Kubo And The Two Strings

The fourth movie from stop motion studio LAIKA and directorial debut from studio CEO Travis Knight is not only one of the best films of 2016, it should go down in cinema history as a work of art, maybe even a masterpiece.

It follows the tale of Kubo (Art Parkinson), a young boy growing up in a fantastical Japan who carves out a meagre living by telling stories to the local townsfolk to support him and his ailing mother. After a cataclysmic event forces him from his home, he sets out on a quest accompanied by the stern and sullen Monkey (Charlize Theron) and the amnesiac samurai Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to track down some magical armour and a sword that will help him defeat the terrible Moon King (Ralph Fiennes).

The animation in this film is staggering, blending stop motion puppetry with CGI backdrops to often jaw dropping effect. I found myself marvelling at the sheer amount of work that must have gone into every shot, the characters are brought to life with such wit and charm that you are truly pulled into a living, breathing and believable world. This is in no small part down to the terrific voice acting, Parkinson is great as the troubled Kubo but it is the relationship between Monkey and Beetle that keeps you in turns enthralled and entertained, with a wonderful chemistry between Theron and McConaughey. The remainder of the small supporting cast are predominantly Japanese-American, helping to give the film a traditional Japanese authenticity, and although this is a movie from an American studio with western actors in the lead roles it is very respectful of, and steeped in, Japanese art and tradition.

Dealing with mature themes of death along with some complex family drama and some fairly scary set pieces, it may be a bit much for the little ones, but it handles these themes so delicately that it can teach older kids important lessons in loss and how to grieve in a healthy manner. I can't actually recall another family film that deals with these themes with such conviction and intelligence.