While the rest of Team Playlist ranked “Kubo And The Two Strings” fairly high on our 40 Most Anticipated Movies Of Summer 2016, I’ve been a bit more cool toward the upcoming animated film from Laika. That being said, I tend to keep a distance from animated fare, particularly when buzz is involved as I’m wary of overcooked hype. But lately — particularly with “The Lego Movie” and “Zootopia” — the praise wound up being well-earned, and if that turns out to be true with ‘Kubo,’ then I’ll be ready to eat my hat.
READ MORE: The 50 Best Animated Films Of The 21st Century So Far
Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Charlize Theron, and Ralph Fiennes lend their voices to this adventure story set an ancient Japan, and involving supernatural spirits. Here’s the synopsis:
Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thrones”) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a 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 (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), 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 (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara), to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family, and fulfill his heroic destiny.
“Kubo And The Two Strings” opens on August 19th.
