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-

ity 16

Focus Features

Arts

