World Cinema: Kubo and The Two Strings (2016)

Kubo and The Two Strings directed by Travis Knight is an American stop motion animation which tells the story of Kubo's adventure to defeat his grandfather, who had taken one of his eyes at birth after his mother had 'betrayed' her family by falling in love with Hanzo and having Kubo. As Kubo is separated from his mother he embarks of his journey with two companions to help him understand his own powers and to defeat his grandfather.

Kubo and The Two Strings is created in a way that requires great attention to detail and focus in order to get the scenes within the film flowing smoothly and without hiccups. Stop motion creates a unique feeling to this animation and gives the film an overall authentic and rustic feel. Kubo uses modern techniques such as 3D printing in order to create the models used, and when piecing the animation together finally CGI is used in order to complete the finished outcome. A lot of detail was placed in this animation and it is noticed well throughout the entire running of the film.

We follow Kubo as he tries to complete the armour needed against his grandfather, the armour his father never succeeded to piece together. We watch as Kubo races to complete this against his two aunts, who are determined to stop and catch Kubo from achieving his goal. We soon find out towards the end of the film that Kubo's two companions are both his mother and father, both were also unaware of each other until moments before their deaths.

Laika, by combining the modern technology with old stop motion techniques, created a visually appealing film - colourful and bold. The use of modern technology allows the creators to make a film which is made with such detail and along with the digital animation it allows the film makers to piece together a beautifully pleasing animation when it comes to the finishing touches. It is clear to say that Kubo and The Two Strings was a success in the animation and film world as it attracted a wide audience from elder generations and not just young children due to its appearance and touching storyline. 

Illustration List

Figure 1: Kubo and The Two Strings, Cinematic poster - http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/reviews/758725-kubo-and-the-two-strings-review#/slide/1

Figure 2: Kubo film still - https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/12/12450744/kubo-and-the-two-strings-movie-review

Figure 3: Kubo film still -  https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/12/12450744/kubo-and-the-two-strings-movie-review