Directed by:
Travis KnightCinematography:
Frank PassinghamComposer:
Dario MarianelliCast:
Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, Art Parkinson, Brenda Vaccaro, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, George Takei, Minae Noji (more)Plots(1)
Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kameyo (Academy Award® nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta.
Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award® winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award® nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award® nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
(Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (6)
A visually beautiful animated fairytale from Japanese culture. The story is fine, the bosses are quite cool, the samurai beetle is very funny, and overall it looks very nice. In the end, they surprise with a plot twist, but at the same time, it ends very sadly. But for its originality, I give it weaker four stars. 7/10.
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I was expecting a very good show, and I was not disappointed despite the pacing being a bit slow, because the moment Kubo's wicked twin aunts appeared and the dark atmosphere reigned on the screen, I knew I was watching something exceptional. The narrative was quite respectable; I liked the various twists, although I figured out some of the surprises very quickly, like who the "troublesome samurai stag beetle" is, for example. I also liked the ending, which I found was quite unexpected and basically much better than if they had ended it the way children's stories usually end. The thing I probably most enjoyed, though, was the animation. I liked the style a lot, the ideas the anime's authors put into it and all the creatures, whether real or just made of paper, were literally thrilling. The action passages were dynamic and visually very good and I enjoyed the movie very much. I must also praise the nice end credits and especially the passage that showed us a little bit about how the movie was actually made. Kubo and the Two Strings (or "and the enchanted sword," as the Czech movie distributors called it, although the Sword Unbreakable does not really play an extremely prominent role in the end) is simply a very interesting and original fantasy movie that has a great atmosphere and is very moving. 8.5/10.
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Kubo and the Two Strings offers unorthodox animation, a fairly consistent and original story and quite a few quirky characters. It is definitely not a fairy tale for the youngest viewers, which is not a bad thing, I really liked the rather gloomy touch. In fact, the very idea of relatives lusting after a little boy's eye isn't exactly the best for children. Of the characters, I was most impressed by the wacky Monkey, the goofy Beetle and the duo of bloodthirsty aunts. I also liked the unconventional ending for a film of this genre.
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A family animation flick with only one really funny character and a story hastily put together in the manner of children's mythological tales. What can't be denied, besides the excellent voice acting, is the absolutely amazing animation, the impressive play with the environment and the flawless interaction between the characters in the middle part of the story, which is royally entertaining thanks to the irresistibly wisecracking Beetle. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see anything particularly original and the routine ending degrades an otherwise at least relaxing and visually inventive spectacle a notch lower in my eyes. 65%
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First of all, a beautiful looking animated film, far better that non few computer-generated ones; secondly, a rather unconventional story in a rather unconventional presentation. I was fascinated and very entertained by the melancholic mood, and the gradually unfolding story as well. It’s for adults rather than kids, but a fairytale nonetheless. Not just his two strings, all of Kubo is magical.
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Photo © Focus Features
![Kubo and the Two Strings - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/466/160466588_223977.jpg)
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