It
was hard being a troubadour in Edo-era Japan. Remember the blind biwa player in
Kwaidan? Life ought to be easier for
Kubo. At least he still has one good eye (and he plays the shamisen). However,
his mean old immortal grandfather and his two wicked aunts have their sights
set on that remaining peeper (and his soul to go with it). When his faltering
mother can longer protect him, Kubo must set of on an archetypal fantasy quest
in Travis Knight’s Kubo and the Two Strings
(trailer
here),
which continues screening this afternoon and tomorrow at the Museum of the
Moving Image.
Kubo
grew up believing his father was Hanzo, a heroic fallen samurai, but it is hard
to say how much stock he should put in what his mother Sariatu says. She
somehow saved him from the roiling seas during the prologue, but the head
injury she sustained apparently caused progressive damage. Nevertheless, Kubo
takes care of her as best he can with the proceeds of his storytelling
performances. Unfortunately, it turns out everything Sariatu said was true, as
Kubo finds out when he is finally caught outside after dark.
When
her father the Moon King finally detects Kubo’s presence, Sariatu uses the last
of her magic to whisk Kubo away and animate his snow monkey charm to serve as
his protector. To face his grandfather, Kubo will have to recover an enchanted
sword and the matching breastplate and helmet. Fortunately, he will have the
help of “Little Hanzo,” an origami samurai apparently invested with the
vestiges of Hanzo’s spirit, through Kubo’s own magic. Along the way, they will
recruit the help of “Beetle,” one of Hanzo’s comrades-in-arms, who was
magically transformed into an amnesiac insectoid warrior, but remains quite
handy with a bow and arrow.
Kubo is easily the best
film from the Laika animation studio yet, representing a quantum leap
improvement over The Boxtrolls.
Technically, their work has always been accomplished, but the story and
characterization of Strings are
considerably richer and weightier. Some will say the “twists” are too obvious,
but they are not meant to be surprises, but rather to deepen the sense of
tragic fate.
Even
though Kubo plays the shamisen, it is impossible not to hear echoes of Kwaiden and scores of other Japanese
myths and legends in Strings. Yet,
the structure is as comfortable as a lived-in sweater for fans of Tolkienesque fantasy.
The voice-over performances are all first-rate, with Charlize Theron really
surprising with “Monkey’s” feistiness. It might be slightly problematic for
some that Asian voice talent was only cast in supporting roles, including
George Takei and Minae Noji (a General
Hospital alumnus) vocally portraying villager Hosato and his namesake daughter
Minae, but big names like Theron and Matthew McConaughey really help sell and
book commercial animated properties (and one could argue anime dubs offer
plenty of precedent).
