Animation “Kubo and the Two Strings” is a refreshing watch for all ages
“Kubo and the Two Strings” is a well-made animation perfect for a late-summer watch.
“If you must blink, do it now.”
These are the words young Kubo uses to start telling the tales of ancient Japan’s honorable soldiers and monsters only to realize that the stories are not fantasy but real.
Travis Knight, the director of “Kubo and the Two Strings,” takes the audience on an adventure to ancient Japan. It is a refreshing film filled with fantasy, adventure and family morals.
Kubo, voiced by “Game of Thrones” actor Art Parkinson, uses storytelling to share the story of his family, using a Japanese musical instrument called a shamisen, origami paper, and magic.
The movie, released on August 19th, tells a “story that has something to offer audiences of all ages,” according to Rotten Tomatoes, a movie critic website.
When Kubo goes to a nearby village to tell stories about mighty samurai soldiers and magical monsters, his life comes crashing down. His stories and the characters inside them come to real life, putting him in danger of his evil aunts, the Twin Sisters, and his grandfather, the Moon King.
Accompanied by a talking monkey and a human beetle, Kubo sets out to defeat his grandfather.
Voiced by Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, the monkey and beetle add humor and a sense of comfort for Kubo and the audience.
According to Digital Trends, this movie “might be Laika’s best feature so far.” Laika, the production company, has also come out with other popular stop-animation films like “Coraline” in 2009, “ParaNorman” in 2012 and “The Boxtrolls” in 2014.
According to ScreenCrush, “Kubo and the Two String” only made $12 million in its opening weekend compared to the $60 million it used for production. However, “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” also opened with similar numbers, but they stayed in theaters for a long time and made their money back in the long run.
“Kubo and the Two Strings” received a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s a great family movie filled with laughter and adventure. For those looking for an adventure-filled film, this is the movie to watch.
“Kubo and the Two Strings” is playing in the following theaters: AMC Mercado 20 in Santa Clara, Cinemark 20 at the Great Mall in Milpitas, and Almaden Cinema in San Jose.