Today, I will be reviewing "Kubo and the Two Strings" which is the latest stop motion animated flick from Laika Studios who brought us gems such as "Coraline" and "Paranorman." Will this one live up to those movies or will it be like "The Boxtrolls" which I consider to be the one stain on Laika Studio's record. It is time to find out. Before I get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Free Gamer's Alliance YouTube channel. Their videos cover everything from walkthroughs, glitches, easter eggs, and various amusing video game related content, all of which is delivered with some colorful commentary while they have buckets of fun doing it. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/FreeGamersAlliance/
For those of you unfamiliar with this movie, here is the trailer:
- As is the case with pretty much every Laika Studios film, the animation is absolutely incredible. Everything is breathtaking to look at. It is easy to see all of the hard work that was put into the visuals in this movie.
- The voice cast is absolutely perfect. Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey all absolutely nail their characters.
- There aren't too many jokes but the few moments of comic relief really do work.
- There are some truly epic action scenes that will not only thrill viewers but they combine beautifully with the visual effects.
- There are some fantastic emotional moments in the movie that will make the audience feel so many things.
- Where this movie really shines is in the writing. The story is incredibly engaging and epic. The characters are written in a way that it is easy for the audience to get invested in them. The dialogue is all on point. The story is friendly for younger audiences but there is also a lot for adult audiences to enjoy as well. It avoids being condescending and cliche filled which is something that many animated films struggle with.
- This movie does start off a bit slow. Worry not, however, as the pacing really picks up once the movie gets its footing (which doesn't take too long).
"Kubo and the Two Strings" is an animated feature that is crafted with so much love and care. As a result, it really is a treat for the audience that manages to be heartwarming, visually impressive, epic, and whimsical. This is truly a movie with something for viewers of all ages. I absolutely recommend seeing this movie in theaters. In my mind, it is the strongest movie Laika Studios has put out to date.
Thanks for reading everyone!! As usual, feel free to leave a comment but please be advised that if you are going to read any potential comments that spoilers may be present.