Kotas Reviews Kubo and the Two Strings

So, we're getting another movie review this summer season, because I've been trying really hard to foist my child off with let my in-laws spend more time with their grandchild. This means I get to see more movies, which is not a bad thing. This go around my spouse and I decided we wanted to see something a little different from the usual explod'em'up blockbuster fair. Plus, I basically had seen one preview like, six months ago and didn't know diddly about the film. Let's talk about Kubo and the Two Strings.

Picture Source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jSsZDL4xQBg/maxresdefault.jpg

Normally in my reviews I do a deep dive into the plot of the film, but some people have told me they would prefer NOT to have that sort of content, so I'll try to be more general about this tale of a young boy who goes on a quest to try and stop his grandfather the Moon King from stealing his other eye, accompanied by a talking monkey and a beetle samurai. Oh, and some paper. GOT THAT? Let's begin. 

This movie is, best I can tell, a story told through a unique animation style that blends computer and stop-motion animation into a seamless whole. The director's previous works do not include directing, but serving as an animator and/or producer on such films as Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls. It was my assumption that this story was an old Japanese folk tale or something that was Westernized a bit, since that is how it felt to me, but it turns out that this one is a completely original, which I was not expecting. 

The underlying themes of this film are wonder, discovery, sacrifice, loss and the importance of memory. There are a lot of interesting takes on the usual "Hero's Journey" and "Chosen One" motifs, though nothing too unfamiliar. Harry Potter it ain't, but then again it sort of is. Kubo has a lot of magic at his disposal, and he gets more powerful as the movie goes on, but that's not the focus of the story. The shamisen music that plays such an important role hits the right notes of wondrous and haunting, but also playful and teasing. The origami that is shown is excellent, though perhaps less interesting to true students of the art than to me. 

Yup. That's a wall of text up there.
Picture Source: http://screencrush.com/442/files/2016/04/Kubo-and-the-Two-Strings-final-trailer-image.jpg

Many of the characters are a bit flat (no pun intended), but since they are background characters it doesn't seem out of place. Shout out to George Takai as having a small role and generally being awesome. The main characters of Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle each have distinct, obvious traits, and act in somewhat believable ways. Kubo is basically in shock after the initial encounter with his extended family, though he does shake it off conveniently quickly. 

One of the things I enjoyed most about the film was the sense of wonder that the scenery invoked. This film is just beautiful to look at and there are a lot of traveling scenes and other side bits that just revel in the medium of animation for the sake of moving well, if that makes any sense. However, as much wonder as there is, some of it can be a bit intense for smaller folk. I am glad I didn't take my kid to see it, as I don't think she could handle it at her age. Any kid who can sit through a Harry Potter film should be fine though. The giant skeleton bit is particularly scary, but I really loved that whole scene. 

This is not a perfect film, as I wish that the antagonists had a little more backstory than what is presented, though it is sufficient to understand the motivations. The Moon Sisters are creepy and effectively scary, and the Moon King is appropriately dismissive of our heroes, but I feel as though I'm missing some of their story as it fits into the larger world. Some of the humor goes for a cheap laugh rather than a more refined one, and thus seems a little out of place. The conclusion to the film is extremely bittersweet, but one could call it a happy ending, if a somber one. There may have been a manly tear or two shed. 

On the FACE Rating System, this film gets 3 smiley faces. It is not an exploration of joy and wonder, like many of the films I love, but it has those elements tempered with sadder parts that make the story complete. The animation is in my opinion quite excellent, and I do love the shamisen soundtrack. I do find it somewhat amusing that a chord (ha!) that runs through the whole thing is "the power of rock is awesome". This one is absolutely worth seeing, so get out there, and rock out with your bachi out.