★★★★★ 5/5

Laika, the same studio that created “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” and “Boxtrolls,” has really outdone themselves this time. Ladies and gentlemen. Gird your loins. If you enjoy fantasy or mythology, atmospheric art and beautiful animation, heroes’ journeys and coming of age, then “Kubo and the Two Strings” is the movie for you. This movie is a story of love and family and loss, of courage, of adventure, of the struggle between divinity and mortality — and its resolution really hammers home its surprisingly simple yet touching theme.

    This story deserves to be heard exactly as it is told; I find myself unwilling to divulge any details of the plot for fear of ruining the movie’s set-up to the story. Therefore, read no further if you wish to avoid spoilers or enjoy the story as it is presented.

    The movie follows a young boy named Kubo, who makes a living by telling stories in the village so he can take care of his mentally ill mother. His life is quiet and peaceful — until he makes a mistake, and his mother’s family finally catches up with him. Now on the run, Kubo has no choice but to search for the only thing in the world that can keep him safe: his dead father’s magic suit of armor. Joining him on his journey are Monkey, a magical guardian determined to keep him safe, and Beetle, a cursed samurai with mysterious connections to Kubo’s father.

    Taking place in ancient mythical Japan, this movie is worth watching for the stunning visuals all on their own. Laika pushes the limits of stop-motion animation with grand images and sprawling landscapes; in fact, the animation is so smooth it could be mistaken for CGI or 3D animation. Seeing the backgrounds and smooth fight choreography is all the more impressive when you keep in mind that all of it is done in stop-motion.

    I do have some complaints about the movie. For example, in some places, the story’s pacing lags, and the exact goal of their journey is sometimes muddy or unclear. I also believe that the background romance was unnecessary; while it ultimately made some amount of sense in the context of the plot, it still seemed strange and forced at the time — an uncomfortable choice made by the writers of the script. More than that, the soundtrack during Kubo’s final fight was out of place — too many brass instruments, too much of an attempt at a rousing and triumphant moment when it didn’t fit the mood. It should have been grand, of course, but not triumphant: something sad, and determined, and raw, and maybe even a bit cruel. This would have made the ending far more poignant.

    Still, “Kubo and the Two Strings” is absolutely worth watching, and deserves far more attention than it has gotten.