Kubo and The Two Strings Review

Hitting The Right Notes

♦Tripwire sent its editor-in-chief JOEL MEADOWS to check out Laika’s latest animated feature, Kubo and The Two Strings…

Kubo and The Two Strings
Director: Travis Knight
Voices: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei

Laika is an animation company that has created a unique niche for themselves through animated features like The Corpse Bride, Paranorman and Coraline. In a marketplace where thanks to the success of Madagascar a decade ago, every Hollywood studio animated film has to include talking, humourous animals (with the exception of Zootropolis/ Zootopia which has a clever script) , Laika’s output is a breath of fresh, quirky air. Kubo and The Two Strings is the story of young Japanese boy Kubo, who lives a quiet life in a Japanese village with his mother until he turns his life upside down by reigniting a family vendetta between his mother and her sisters and her father. The twist is that his mother is a mythical creature and her father is the Moon King (voiced by Ralph Fiennes). So a quest begins for Kubo to find the various parts of his deceased father’s armour so he can defeat the Moon King. Joining him on this quest is Monkey (Theron), a stone figure brought to life through Kubo’s magic, and Beetle (McConaughey), an origami reincarnation of Kubo’s samurai father.

There is a sweetly mythical beauty to Kubo, where Knight and his huge team of animators have brought ancient Japan to life with a style and pizazz that the big animation studios just wouldn’t have been able to pull off. The one eyed Kubo is a well-conceived central character, a young boy searching for his place in the world while trying to protect his mother. It is a story about forbidden love, the love between his mother and his father and how this has become bigger than family loyalties.

The voice talent is exceptional: Theron manages to be funny and touching at the same time while McConaughey shows a flair for comedy too as the slightly inept but well-meaning Beetle. Newcomer Parkinson manages to be endearing without being annoying.

Of course, since Kubo has a Japanese setting, inevitably comparisons to Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki are thrown up. Kubo’s aunts (voiced by Rooney Mara) do look like they’ve stepped right out of Spirited Away but the animators have gone for a more painterly feel for the look of Kubo and The Two Strings.

Kubo and The Two Strings is an imaginative and beautiful animated feature with real heart and real humanity and is a worthy addition to Laika’s output. It is odd that it is released at the beginning of the autumn term in the UK rather than over half term but I still think it will find its audience. It has already make $34m in the US as it was released a few weeks ago and since its budget is a modest $60m, it should do decently at the international box office.

One of the highlights in a summer that has disappointed so far. fans of quality animation in the UK should flock to catch this.

JOEL MEADOWS

Kubo and The two Strings review www.tripwiremagazine.co.uk