MOVIE THOUGHTS - 'Kubo And The Two Strings'

Is the voice cast whitewashed? Yes. Is this symptomatic of systemic racism that pervades in most Hollywood casting, animated or otherwise? Definitely. Does this film represent a missed opportunity to give an ensemble cast of Asian actors non-token roles in an American production? No question. But Kubo And The Two Strings is the fourth stop-motion/CG/hand-drawn hybrid extravaganza from the Oregon-based powerhouse studio Laika, and though it falls just a hair short of the likes of Coraline and ParaNorman, it is absolutely worth the price of admission.

In ancient Japan, Kubo is a young samisen player living in hiding with his mother. She shields him from her sisters and father, moon spirits hellbent on blinding Kubo as a means of immortalizing him and converting him to their cold, emotionally-distant lifestyles. When Kubo's aunts track him down, it is a race against time to find his late father's enchanted samurai armor, the only protection he will have against his grandfather, the Moon King. On the way he meets Monkey, a talisman brought to life to protect Kubo, and Beetle, a cursed, insect-like warrior who aids Kubo in his encounters with beasts who guard pieces of the armor...

For better and worse, this is a melancholy tale of familial loss, and even by Laika's standards this a very understated adventure story. The first ten minutes of Kubo patiently set up Kubo's daily routine with his mother and keep the mood mellow. Screenwriter Chris Butler previously generated true empathy for his ostracized young protagonist in ParaNorman, and by the time Kubo is completely stranded and wonders if anyone he knows is even alive, you really do fear for his life.

Yet Butler and co-writer Marc Haimes make some critical missteps and unveil two twists that seriously undercut Kubo's feelings of loss up to those points. The second act feels oddly barren at times, and I wonder if the narrative would have benefited from adding a third ally to Kubo's team. Composer Dario Marianelli previously proved himself capable of fast-paced action on Laika's The Boxtrolls, but considering the variety of off-kilter musical talent brought to Coraline and ParaNorman, I wish the orchestral sound had been abandoned in favor of more squarely Eastern sensibilities.

All of this said, Kubo's joys are too many to count. Kubo can bring pieces of paper to life with his music, and in a film packed with creative fight sequences, the most beguiling of all is the story of his father's quest, visualized entirely with living origami. From start to finish you will pine to drink up the high-value colors, particularly during crowd shots where costume designer Deborah Cook's gorgeous kimonos are on display. Laika is known for finding resourceful ways to make its worlds as lived-in as possible: the 3D-printed faces in Kubo have traditional woodblock-printed textures, and props like swords are specially built to emulate motion blur.

First-time director Travis Knight has the blessed distinction of being both the CEO and a lead animator at Laika: he has the artists' best interests at heart, and has often stated that there will never be a Laika sequel/reboot/remake under his reign. Kubo And The Two Strings is the most arresting animated feature of the year, and by the time the fabulous 2D-animated credits roll, you will be grateful for having something as unique as this to take your kids to see.