4 star engrossing stop-motion animation.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a 2016 American stop-motion animated action fantasy film, produced by Studio Laika (Coraline, ParaNorman). It is directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee) in his very impressive feature directorial debut.
It is available to own in the UK from 16th December 2024 on 4K UHD and Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook and Standard Edition Blu-ray courtesy of Anime Limited.
“If you must blink, do it now. Pay careful attention to everything you see and hear, no matter how unusual it may seem.”
Kubo (Art Parkinson – San Andreas, I Kill Giants) is a young man living with his mother (Charlize Theron – Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road) on a remote cliff top. 
He has lost an eye, his mother tells him it was taken by his grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes – When Titans Ruled the Earth, The Lego Batman Movie) and his father died saving him, but doesn’t remember the details. She is in a declining mental state and he supports them by performing at the local town, using his magical ability to manipulate origami to tell the tale of his samurai father Hanzo. Unfortunately he can never finish it, as he doesn’t know how it ends.
One thing that his mother has always been clear on is that he must never be out after dark, as her sisters Karasu and Washi (Rooney Mara – The Social Network, Side Effects) will find him and take his other eye. Attending the local festival, his elderly friend Kameyo (Brenda Vaccaro – Midnight Cowboy, Capricorn One) persuades him to try to communicate with his father using a lantern. 
Angry that he doesn’t show up, he loses track of time and it goes dark.
The sisters arrive and his mother shows up and tells him he must find his father’s armour. She uses the last of her magic to bring his monkey charm to life to look after him. He creates an origami samurai who seems to be leading the way and meet up with Beetle (Matthew McConaughey – The Lincoln Lawyer, Gold). Can this unlikely team learn the truth about themselves, complete the quest and save the day?
“My husband. His voice was as clear and loud as the one you use for your stories. In 72 years he never had a thing to say, now he’s gone I can’t get him to shut up.”
Kubo and the Two Strings is an excellent film and this 4K version really shows off the incredible stop motion animation to its full potential. 
It is a great story and although it’s aimed at children, it doesn’t dumb itself down at all. It is a glorious ride, full of imagination and heart and unafraid to tackle issues such as death and loss.
The stop motion animation lends an entirely different feel to the film, a sense of realism in amongst the fantasy and magic. The origami figures are quite astonishing and it truly is a masterclass in storytelling. This release is excellent, packed with special features and will grace any animation collection.
“Once inside, you might be tempted to complain about the odour. Keep in mind, my sense of smell is ten times stronger than yours.”
Kubo and the Two Strings is available to own in the UK from 16th December 2024 on 4K UHD and Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook and Standard Edition Blu-ray.
BONUS
- Inside LAIKA – Confronting The Epic Challenges Of Kubo And The Two Strings
- Inside LAIKA – Revisiting The Puppets With LAIKA’s Animation Team
- Feature-Length Storyboards
- Character, Concept Art And Behind-The-Scenes Photo Galleries
- Audio Descriptive Track
- Audio Commentary With Director/Producer Travis Knight
- “Kubo’s Journey”
- Original Featurettes
| Director | Travis Knight |
| Genre | Animation, adventure, fantasy, stop-motion |
| Starring | Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes |
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