Kubo and the Two Strings

Name: Kubo and the Two Strings
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family
Released: August 19, 2016
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 84
Cast: Art Parkinson, Brenda Vaccaro, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Charlize Theron, George Takei

2016

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 38 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 498 Ratings

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8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 498 Ratings

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Kubo And The Two Strings

Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: August 19, 2016

Starring: Art Parkinson, Brenda Vaccaro, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Charlize Theron, George Takei, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara

Summary: Clever, kindhearted Kubo ekes out a humble living, telling fantastical stories to the people of his seaside town. But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a mythical spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey andClever, kindhearted Kubo ekes out a humble living, telling fantastical stories to the people of his seaside town. But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a mythical spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey and Beetle and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King and the evil twin Sisters, to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and claim his heroic destiny.… Expand

Director: Travis Knight

Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 101 min

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Awards & Rankings

30	#30 Best Movie of 2016
31	#31 Most Discussed Movie of 2016
54	#54 Most Shared Movie of 2016

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Total Film - Jordan Farley

Jan 21, 2017

Visually astonishing and touchingly told, Kubo is utterly wonderful. Read full review

100

Washington Post - Michael O'Sullivan

Aug 18, 2016

"Kubo" is both extraordinarily original and extraordinarily complex. Read full review

Consequence of Sound - Dominick Suzanne-Mayer

Aug 25, 2016

A simple story told well can still be effective if the emotional resonance underneath it comes through. In Kubo, it absolutely does, thanks to the uniformly excellent voice performances. Read full review

Boston Globe - Ty Burr

Aug 18, 2016

The movie is genuinely creative, genuinely outside-the-box, and often genuinely scary; parents of toddlers and nightmare-prone children are herewith warned. Read full review

TheWrap - Sam Adams

Aug 14, 2016

It’s not a flawless movie, but there’s real magic in it, and that’s more important, and no less rare, than perfection. Read full review

Empire - Jonathan Pile

Aug 14, 2016

It’s a beautifully animated tale (keep your eyes on the way Kubo’s hair moves) that balances story with comedy and moments of effective (if light) horror. Read full review

The Guardian - Jordan Hoffman

Aug 12, 2016

Little kids will be bored, as there are only a few scenes with any action, and of those, only one, featuring an enormous skeleton with swords sticking out of its skull, has any oomph. Read full review

SEE ALL 38 REVIEWS

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User Reviews

TheShrike222

Jan 14, 2017

It seems that many of the best movies I've seen this year are ones that are quietly waiting to be discovered, not the mainstream fare. After watching Kubo, I sat stunned through the credits and spent two days analyzing every last detail of the picture. It was delicate, sublime, sad,It seems that many of the best movies I've seen this year are ones that are quietly waiting to be discovered, not the mainstream fare. After watching Kubo, I sat stunned through the credits and spent two days analyzing every last detail of the picture. It was delicate, sublime, sad, triumphant, exciting.... put in another 200 adjectives and that should cover it. It was also mind blowing to realize how much exacting work went into a stop-motion movie with quite a lot of action. I could watch this again forever. That's my favorite type of movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Selenic

Aug 30, 2016

An incredible picture that boasts both a beautiful and mature story as well as the gorgeous artwork that you'd expect from Laika, Kubo and the Two Strings is not only Laika's best work but simply one of the best films of the year. Don't allow yourself to go into the movie thinking it's justAn incredible picture that boasts both a beautiful and mature story as well as the gorgeous artwork that you'd expect from Laika, Kubo and the Two Strings is not only Laika's best work but simply one of the best films of the year. Don't allow yourself to go into the movie thinking it's just another animated children's movie - because it isn't, it is so much more and it's simply an adventure that you need to experience for yourselves.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

VictorCruz

Aug 19, 2016

After a summer of disappointing sequels and blockbusters, we finally got an outstanding original story. Kubo and The Two Strings is the best animated film of the year and one of the best films of 2016. It has a compelling story, stunning visuals, remarkable animation, and great voice acting,After a summer of disappointing sequels and blockbusters, we finally got an outstanding original story. Kubo and The Two Strings is the best animated film of the year and one of the best films of 2016. It has a compelling story, stunning visuals, remarkable animation, and great voice acting, especially by Charlize Theron.… Expand

18 of 36 users found this helpful1818

CineAutoctono

Dec 22, 2016

"Kubo and the Two Strings" was an exciting and touching story of adventure in which Laika Animation, stood out a lot in this film, I enter in the film, in its characters, and of history in general, is one of the Best animated films of the year.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

GoombaJMR

Aug 31, 2016

Really good animated movie here! The start is pretty slow and repetitive but once (like others have said) the talking monkey comes in, the flow of the plot smoothens and the plot itself thickens some more. The 'boss battles' seen in the movie are pretty intense and are great to watch.Really good animated movie here! The start is pretty slow and repetitive but once (like others have said) the talking monkey comes in, the flow of the plot smoothens and the plot itself thickens some more. The 'boss battles' seen in the movie are pretty intense and are great to watch.

There are a number of good scenes where we see character development for all main characters and it's really refreshing and enjoyable. There are a few plot twists that happen towards the middle to the end of the movie, and while some are kind of predictable, others will throw you nearly off your seat (I bet!). Check out this movie if you like animated movies, beautiful pieces of art, JRPGs (my main initial reason), or samurai and cool things related to Japanese culture.

One thing I noticed was that while the animation was beautiful, I kept noticing a twitching glitch of sorts that made the face of all animated/speaking characters jump a tiny bit (but insistently). It was extremely weird and maybe even a little irritating as it was there for a good majority of the beginning of the movie (felt like stop motion in a way though), but I got used to the twitching by the midpoint so it was alright.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Steelthoughts

Aug 20, 2016

This film was basically exactly what I expected it to be. I wanted to see it because I am a fan of Japanese RPG video games, and I wasn't disappointed. However, most others may be disappointed since the story was rushed, the backstory wasn't explained well enough, and the brief moments ofThis film was basically exactly what I expected it to be. I wanted to see it because I am a fan of Japanese RPG video games, and I wasn't disappointed. However, most others may be disappointed since the story was rushed, the backstory wasn't explained well enough, and the brief moments of humor in the film didn't have enough silence in between to allow the audience to laugh. In other words, if there is a different film that is child-appropriate to take children to this weekend, that film is probably a better choice.… Expand

2 of 17 users found this helpful215

HealingToolbox1

Nov 21, 2016

Most original, inventive and deep movie I have seen in 2016. Hardly a derivative bone in its body. A boy learns how to resource and make use of his inner parents, a benefit which will stay with him for the rest of his life. A spiritual movie in the same sense as the 1978 Star Wars. TheMost original, inventive and deep movie I have seen in 2016. Hardly a derivative bone in its body. A boy learns how to resource and make use of his inner parents, a benefit which will stay with him for the rest of his life. A spiritual movie in the same sense as the 1978 Star Wars. The Force is used but not talked about much. Very unusual for adventure stories, the chief villain is not killed at the end. One of the themes is memory. At the end the villain is reformed by giving him new memories by an entire village working together. I'm a VFX and stop=motion nerd and even I cannot fathom this convergence of stop-motion and CGI animation. The facial animation rivals anything we have seen in 2016 from the major effects vendors. Several astonishing character flourishes and responses are attempted--and pulled off. Really remarkable for any animation let alone stop-motion. By far the strongest Laika movie yet, a wonderful convergence of script, voice case, animators and spirit.… Expand

1 of 17 users found this helpful116

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