Words bereave me as I try to put this one together. Kubo and the Two Strings had me mesmerized. And not just by its breathtaking realism, but by the calm in its thoughtful direction, and the peerless work that it tagged along. Very satisfying!
The movie forever carries a hint of a grim element and is not afraid to walk across dark enclaves in order to provide us with an amazing tale of a one-eyed young boy named Kubo who is on a magical quest to find his father’s armor to defeat a wicked Moon King.
Extraordinary Animation
Looking at the animation of the movie, you can’t help but wonder – Can stop motion really reach such fascinating levels of allure? Well, Kubo and the Two Strings surpass all! Who makes that possible? None other than Travis Knight the lead animator, also the actual mind behind exceptional movies like Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls.
You can’t applaud Travis Knight enough. Apart from the fact that he can ace Herculean jobs as an animator, he can also direct better than most of the directors out there. So, he proves this with his sharp presence of mind. The transition of frames happens through walking into a tree or a wall. And it does so with such a peaceful nimble snap that it is hard to tell if the frame had actually changed in that teensy swift scale.
What I also loved about Travis’s direction was how he imparted Kubo and the Two Strings with a charming gait. The movie is literally abounding with focus. It lets you feast on every single frame letting things percolate beautifully. You can perceive minuscule details in his frames, and that’s what makes his frames stunning to look at. Owing to that, even though Kubo and the Two Strings banks on a fictitious tale for its plot, the movie doesn’t falter at all at any point.
The plot of Kubo and the Two Strings
The story is more of a fantastical take set against the backdrop of ancient Japan. One-eyed Kubo takes care of his ill mother. He uses a Shamisen to bring inanimate papers to life. He performs in a nearby village to get himself and his mother by.
If you must blink, do it now. Pay careful attention to everything you see and hear, no matter how unusual it may seem. And please be warned, if you fidget, if you look away, if you forget any part of what I tell you, even for an instant, then our hero will surely perish.
Kubo is a storyteller and he barely knows his past. In her mother’s ephemeral jovial moments is he able to fill himself up with stories of the past. He is fascinated by tales of his father and yearns to meet him in person. But her mother warns him not to venture out when it’s dark coz that’s when the moonlight shines bright meaning the Moon King, his grandfather, and his aunties might see him. His mother tells him that they are after his other eye and that this rule is followed at all costs.
One fine day however in an attempt to rekindle his father’s soul, Kubo ends up staying out late.
I just wish you were here, so I could talk to you, see you, find out what I should do.
A big mistake! That’s when the attack of the aunties happens. His mother pays the price for it as she intervenes just when things were about to go south. She saves him asking him to find armor, the only way that can possibly defeat the evil Moon King.
Ensuing Magical World
As Kubo wakes from a tumultuous backdrop, he finds a monkey voiced by Charlize Theron calling out his name. He realizes that the monkey was in fact none other than a toy he used to carry around with him at all times. The talking monkey tells him that she was brought to life by his mother before she died. The only thing Kubo is left with is a strand of her mother’s hair.
This bracelet, her hair, it’s a memory. And memories are powerful things, Kubo. Never lose it.
On their quest to find the armor they find a human soul trapped inside a beetle. He claims to be working for his father Tatsu but isn’t sure because of a memory wipe-out scene.
Thus the ultimate quest begins to find armor elements that are placed in unusual places, as magic and perversion from Moon King and his mother’s sisters try to stop them from achieving that goal. In a life that had reeked of loneliness almost all the time, Kubo reflects on how amazing it was for him to be a part of someone’s company, with:
I have never had a meal sitting between anyone before.
Sentient Kubo
Kubo is so thoughtful that it syncs you instantly with his feelings. His one eye can grasp little things that are of colossal import to him and you can’t applaud him enough for that.
Sometimes I would tell my mother stories about little things. Like skimming rocks across the river or catching fireflies in the mulberry fields. And when I told those stories, I could see her eyes were mostly clear. I could tell she saw me. Really saw me. I could see her, too. Her real self. Her spirit trying to fight its way out. It was beautiful.
The tiny lippy movements of the protagonist are so beautifully done that it almost makes you feel as if he is an extant creature.
You have to give it to Tatsu voiced by Matthew McConaughey who makes his character even more lovable. The story of his mother climaxes with:
You are my quest.
and which is soon followed by:
I had seen the wonders of the universe, but the warmth of his gaze as I looked into his eyes. That, that I had never known. It was his humanity I saw. And it was more powerful than anything in my cold realm.
brings power to his story and it makes it even warmer.
Then it has that contemplative paragon of a song as well which is depicted by a flying golden heron that is believed to carry the soul of the departed.
How do you see a song?
To which the reply goes:
You look.
That moon reflection, water droplets falling everything was beautifully imagined and executed.
Downsides
Trying to look at the downside, things escalate too quickly. For example, you are not really prepared for a whimsical alteration, but then it happens which kind of kills the mood. And then the final bits with the Moon King don’t fill you up with wonder much since you are prepared for the cliched ending of the tale. There is nothing eye-candy like about it and you can’t help but wonder if the trouble to reach that grimy end justifies truly it.
Also, the fact that the gloom that comes right after when his parents get killed hasn’t been shown properly makes it even less plausible. The story however nibbles such drawbacks.
The Score of Kubo
What makes the stop motion frames of Travis even better is Dario Marianelli‘s outstanding score. It imparts depth to his ethereal animation. It complements the actual storyline of Kubo and gives much more meaning to it. Even when Kubo is simply walking down a forest or a desert there is always that beautiful composition playing wonders in the backcloth.
You can check out other animated movie reviews that we’ve done as well.
Kubo and the Two Strings
