A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.
Director:
Travis Knight
Writers:
Marc Haimes (screenplay), Chris Butler (screenplay)
Storyline
Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.
User Reviews
a plethora of imagination, invention, and a fusion of visual storytelling and myth
You know what I love in Kubo and the Two Strings (among several other things)? It doesn't go out of its way to explain its magic. It simply IS. Oh, sure, there's a talking monkey that saves the lead character Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson, the monkey by Charlize Theron), and there's an explanation briefly (and then a later one, which I won't reveal at all), but it doesn't matter any more than how Kubo can use his guitar strings to make his origami turn into sword-wielding samurai, or how the former bodyguard named Beetle comes to be (Matthew McConaughey going back into his 'McConnaissance' mode as being a truly great performance expanding what we thought he's capable of a semi-comic sidekick).
The filmmakers let the characters explain when they need to, yet when they do it's done in the form of storytelling - at one point when Monkey is finally pressed by Kubo (and Beetle too) to say what is going on with his otherworldly grandfather and his Aunt who is out to, well, kill him and what Monkey has to do with it, she can only tell it as Kubo plays his guitar and the papers for his origami go into the air to show as she tells. This is a film that loves storytelling and storytellers, and yet never forgets that this is a full-bodied CINEMATIC experience.
I can't remember the last time I've recently seen so much imagination and visual invention in one fantastical animated film, stop motion or otherwise (not even Finding Dory, which certainly has both humor and some heartfelt moments, got to that this year). The story involves a little boy, who we are introduced to at the start as being saved/protected by his mother as a baby (with an eye cut out, by his grandfather), that is at the start making money by performing with his flying/magic origami in a village while tending to his mother who seems to be suffering from amnesia (as an aside, I knew I would love this movie about five minutes in when the filmmakers show us what this dynamic between son and mother is as the latter stares off into space with a haunted, sad look as the son tries his best to care for her, all without words, a perfect moment that I'd never expect to see in a kid's film in a multiplex kind of environment).
But Kubo can't be out after dark, the evil sister of his Mother - with a black hat and white mask that makes her creepy past Burton-type standards - attacks, and Kubo is sent away and is knocked out. When he awakes Monkey is there and, soon after on this quest to find items that will help him face his evil Aunt and grandfather, the Beetle guard, and it becomes a hero's journey story. And what a hero and journey! There's a lot of action that the filmmakers pack into this movie - it is a Japanese fantasy-inspired film, so there may be some violent imagery that may scare the wee ones like under four of five, but most kids should be able to take it and, if I remember how I was at that age, love it - and it involves things like a giant skeleton monster that comes to life with swords stuck in its skull (and the three characters have to find which one is their unbreakable one), and, my favorite weird and wonderful creation, a group of underwater eyeballs that, when one looks too long at them, puts the person in a trance leading down to a... well, don't want to give it away.
The voice-work is a delight which, as I said, McConaughey really digs into being a character who is the faithful protector though has some 'off' memory problems at times and a looser way of looking at protecting a child than Monkey (Theron plays the strict motherly figure as good as she's played any role, including Monster or Furiosa), and it becomes this story that's as much about family than it is about revenge or other petty things. You do have to pay attention, this isn't a movie that you can throw on for your kids and they can act crazy or get distracted: it asks that you watch it and take in a story that at its core isn't too far removed from Joseph Campbell, but does so many twists that it becomes its own original entity.
Kubo and the Two Strings gives you all that you could want in a family animated movie, but more than that is a splendid, heart-rending fantasy epic in under 100 minutes. It brings me back to when I first saw something like The Dark Crystal and was amazed at what creators can do when they embrace really creating a WORLD that their characters can inhabit - not to mention keeping any humor to the situations or behavior, nothing that dates it at all. I can't recommend it enough.
Trailer
The special bond that develops between plus-sized
inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a
group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Directors:
Don Hall, Chris Williams
Writers:
Jordan Roberts (screenplay), Robert L. Baird (screenplay)
Stars:
Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung
When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults
Hiro into the midst of danger, he turns to Baymax and his close friends
adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey
Lemon and fanboy Fred. Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro
transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called "Big Hero
6." Written by
Walt Disney Animation Studios
User Reviews
Everyone needs a little Baymax in their lives
Big Hero 6 [2014] is
the Disney 3-D animated comedy action film that centers on Hiro Hamada, a
14-year old robotics prodigy, Baymax (an inflatable health companion
robot) and an unlikely team of superheros.
5/5 graphics. Big
Hero 6 transports viewers into a new visual realm and relatively
individual style (besides its anime resemblance). The story is set in
the futuristic city of 'San Fransokyo'. A little of Tokyo and San
Francisco in one place. This explains the amalgamation of both Japanese
and American components within the story and setting. It should be noted
that Big Hero 6 is not a wholly original idea, and the animation is
inspired by the Marvel comic by the very same name.
Baymax.
Voiced by Scott Adsit, this lovable robot is animated to appear soft,
cuddly and adorable, credit goes to the graphics and writing team on
this one. Hiro's close friendship with Baymax is a highlight. Baymax can
hold his own on the screen alone too, just strolling through the city
streets, caring for others health and well-being. So yeah, he's cute and
he knows it.
Expect to have a couple of teary moments. I won't
describe or skim through details, out of utmost respect for those who
haven't had a chance to see it yet. Since more serious topics aren't the
usual in children targeted animation films, it's a nice change of pace.
Fantastic message for the young'uns. The main character Hiro
(voiced by Ryan Potter) and the rest of the superheros team study
robotics at the local university (including T.J. Miller from Silicon
Valley and Damon Wayans Jr from New Girl). Reach your potential,
practice non-violence and exercise sacrifice. That's just the tip of the
iceberg. There are more spoiler-worthy ones that will be omitted from
this review entirely. By the way, it's not 'preachy' in the slightest.
Trailer
Manny, Diego, and Sid join up with Buck to fend off a meteor strike that would destroy the world.
Directors:
Mike Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu
Writers:
Michael J. Wilson (screenplay), Michael Berg (screenplay)
Storyline
Scrat's epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of
Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that
transform and threaten the planet. To save themselves from peril, Manny,
Sid, Diego, and the rest of the herd leave their home and embark on a
quest full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, laughter and adventure
while traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful
new characters.
Trailer
As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness.
Director: Sam Liu
Storyline
As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness.
Did You Know?
Trivia
Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition and The Killing Joke
are two of the R rated DC movies to not only feature Batman but also be
released on home video within a week of one another.
Quotes
The Joker: Finish the Commissioner, take him where he needs to be. And please, do be careful. After all, he is topping the bill.
Soundtracks
I Go Looney
Composed by Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter and Lolita Ritmanis, Performed by
A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.
The filmmakers let the characters explain when they need to, yet when they do it's done in the form of storytelling - at one point when Monkey is finally pressed by Kubo (and Beetle too) to say what is going on with his otherworldly grandfather and his Aunt who is out to, well, kill him and what Monkey has to do with it, she can only tell it as Kubo plays his guitar and the papers for his origami go into the air to show as she tells. This is a film that loves storytelling and storytellers, and yet never forgets that this is a full-bodied CINEMATIC experience.
I can't remember the last time I've recently seen so much imagination and visual invention in one fantastical animated film, stop motion or otherwise (not even Finding Dory, which certainly has both humor and some heartfelt moments, got to that this year). The story involves a little boy, who we are introduced to at the start as being saved/protected by his mother as a baby (with an eye cut out, by his grandfather), that is at the start making money by performing with his flying/magic origami in a village while tending to his mother who seems to be suffering from amnesia (as an aside, I knew I would love this movie about five minutes in when the filmmakers show us what this dynamic between son and mother is as the latter stares off into space with a haunted, sad look as the son tries his best to care for her, all without words, a perfect moment that I'd never expect to see in a kid's film in a multiplex kind of environment).
But Kubo can't be out after dark, the evil sister of his Mother - with a black hat and white mask that makes her creepy past Burton-type standards - attacks, and Kubo is sent away and is knocked out. When he awakes Monkey is there and, soon after on this quest to find items that will help him face his evil Aunt and grandfather, the Beetle guard, and it becomes a hero's journey story. And what a hero and journey! There's a lot of action that the filmmakers pack into this movie - it is a Japanese fantasy-inspired film, so there may be some violent imagery that may scare the wee ones like under four of five, but most kids should be able to take it and, if I remember how I was at that age, love it - and it involves things like a giant skeleton monster that comes to life with swords stuck in its skull (and the three characters have to find which one is their unbreakable one), and, my favorite weird and wonderful creation, a group of underwater eyeballs that, when one looks too long at them, puts the person in a trance leading down to a... well, don't want to give it away.
The voice-work is a delight which, as I said, McConaughey really digs into being a character who is the faithful protector though has some 'off' memory problems at times and a looser way of looking at protecting a child than Monkey (Theron plays the strict motherly figure as good as she's played any role, including Monster or Furiosa), and it becomes this story that's as much about family than it is about revenge or other petty things. You do have to pay attention, this isn't a movie that you can throw on for your kids and they can act crazy or get distracted: it asks that you watch it and take in a story that at its core isn't too far removed from Joseph Campbell, but does so many twists that it becomes its own original entity.
Kubo and the Two Strings gives you all that you could want in a family animated movie, but more than that is a splendid, heart-rending fantasy epic in under 100 minutes. It brings me back to when I first saw something like The Dark Crystal and was amazed at what creators can do when they embrace really creating a WORLD that their characters can inhabit - not to mention keeping any humor to the situations or behavior, nothing that dates it at all. I can't recommend it enough.