Plot: What’s it about?
Making movies is tough. There’s a lot to contend with, but if you’ve got all your ducks in a row, have the right cast and so forth – you can turn out some amazing things. That’s if you have actors. What if you have little inanimate bits of clay or wood that you have to move just the slightest bit to get them to “act?” Then what? That’s stop motion animation and I think if I were put in charge of making a movie like that, I’d ponder taking my own life. Thankfully there are those that are really good at it and, when done right, the result is simply stunning. Tim Burton has done a few films in this genre, namely The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Each, in their own respect, is a labor of love. But the team behind some “other” stop motion films is at it again. The result – Kubo and the Two Strings. A tale of the orient with a few modern twists. And Matthew McConaughey.
We meet our young, guitar-clad hero Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson) who lives with his mother. His grandfather, the Moon King (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) and his two aunts (both voiced by Rooney Mara) are attempting to locate him. Why? He can’t go out after dark else they might succeed. Using magic, Kubo’s mother uses magic to cast him away. The only way to save himself and his village is to find three pieces of armor that belonged to his dad. Luckily Kubo has two helpers: a monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron) and a samurai beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), a half-man/half-bug in every sense of the word. We follow Kubo along on his adventure and we’re in for one heck of a ride!
Kubo and the Two Strings came out in the late summer, just after the big blockbusters had all run their course. But it was nominated for Best Animated Film (it lost to Zootopia) and with good reason – it’s stunning. I mean really, the animation is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and it really does impact the way I viewed the movie. This is storytelling at its pinnacle and I’m actually kicking myself that I didn’t watch this sooner. I’d made it a goal to watch every Oscar-nominated film I could and this is one that will stand out. I don’t have to say how much respect I have for the filmmakers who shot this. I can’t even imagine the undertaking it must have been. For those who are looking for something a bit different, but with an “American” vibe (Theron and McConaughey), the buck stops here. What an amazing film.
Video: How’s it look?
The world of stop-motion animation lends to a very unique look and feel for some of the movies within this genre. That said, the 2.40:1 AVC HD image is among the most amazing I’ve seen. It’s breathtaking in every sense of the word. The animation teams seems to have tried things they haven’t in previous films like fur on a monkey and an underwater sequence. Stunning. The look and feel of the film has been designed to be visually attractive, but also remain consistent to elements of Japanese culture. I couldn’t find a flaw no matter how hard I tried and suffice it to say that this is a very interesting and beautiful film.
Audio: How’s it sound?
A very robust DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack has also been included and it too has been very wisely used. Several instances of directional effects make this one of the more unique films out there. Vocals are not without their due mention as well, though I did have a hard time visualizing Charlize Theorn as a monkey. And, yes, I was halfway expecting an “alright alright alright” out of the beetle. It’s a good, all-encompassing soundstage that brings together some very unique elements and combines for a rather exhilarating mix.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Introduction by Director/Producer Travis Knight – Director/Producer Travis Knight introduces “Kubo’s Journey.”
- Mythological Monsters – The filmmakers and crew discuss the new techniques they used to create the terrifying antagonists. Learn how each monster differed in scale, design, and execution.
- Braving the Elements – A particularly challenging aspect of filming was animating water and rain effects. Discover how LAIKA was able to animate water in the context of a stop-motion film.
- The Redemptive and Healing Power of Music – Learn how traditional and contemporary musical styles were combined by Academy Award®-winning composer Dario Marianelli (Atonement) to infuse the film with such a heartfelt sound.
- Epilogue by Director/Producer Travis Knight – Director/Producer Travis Knight discusses what attracted LAIKA to Kubo and the Two Strings.
The Bottom Line
With all the remakes, sequels and so forth it’s nice to see that all creativity hasn’t been lost. It’s a refreshing change of pace to see a film and actually be sad that it’s over because you want to see more. Kubo and the Two Strings is such a film and hopefully the filmmakers will continue to produce more of these. The Blu-ray both looks and sounds great, so it’s a win all the way around.
