In mythical Japan, a powerful enchantress escaped from the evil Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) with her one-eyed baby, but at the cost of her warrior husband’s life. Years later, young Kubo (Art Parkinson) takes care of her, earning a few coins by telling stories in the village, accompanied by his magical origami. With his mother getting sicker, he joins in the village’s lantern ceremony of remembrance, trying to speak to his father’s spirit, and there he is seen by the Moon King and his mother’s evil sisters (Rooney Mara) who’ve come for his other eye. Escaping, Kubo sets out on a quest to find his father’s armor, helped by a mystical monkey (Charlize Theron) and an amnesiac, samurai beetle (Mathew McConaughey).
Kubo and the Two Strings is an amalgamation of things you don’t see. It is a smart animated film not just for kids, that doesn’t fall into cheap slapstick but tells a mythic tale of gods and heroes. It is deep in Japanese lore, bringing us Westerners into another culture without falling into the traps of being either respectful or disrespectful. It is stop-motion animation—incredible stop-motion animation that includes the largest puppet every made at over sixteen feet—that is utterly flawless. It is emotional without being saccharine. And it is certainly one of the best films of the year.
Laika studio is the current premier stop-motion animation company, having previously created Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The BoxTrolls (2014). Kubo is a step up and they weren’t being slouches before. Their work is so good that I fear that they won’t get the credit they deserve from many viewers who won’t believe this is stop-motion work. Technically, nothing is close.
But the animation skills on display are only a small part of what makes this film special. The characters are funny without being silly, cleaver enough to avoid the painful moments plaguing so many modern actions films, and not the slipshod clichés common in animated fare. The story is epic and accessible, with a few surprises and always supporting its multiple themes. While it has a good deal to say on the value of life, death, and family, I was taken by its somewhat meta philosophy on storytelling.
Kubo’s only flaw is that, in wanting to make its message (the family and life one) clear to viewers of all ages, it is occasionally too clear. Writers and directors often underestimate children. A bit of subtlety and some words left unspoken would have placed this in the realm of the masterpieces of animation.