening for wee ones, and seem to drag out, with superfluous details.
In "Coraline" and "The Box Trolls," Laika demonstrated its visual artistry is superior to its narrative storytelling. "Paranorman" remains their best fully realized feature, but Kubo and the Two Strings" advances their animation to new heights.
Now if they could get both on the same level, they will indeed be a force to reckon with among their higher profile competitors.
"Kubo and the Two Strings"
- ☆☆☆1/2
- Director: Travis Knight
- Starring: (Voices) Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Rooney Mara, Carey-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Brenda Vaccaro.
- Rated: PG for thematic elements, scary images, action and peril.
- Length 1:41
This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 8:35 AM with the headline "‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ is a visual feast."