Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS


The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 
on KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016, 101 minutes, PG)

"If you must blink, do it now."

The Quick of It -
When a movie opens with such a powerful line, you know you are going to experience something exceptional.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is that something exceptional and fills you with a sense of adventure and wonder.  It’s about a courageous boy who must find his way to better understand the secrets of his past, and where his future lies.  Once only thought tales he retold to crowds in town to earn some coin, he finds out how true they are and must quest for three powerful items to protect himself from his single-minded, and awfully cranky, grandfather.  They are legendary pieces his father once sought; the Sword Unbreakable, the Armor Impenetrable, and the Helmet Invulnerable.  During his journey, he meets some unlikely characters that help him complete these arduous tasks and to find his place in the world.


This film comes out of the Laika studios, and they give us a 3D stop-animation marvel.  You would expect this to be out of one of Japan’s highly regarded studios, but it was developed out of our own backyard.  Travis Knight, making this his directorial debut, helms KUBO.  He comes straight out of their animation departments from previous hit films, having worked on PARANORMAN, CORALINE, and THE BOXTROLLS.  The writing is tight and tells far more than a simple fiction.  The original crafter is Shannon Tindle, with credit for the screenplay going to Marc Haimes and Chris Butler.     


As sad as it sounds, I care little for the voices involved… since there were no discernable reasons to believe they flubbed the film.  They include Art Parkinson (DRACULA UNTOLD and SAN ANDREAS), Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, and ‘The Matthew of McConaughey’.  There was no way this going to be a disaster, and probably why I have little regard.  Using familiar voices from recognizable Hollywood titans instills a subconscious comfort level that allows for a certain level of creditability. 


The stylized imagery, the traditional Japanese sounds and music, and the skillfully-crafted action makes this one of my top films for 2016, even when surrounded by a plethora of box office ‘big boys’.  The beginning alone will sell you on the magical journey he must take.  Kubo entertains a crowd with his shamisen, telling a fairy-tale with animated origami creatures and shapes that dance around and shoot fire, among other things.  This storytelling technique reaches out to the real audience, setting the stage for the magic-realism that surrounds this tale, making you not question what you are about to see.

So no questions… this is a must watch.

Grade: A-

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