Kubo and the Two Strings
2 Oscar Nominations
Rent/Purchase
Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.
What critics thought
Laika's stop-motion craftsmanship draws near-universal admiration, with critics calling Kubo's visual world the studio's most stunning yet and praising its willingness to sit with genuine melancholy rather than soften the story for younger audiences. The main fault line runs along that very seriousness: most reviewers saw the film's emotional weight and mythic complexity as strengths, while a dissenting minority felt it drained the film of the fun and energy children actually want.
“the movie's blend of stop-motion animation for the main action with computer-generated backgrounds is seamless, creating what is the most visually intoxicating of all Laika's movies.”
Glenn Kenny·The New York Times
“both extraordinarily original and extraordinarily complex, even for a grown-up movie masquerading as a kiddie cartoon (which it kind of is).”
Michael O'Sullivan·The Washington Post
“Kubo" offers another ominous mission for a lucky young misfit, this one a dark, yet thrilling adventure quest that stands as the crowning achievement in Laika's already impressive oeuvre.”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“Older kids, except for a few teacher's pets, will soon realise that this is hardly a fun action-adventure cartoon at all, but a plate of vegetables.”
Jordan Hoffman·The Guardian
Genres
Action, Adventure, Animation
Cast & Crew
DirectorTravis Knight
StarringArt Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Brenda Vaccaro, Ralph Fiennes
ComposerDario Marianelli
Kubo and the Two Strings
2 Oscar Nominations
Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.
What critics thought
Laika's stop-motion craftsmanship draws near-universal admiration, with critics calling Kubo's visual world the studio's most stunning yet and praising its willingness to sit with genuine melancholy rather than soften the story for younger audiences. The main fault line runs along that very seriousness: most reviewers saw the film's emotional weight and mythic complexity as strengths, while a dissenting minority felt it drained the film of the fun and energy children actually want.
“the movie's blend of stop-motion animation for the main action with computer-generated backgrounds is seamless, creating what is the most visually intoxicating of all Laika's movies.”
Glenn Kenny·The New York Times
“both extraordinarily original and extraordinarily complex, even for a grown-up movie masquerading as a kiddie cartoon (which it kind of is).”
Michael O'Sullivan·The Washington Post
“Kubo" offers another ominous mission for a lucky young misfit, this one a dark, yet thrilling adventure quest that stands as the crowning achievement in Laika's already impressive oeuvre.”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“Older kids, except for a few teacher's pets, will soon realise that this is hardly a fun action-adventure cartoon at all, but a plate of vegetables.”
Jordan Hoffman·The Guardian
Genres
Action, Adventure, Animation
Cast & Crew
DirectorTravis Knight
StarringArt Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Brenda Vaccaro, Ralph Fiennes
ComposerDario Marianelli
Rent/Purchase