By SYDNEY COHEN
For The Daily
Stop motion has always been
heralded as one of the most
impressive and visually stun-
ning forms of
animation — if
done right. Stop
motion
ani-
mation
studio
Laika
Enter-
tainment
has
met
and
sur-
passed
expec-
tations
with
“Kubo and the
Two Strings,” a
film that holds
its own as a breathtaking and
mesmerizing work of art.
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
tells the tale of Kubo (Art Parkin-
son, “Game of Thrones”), a young
boy who embarks on a quest to
reunite the three pieces of his late
father’s magical armor to protect
himself and his family from the
wrath of a vengeful spirit. Kubo
possesses the unique and effec-
tive power to create movement
and energy through the strum of
his shamisen, a Japanese guitar.
The film’s big-name cast of char-
acters includes Monkey (Charl-
ize Theron, “Mad Max: Fury
Road”), Beetle (Matthew McCo-
naughey, “Interstellar”), the Sis-
ters (Rooney Mara, “Carol”), and
the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes,
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”).
The character dynamics are
entertaining and complicated,
with enough intrigue to keep a
viewer engaged. Furthermore,
familial ties intertwine the char-
acters in a complex web; Kubo’s
immortal enemies are his grand-
father and two aunts and his ani-
mal hybrid companions turn out
to be his parents, kept alive by
magic. Through plot twists and
an emphasis on loyalty, “Kubo”
stresses the importance of family
and love in a genuine and subtle
fashion.
Another central theme in the
film is the art of storytelling.
Kubo is introduced in a scene of
him captivating a crowd in his vil-
lage with tales of samurai adven-
ture and danger, defining him as a
master of the spoken word. How-
ever, the movie also shifts from
utilizing storytelling in the tradi-
tional sense to instead offering it
as a flexible and powerful ability.
Storytelling becomes a force that
highlights the importance of for-
giveness and the malleability of
someone’s history, as well as how
their past shapes their character.
“Kubo and the Two Strings” mas-
terfully retools the traditional
art of storytelling to shape lives,
rather than merely entertain.
The film’s central distinctive
feature is its absolutely incred-
ible animation. Here we see the
directorial debut and best effort
yet of Travis Knight, esteemed
lead animator of the cinematic
classics “Coraline” and “Para-
Norman.” Knight has really out-
done himself this time, stunning
with an overwhelming attention
to detail in both color and move-
ment. To throw out some choice
adjectives, the film’s animation is
dynamic, inventive and captivat-
ing, with Kubo’s world artfully
constructed. The film’s central
aesthetic motif revolves around
the Japanese art of origami, with
gorgeous landscape shots and
scenery that look and move like
folded paper. Further, the genius
of the movie lies in the way Kubo
manipulates origami to create
moving objects that appear alive,
meshing with the paper-esque
world around him. The film’s end
battle scene, in which the Moon
King takes the form of a massive
koi fish, is one of the most stun-
ning works of animation to hit the
screen.
“Kubo” is a beautiful homage
to Japanese culture and mytholo-
gy, drawing on classic themes and
aesthetics to create a captivating
story. Both simple and nuanced
in plot and design, the film is an
emotional, immersive experience
that leaves the viewer warm and
in awe.
10A — Tuesday, September 6, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
‘Kubo’ a unique masterpiece
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FILM REVIEW
A
Kubo and
the Two
Strings
Rave & Qual-
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