Movie: Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings:  an animation movie.  I don’t often do cartoon movies, but every once in a while a story comes along that peaks my interest.  Kubo is one of those.  What you’ll notice right away is that the animation looks different.  This difference arises from a technique known as “stop motion”, which gives all movement, down to the smallest detail, a very different appearance.  But the “stop motion” technique is far from the only reason to see this film.  Kubo offers the viewer an arresting story.  Following the opening scene of a woman in a small boat fighting off turbulent waves with nothing but a shamisen (a type of three stringed lute), we are introduced to Kubo, a young Japanese boy sporting an eye patch.  Kubo lives with his mother in a cave on a small, faraway island.  Each day Kubo goes to the nearby village with his shamisen and entertains the locals with his captivating stories.  His mother warns him to come home each evening before dark.  One day, being a young  boy, Kubo gets distracted and fails to make his twilight curfew.  While the story to this point is interesting, what happens next is what makes this 102 minute film so delightful.  We meet an extremely protective talking monkey and a samurai warrior beetle.  As Kubo, Monkey and Beetle search for the armor once owned by Kubo’s father, the only items that can provide Kubo with the protection he needs, things begin happening and Kubo learns of his lineage and history.  Quality actors provide the voices, including Matthew McConaughey (Beetle), Charlize Theron (Monkey), George Takei (a villager), Ralph Fiennes (Grandfather) and Art Parkinson (Kubo).  The film is directed by Travis Knight.  The story of Kubo and the Two Strings is a tale for people of all ages.  Because of its visuals, Kubo is best enjoyed in a theatre.