Review – Kubo and the Two Strings

I am claiming 2016 The Year of Animation.  So many animated movies have been released and most of them have been very, very good.  Finding Dory and Sausage Party led the way in terms of quality, but both may have just been jumped by Kubo and the Two Strings.  This is an imaginative, heartwarming, exciting film that features some of the best animation I have ever seen on screen.

Kubo and the Two Strings follows our cycloptic hero Kubo (Art Parkinson) as he goes on an adventure to recover an ancient suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful sprit from the past.

Laika, the studio that brought us Kubo, has given us outstanding animation for almost a decade now, starting with Coraline (2008) and following it up with ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014) and Kubo.  Kubo is their best effort to date.  The animation is awe-inspiring.  The bright colors, stunning scenery, and jaw-dropping imagery jump off the screen.  The movie looks so smooth and seamless, you can barely tell this is a stop-motion film, especially during the fight scenes, which are as good as any action movie today.  We also get a very catchy, Asian cinema-influenced score that gives each scene a new personality.

The movie also brings in a number of genres to tell its story.  It’s a revenge flick, family drama, samurai journey, and coming-of-age all rolled into one glorious ball of greatness.  This movie has so many layers to it, that it elevates the film from just an average kids movie.  It has so much heart and emotion, while also being really, really funny and consistently entertaining.

The voice-work in the movie is excellent too.  Parkinson is perfect for Kubo.  Charlize Theron lends her voice as the protective, yet snarky Monkey, and Matthew McConaughey is hilarious as the dimwitted, forgetful Beetle.  He has some of the best lines in the whole movie.

I absolutely loved Kubo and the Two Strings.  It is a thrilling, fun, entertaining film, with jaw-dropping animation and an inventive story.  This is not only one of the best animated movies of the year, but one of the very best movies of 2016.

MY RATING – 4/4

Did you see Kubo and the Two Strings?  What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix and LIKE Kevflix on Facebook!