"Kubo and the Two Strings" is a mesmerizing epic tale set in Japan, about a young boy named Kubo (voiced by Game of Thrones' Rickon Stark, Art Parkinson) with a special ability.
It is wondrous, the way Kubo weaves stories for the spellbound audience of his small village and the magic he shows them by playing his three-stringed shamisen. Kubo unaware of the extent of his powers spends his time taking care of his ailing mother who could never fully recover after Kubo's father died years ago in an accident. Kubo also lost one of his eyes in the same accident.
Kubo has no idea whether the mystery associated with the origin of his family is true or not. His mother narrates the stories of his past and insists that he never get caught outside the confines of their tiny house after sunset. Soon he finds himself being pursued by his grandfather, the sinister Moon King, and his malevolent aunts, the Sisters.
In the chase scene in the movie, Kubo's village is destroyed and his mother has a showdown against the Sisters (voiced by Rooney Mara) -- floating warrior witches. After which Kubo embarks on a dangerous quest to defeat the Moon King. The boy's allies are monkey voiced by Charlize Theron (a no-nonsense guardian brought to life by his mother's magic) and Beetle voiced by Matthew McConaughey (a samurai cursed with amnesia and the body of a beetle.)
First time director Travis Knight does a marvelous job of imbibing a sense of warmth and humanity into his characters, Spinoff Online reported.
The voice of Parkinson brings mischief to the character of Kubo, so does Theron's voice with an edged tone. And McConaughey's breezy tone is perfectly fit to play an affable dolt, yet he brings in pangs of pathos as climactic reveals demand.
But it is the villains around whom this film revolves around. Mara's sisters can be disturbing at times with their echoing voices akin to a reverberating nightmare. Likewise, Ralph Fiennes' Moon King spouts little more than hate speech about humanity, giving the character as much depth as Kubo's paper-thin origami creations.
Meanwhile, Japanese performers like George Takei voiced the minor roles such as those of the villagers. Laika has been praised for similar representation in the past. For Director and CEO Knight and also for the studio Liaka, "Kubo and the Two Strings" remains the most ambitious film ever made, Collider reported.
The movie is likely to attain a typical Laika opening, which will be somewhere around the $15 million range, while the gross box office collection is expected to be in the $110 million range, Fortune reported.
Still, the movie is undoubtedly stupendous as it offers a playful and enthralling adventure lush coupled with breathtaking animation. It is a sort of artistic achievement for Laika, which will surely establish it into the vanguard of animation.
"Kubo and the Two Strings" opened on Aug. 19, Friday.