BY JOHN CARTER JR
Kubo and the two Strings is a film about the titular, Kubo, character going through great tribulation with his parents on a quest. It has that classic “You’re the hero with trials to overcome” concept (Similar to the tropes found in the Legend of Zelda Franchise and other Nintendo Franchises). Kubo finds a sword, chest piece, and helmet to defeat his own grandfather The Moon King. He does this all while fighting off some witches, a giant skeleton, and losing both of his parents.
This Film is an artistic masterpiece because of its great characters, story, and its beautiful craftsmanship. From the character models to the landscape of the scenes in which the story takes place, the film’s creators create a congenial ambiance. The colors and shapes used in this film create a serious and childlike mood and tone. This is representative of the plot and its character development. The aforementioned traits allow for precise representation of the characters’ personality types and help the film to feel well balanced.
The one big drawback of this film was its pacing was very quick. An example of this is in the first fight against the giant skeleton. Sure the fight had its conflict but it was short lived in that Kubo beats the monster by pulling a sword out of its head and the action from the skeleton. The cost it probably took to make scenes with that monstrous creature in it probably was a contributing factor in it being short lived. The model is massive and deserves praise for having an excellent sculpt.
When you meet The Beetle an alarm goes off in your head that this guy is definitely Kubo’s father. This is due to the obvious aesthetic similarities between Little Hanzo and Beetle. Most of the twists and turns in the film are totally expected but that doesn’t hurt the film in terms of plot. The arch for the Grandfather is an interesting yet short-lived one, there is a lot of build-up to this villain and in the end, he is reduced to a powerless old man. (Ralph Fiennes was a perfect choice for the voice of this role).
All the different creatures and characters really do convey a personality through how they look, which is interesting, because that is not realistic. You can’t truly know someone’s personality based on how they look. On base colors alone you can see this. The Aunts, for example, are tall masked women cloaked in black, I mean look at them they are scary.
(The Character Design is on point, Hats similar to Kung Lao’s from Mortal Kombat or The Witches From American Horror Story Apocalypse )
I give Kubo and the Two Strings a 7/10 for its beautiful design while having noticeable pacing issues.