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 (082616)
The muscular directorial debut of Laika president and CEO Travis Knight, "Kubo
and the Two Strings" follows 2009's "Coraline," 2012's "ParaNorman," and 2014's
"The Boxtrolls" as the latest entry to deepen the Oregon-based studio's
motion-capture footprint. Their films, decidedly more idiosyncratic than Disney
and Pixar's animated output and certainly more grown-up than the releases of
Universal's Illumination Entertainment and 20th Century Fox's Big Sky Studios,
play to their own beat, at their own pace, never pandering to children or the
gods of mainstream commerciality. The Japan-set "Kubo and the Two Strings" is Laika's most creatively intrepid project yet, awash in a visual poeticism and
narrative sophistication uncannily reminding of the works of Hayao Miyazaki and
his Studio Ghibli. While the picture may prove challenging and intense for
younger audiences, it should also earn their attention and expand their
imaginations in a way not often seen within Hollywood's family-film market.
In Ancient Japan, young Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson: Rickon Stark on the HBO
series Game of Thrones,) is a master storyteller, delighting the people of his
village with his origami creations and thrilling tall tales of danger and
mysticism. As an infant, he narrowly escaped with his mother after his left eye
was snatched by his grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes, 2015's
Spectre). Years
later, Kubo's emotionally scarred mother still fears the Moon King and her two
evil Sisters (Rooney Mara) will return for his other eye—a concern which very
soon proves to be prophecy. Accompanied by the protective, tough-loving Monkey (Charlize
Theron) and a Warrior Beetle (Matthew McConaughey, 2014's
Interstellar)
with ties to Kubo's late samurai father, the boy embarks on a perilous journey
to find three items—a sword, a helmet and metal armor—that will help to protect
him against his grandfather's wrath.
"Kubo and the Two Strings" is a stirring experience, not least for its almost
unimaginable technical achievements. Stop-motion is the toughest, most
time-consuming of animated forms, each element within the image moved frame by
frame to create an entirely different world from our own. This medium is always
impressive, but it is especially awe-inspiring here when considering the
complexity demanded by this particular story and setting. Every moment is
aesthetically gorgeous and lyrically considered, from the rocky, storm swept
seas of the opening scene as Kubo and his mom sail to safety, to the ethereal
tranquility of a cemetery at river's edge where villagers come to commune with
those who've passed on, to the eerily threatening run-ins with a giant skeletal
beast, the witchy Sisters, and finally the Moon King.
With a script by Marc Haimes and ParaNorman‘s Chris Butler, the film creates
plenty of breathing room between striking action set pieces, space in which
Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle’s bond deepens as their quest advances and grows more
perilous. Kubo could have been content just to dazzle, which it does in
virtually every scene. Its stunning, colorful landscapes and expressive faces
make it look at times like the world’s most elaborate storybook brought to life
and Kubo plays especially well in 3D, a technique that was made to showcase
Laika’s stop-motion artistry.
It goes well beyond dazzling, however. The film moves beautifully, but it’s also
beautifully moving. To reveal the source of the title’s “two strings,” for
instance, would count as a spoiler, but it’s hard to look at the title without
getting a lump in your throat once you’ve seen the movie. And though it features
a big showdown as its climax, Kubo also features an unexpected, and deeply
humane resolution. Even to its last scene, the movie seems to be determined to
show us something new. Voicing the role of Kubo, Art Parkinson gives his hero
not only a youthful energy, but also a strong-willed gumption. He is an
immediately sympathetic figure. Charlize Theron (2015's
Mad
Max: Fury Road) runs away with her scenes, bringing a much-needed burst of
dry humor and ultimate warmth to her motherly Monkey, a wooden charm brought to
life just when Kubo needs her most. Also impeccably cast is Rooney Mara (2015's
"Carol"), her flat, maniacally-timbered line deliveries serving the intensely
creepy Sisters well.
A meditative adventure highlighted by its own wondrous artistry, "Kubo and the
Two Strings" delves into touchy, soulful themes involving mortality, redemption,
and the importance of keeping deceased loved ones alive through memories. Kubo
is not a stranger to death, having lost his father when he was still a baby and
grown up in a spiritually alive landscape. It is for these reasons he respects
the process of life, even in its relative brevity. To give himself over to his
grandfather—to the promise of an eternal existence—would be dishonest. "All
stories," Kubo says to the Moon King with newfound courage and wisdom in his
voice, "have an ending." Fantastical and innovative, distinctively vivid and
reflective, "Kubo and the Two Strings" is destined to deepen and beautify all
the more with subsequent viewings. It is an exciting prospect to see what Laika
will dream up next.
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