When he accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from his past, Kubo (Art Parkinson) joins forces with a totem brought to life, Monkey (Charlize Theron), and a cursed samurai, Beetle (Matthew McConaughey). With their help, Kubo embarks on a quest to recover three pieces of ancient, magical armour. Armed only with a shamisen and his burgeoning magical abilities, Kubo battles through gods and monsters on the path to The Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), and to fulfill his destiny.
Kubo and the Two Strings is the latest film from Laika Studios, which has lately become the foremost studio for claymation, a form of animation that I'm finding more and more interesting as it evolves. Laika has created some truly unique work over the years, and Kubo might just be their best film yet.
Where Kubo really shines is in the animation, with Laika combining the claymation elements with CGI and other practical effects to create spectacular visuals. The animation is top-notch from start to finish, and the combination of so many different elements creates a distinct visual style. The inspiration from classic Japanese folktales is clear, and everything from the usage of colour to the detail in every shot of the film creates a fascinating world with an intriguing mythology. The film gets more and more visually interesting as it goes on, and the craftsmanship that went into creating every frame is incredibly impressive.
One of the great strengths of Kubo is that the world it crafts is so magical and fantastical, so suspension of disbelief comes very easily. In the logic of its own world, nothing ever seems too ridiculous. Things happen that are convenient or coincidental, but since so much of the film is about magic and destiny, it fits.
As a protagonist, Kubo was perfect for this kind of story. There's a very identifiable sense of childlike wonder and a desire for exploration from him, but he evolves with the story. He becomes more capable and heroic, but never loses his core of compassion. Due to being initially so cut off from the world around him, the audience gets to experience the wonders of it along with Kubo. He also felt like a real kid with abilities like his; he pushed back against being coddled, and wanted to prove himself. His allies were equally as entertaining, and the bond that forms between them keeps a consistently fun tone in the down time they have on their quest. Charlize Theron was the biggest surprise in terms of performance, because she isn't known for her comedic work, but she does deadpan really well. Matthew McConaughey was also very funny, and even though his accent wasn't as pronounced, that signature McConaughey vibe is very much a part of his character. How those characters came to be were very interesting expansions of Kubo's mythology, and added new layers to the world that I would have been happy to see more of. At this point, Ralph Fiennes has proven that he can be an effective villain, and he really shines as The Moon King (pun intended). His trademark hissing to over-enunciating speech pattern works perfectly for an ancient, celestial being of power.
Kubo's story is very folkloric, and one of the major themes of the film is storytelling. The story of the movie itself is the classic hero's journey, but that journey is also reflected in Kubo's love of stories. The adventure is consistently engaging throughout, and balances tones that range from very light to very dark. As family-friendly as the movie is, there are moments and characters that are downright unsettling, but the fact that it can have those moments alongside heartwarming and uplifting beats, and have it all feel consistent, is a great achievement.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a great achievement overall, and is an animated film that has all of the trappings of a classic family adventure film. But the stunning animation, detailed mythology, and fearlessness of tackling more mature themes elevates it beyond some of the more generic animated adventures out there. It's unlikely that Laika will visit Kubo's world again, as they seem to go from stand-alone story to stand-alone story (and there's also no reason to continue the story), but the world was just so engrossing that I would be happy to revisit it.
Whatever Laika does in the future, I'll be far more interested in it, since they're proving more and more that they're a force to be reckoned with when it comes to animation. They're nowhere near Pixar levels of popularity, but if they continue making films of this quality, they easily could be.
Comments
Post a Comment