The titular Kubo (voiced by Game of Thrones actor Art Parkinson) is a young boy who resides in a cave that's situated by the sea and a nearby village with his unstable mother Sariatu, who warns him about being outside the cave when night falls in fear that her sisters (Rooney Mara), and in turn her father the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), will find him and steal away his other eye. As a way to kill time and make a living, the young boy travels to the village in the day and shares the story of his heroic father Hanzo – remarked as being one of the greatest warriors to ever live – using his magical shamisen and numerous pieces of paper, which turn into origami whilst he plays. But when Kubo accidently stays up past his curfew to partake in an ancient tradition, he finds himself in mortal danger once again; destroying not only the entire village but also his mother, who sacrifices herself to help him escape. Now, with only the help of a anthropomorphised version of his lucky monkey charm (Charlize Theron) and a former apprentice of his father's (Matthew McConaughey's Beetle), Kubo and company must collect the three pieces of his father's armour in order to help defeat his vile grandfather and aunts.
Taking plenty of influence from classic fetch quests and samurai tales, the main story of Kubo is hardly one that feels creative or new. Certain twists get repeated or come across as a little too obvious, and for those incredibly excited to see the gods at Laika work on a brand new piece may come off as a little underwhelmed by what they witness. But that all being said, the basic story is still a good one to boot; leaving plenty of room not only for pitch-perfect character moments and story developments but also for some high-octane action set-pieces that are so excellently choreographed and animated that it makes the whole thing come across as incredibly impressive. Add plenty of moments of levity in the form of Kubo's childish innocence and Beetle's brainless thought process, and it helps create a feature-length tale that, while has a subpar story at its heart which doesn't deviate far from convention, can still worm its way into your heart for its hilarious, heartfelt and hair-raising moments.
And of course, the whole thing is elevated by the gorgeous animation. When it comes to the divine landscapes, the whole Asian feel is exemplified into this visually stunning world through built sets and matte paintings; more often than not, great moments such as the film's opening sequence or Kubo's dream are made even better because of how exhilarating the area around them looks. But it's with the characters that the animation thrives, as the complex and staggering action beats are so detailed in their creation that it's hardly believable that it's hand-crafted, not to mention the slightest of details made such as the movement of hair (difficult when one of your main characters is covered in fur) and pupil dilation make the whole thing seem perfect. There's also the added benefit of some stellar character designs and creations – stay through the credits to see just how incredible a large-scale skeleton figure was and how they animated it – as each main foe or ally is instantly memorable in their features.
Speaking of characters, our young hero Kubo is hardly one that invokes annoyance or intolerance – if anything, he's one of the film's best characters. While he is partially lacking in much personality outside of being a talented magician/musician and coming from a family rich with history, you instead focus on his sublime character growth and heart of a hero, which Art Parkinson nails. Charlize Theron's Monkey is a scene-stealer, thanks to her deep character and perfect parental guidance, whilst Theron's vocal talents really help bring plenty of personality to the animal, whereas her bouncing off of comedy sidekick McConaughey leads to plenty of fun. McConaughey himself makes for an entertaining companion who creates some of the film's biggest laughs, but the true heart of him sadly makes for an underwhelming development considering earlier remarks that I shan't spoil. Meanwhile, Rooney Mara's echoey voice elevates her two characters into coming across as incredible henchwomen – both sisters make for remarkable foes for the trio to face – and Ralph Fiennes gives plenty to his performance, which is only made unfortunately disappointing when a late twist of his own is given away almost immediately by his mere presence. Outside of these characters, the villagers – which range from a friendly and often amusing Brenda Vaccaro to a barely-used George Takai – are all basically background fodder who disappear for a good 70% of the film, whilst a mute origami version of Hanzo is a charming addition to the core trio.
Whilst it's obvious that the production work has been masterful, credit must still be given to director Travis Knight, as he's easily managed to construct a strong visual style and some stunning animation whilst at the helm. Likewise, the oriental score by Dario Marianelli helps bring the story to life; with a cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" during the credits coming across as beautiful. Altogether, it offers a strong mix of fear and love.
If you must blink, do it now, for otherwise you may be missing a treat from an often-forgotten animation powerhouse. Kubo and the Two Strings may have a major problem when it comes to its basic storyline and how it plays about with its twists and turns in the third act, but when paired together with some incredible animation and direction makes it easy to forget that the quest itself is very basic. Loveable characters and beautifully put together, Kubo is a great film to watch, even if it's still somewhat disappointing for what it really could have been with further brainstorming. 8/10.
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