Kubo and the Two Strings [Movie Review]

[@DaemonCorps]

Kubo straightup made me cry during one of the last scenes. Reminded me of a more thematically consistent Jame and the Giant Peach. ...and yes, Leo needs to get over himself and do a comedy.

[@stefanowohsdioghasdhisdg4806]

I saw trailers for this, and I was like, "Wow, this looks interesting and cool! The art style is awesome! Too bad it will most likely suck." I'm glad to hear that it's a good movie, and I will go and watch it soon.

[@LewToons]

Great review as always - It's fantastic that you and I can have such differing opinions on this! Makes me recall that movies can still be Polarizing, which is great!

[@belatedmedia]

What's also great is for you not screaming a string of expletives at me for having a different opinion. Maybe we CAN all exist on the Internet together! (Is then buried alive in memes.)

[@Divinemartyr]

+Belated Media Lol. I have no idea about this movie. But seeing civility on KZbin is like a dove landing on your hand during a storm. Not impossible, but when it happens it should be seen as a sign.

[@redsoxfan3418]

Just got back from seeing this! What a freaking experience that was. Really the sort of thing that reminds you why you dig movies so much. It's been a disappointing summer/year to this point, this was some fresh air

[@JamesTelloReviews]

I forgot this channel existed until now.

[@davidandrade2279]

Same

[@MegaNarwhalGuy]

Kubo feels like the most visually ambitious film from Laika, and DANG DID IT DELIVER. It's probably tied with Coraline as my favorite film from them.

[@Rhoxmaster316]

So happy to see you giving some attention to this absolute gem of a movie. Such a shame to see it flopping so catastrophically. I felt myself being tugged in the skeptical direction as the fim sort of haphazardly threw its main characters together, but as their journey takes them deeper into the significance of who they are, you cant help but feel something really special. Its been a good long while since I saw a film that brought a genuine tear of joy to my eye. It was a beautiful movie!! EDIT: Also! So happy to see you doing a classic review again! Keep em coming buddy! Your critical eye is much missed and greatly appreciated. DOUBLE EDIT: I was just thinking and it occurred to me that Leo really showed his physical comedy chops in Wolf of Wallstreet!

[@toodlesX14]

Kubo was absolutely stunning. It was beautiful ( easily the most beautiful stop-motion I've ever seen), the story was rich and tragic, I was fighting back tears a *lot* of this movie, in the best way. The voice actors are all top-notch, the music is delightful, I just can't praise this movie enough.

[@VMG3001]

Best animated movie of the year?

[@toodlesX14]

In my opinion, absolutely. Zootopia is great as well but I could argue Kubo being the best movie I've seen this year, animated or not.

[@VMG3001]

toodlesXIV i really liked kung fu panda 3 finding dory was fine zootopia was great haven't seen secret life of pets and def will se kubo and the two strings

[@toodlesX14]

I actually just watched Kung Fu Panda 3 today lol, it was really good, better than I expected (and I love that series).

[@VMG3001]

toodlesXIV same JK Simmons was a great villian no surprise there lol

[@Engineer_Who]

I couldn't agree with you more, Mike. _Kubo_ was the best movie I saw in theaters for a long time. Side Note: If you really were folding origami like Kubo, you'd do it with one eye closed.

[@horizon92lee]

Couldn't agree more, a marvel to behold and such a sweet film

[@WilliamTheWatchful]

"I married a beatle?" Was that a Yoko Ono reference?

[@REDDAWNproject]

well there is a pretty great george harrison cover

[@BDSMaestro]

spoiler warning

[@REDDAWNproject]

Is that really a spoiler though? I mean they dont know what song, or when it happens.

[@SharkandMinno]

I think he was talking about the OP

[@PsychedelicScrafty]

Yea more Belated Media

[@etwothec]

This movie is beautiful visually and story, did not expect it to be one of the best things I've seen this year... its low numbers at the box office feels criminal to me considering the garbage I've already paid money for this summer.

[@roguechevelle]

i've missed your reviews alot, i'm sure your a very busy person so it's really nice you were able to do this video. i loved your disney villian countdown and your dark knight rises review was hilarious. I loved the movie paranorman so i definately want to check this movie out now.

[@shreekharr3940]

After laying dormant for thousands of days, which is this movie that has awakens this channel!

[@Jebbtube]

What if Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was good? Like, really good?

[@chemistryguy]

Yeah. He's avoided it long enough. It's Indy time.

[@javierpizarro9852]

Crystal Skull has components that really work so I think if he took it on I don't think it would need a ridiculous overhaul like he did on the prequels.

[@chemistryguy]

+Javier Pizarro Needs more Jar Jar

[@Jebbtube]

chemistryguy Get out =P

[@rhys_parsons3292]

Could you do what if Indiana Jones 4 was good as it is a Lucas production that failed on a high proportion

[@spast984]

You got me very interested in the movie aaand then I looked it up and realised that it's only gonna come out in October in my country. Oh boy. Guess I'll just have to wait for it. Either way, a great review, and I'm looking forward to watching it in the future.

[@ShadowMadeKiller]

I have to say it was probably my favorite of their films, which is awesome considering the surpassed Caroline, which was one of my favorite films of all time.

[@graemebloodworth8991]

Loved this movie. So so so good. Wonderfully creative, and if absolutely nothing else it is a spectacle to behold.

[@jamescole4317]

I need to see this. I was waiting for someone to review this... Looks great! Also... OBITUARY IS AWESOME :D I love it I love it I love it! 10/10

[@belatedmedia]

Yes, see it, and thanks for the Obituary love! We're so happy that we weren't delusional in working so hard on it.

[@flyfallnite]

could you please do a "what if suicide squad was good?"

[@DonnieTheKing]

YES to Don Bluth. Everyone keeps comparing them to Pixar, which kept ringing hollow for me in a way I couldn't articulate. This is perfect.

[@ethanbeales6858]

belated media congratulations on 200,000 subs you really deserved it well done

[@171QA]

I agree, it's become my favorite from Laika so far.

[@RolandMcGruner]

let's all go out and watch Kubo to support this kind of movie - it's already got the momentum!

[@redsands1001]

I went in the 3rd week and was glad to see a couple dozen folks. I'll probably get a dvd/blueray for the making of.

[@CaptPonyholder]

Coraline is a creepy wonderful movie, I also enjoyed paranorman but not nearly as much as Coraline. Boxtrolls I skipped as it didn't look all that great. I may have to pick up Kubo once it releases on Bluray. So, will there be another episode of Obituary? I loved the pilot and would love to see more.

[@belatedmedia]

We're working to make more, though it'll be a while.

[@tdfshoutcasts]

I'd actually recommend seeing it in theaters. The cinematography deserves a huge screen.

[@CaptPonyholder]

@Belated Media That is awesome! I can't wait to see it, even if it takes a while. @TDF SumoSanta Sadly I live in a rather miserable part of an already miserable state (South Dakota) and I don't have a theater near me to view the movie, unless I somehow get a car and drive an hour to Sioux Falls, so most of the movies I watch have to be months after release :(

[@MariaVosa]

Loved the origami video at the end - don't miss it! XD

[@connorhalleck2895]

I agreed with everything you said EXCEPT the heartstrings bit. Somehow, I wasn't too emotionally invested in these characters. If anybody has thoughts on why this might be, I'd love to hear them. I can't figure it out myself, especially since I liked everything else so much.

[@Jess-nz7be]

Connor Halleck Kubo was a carer for his mother, felt incomplete as a result of this and him not knowing his father which is why he yearned for adventure like in the stories he was told, tried tovresolve this by talking to his father,endangering himself by staying out late,believing he lost the only family member he had left finally gained a whole family, found out the monkey n beetle guy were his family only to have them taken from him left alone to face his foe the moon king, sounds traumatic n pulls at my heart strings for sure

[@IvanFloresArt]

i love making stop making and laika is amazig at it, but the also tell great stories. coraline is still my favorite and i can't wait to see their future films

[@georgiemac1784]

Yay a review video 😊 love this channel!!!

[@rhythmrainbow]

I love their work so much I didn't care about the story. So much eye candy.

[@TheGreatSteve]

I'd like to see Leo being pulled into an industrial shredder.

[@parkourcabinets]

I enjoyed the visuals throughout the film like you said. I had many of the same points. But to me the movie felt very directionless. It felt that the writer tried to have several plot twists (3 that I can remember) that just didn't work, and several of the characters, notably Beetle and Kubo, tried to have witty humor that didn't pan out as well as it could have. Overall I'd have to say that it did well for its target audience, but might not be enjoyable for some older audiences.

[@ryanmalarik4398]

I know this is 6 years old but how was this directonless? And how did the 2 plot twists not work; it's not like they were fully unexpected but they served the story in full and are a key component as to why it's unique since this trio is a mother father and son fighting along side eachother without knowing. How did that not work? It'd be more random otherwise

[@C4DNerd]

My two friends and I went to see it opening night and was disappointed to see that besides us, there were only three other people in the theater. I really hope that's not an indication of how successful this movie turned out.

[@Dekunutcase]

Hopefully people will realize the gem that it is and start seeing it once they realize it's good. I'll admit that there's one part that I felt was not well paced, but overall, very well told story.

[@benvoliothefirst]

Totally unrelated, but you've GOTTA do a "What if Ghostbusters 2016 Were Good," Michael! Help us, you're our only hope!

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

Are you going to make more What if ______ was good? videos?

[@sherylws]

can you make what is spiderman 3 (2007) were good

[@jacopobon3682]

nice video. do WHAT IF STAR WARS EPISODE IV,V, VI WERE GOOD Belated Media? for curiosity

[@Rannic334]

This is the first I've heard of this movie. Ill have to check it out.

[@dr.raymondstantzph.d.2293]

Hey! What are you trying to pull here!? This review is nowhere near belated! You take this down this instant and repost it in 6 months or so as it should be!

[@belatedmedia]

I'M A WILD MAN BREAKING ALL THE RULES!!!

[@ethanbradberry4588]

You caаn't find this moviе with bеttеer qualitу than hеrе => twitter.com/79dd9a4265e5a22a9/status/781150279328731136 Kubo аnd the Тwo Strings Мovie Review Belaаaаted Media

[@mustafaengin8817]

This mоvie is nоw availаblе to wаtch hеreeeе => twitter.com/e868819cba81c6f5c/status/791861934400286720 Кubо and thе Twо Strings Mоviе Rеviеw Bеlatеd Меdiа

[@trainfan-ks5hk]

Belated Media Someone stop him he is to erratic and powerful

[@RandEinfeldt]

I felt it was a PG version of The Force Awakens! Think about it, Kubo= Kylo(sounds similar), Hanzo= Han Solo(again sounds similar), Sariatu= Leia, The Moon King= Darth Vader(I mean c'mon "Moon King"... a Death Star. The Death Star is known for being a round spaceship and "[not] a moon"! it's evident!

[@Scrimbus_Ross]

I can't wait to see it!

[@AjBloodStreamX]

Belated Media When is Obiteriy Ep 2 coming out?

[@so_bland]

Color balance your footage. You're so green!

[@belatedmedia]

I bathe in plutonium.

[@ConnorNotyerbidness]

+Belated Media I KNEW IT. Now the question is this: cool super powers, cancer, or just end up just glowing like that weird kid from Sky High?

[@pitakr]

yes pleeease use some suppression, you can do it with whatever program you're using to key the green screen, it's usually on the keyer effect anyway, shouldn't be too hard

[@samgrala2969]

Good video, but the mic reverb was very noticeable...

[@matt00794]

ok the origami thing at the end is so great even with your terrible lighting

[@sweetmoonpigeon7469]

I guess that's why it's taking so long to make the follow episode of Obituary

[@maxscribner1743]

It's...ALIVE!

[@iiiiitsmagreta1240]

Any spoilers here before I watch? I'm thinking about seeing the movie.

[@rachelkoz1420]

Nah you are good

[@leosorghum6867]

YOU'RE FINALLY BACK!

[@sameoldsatellite]

Only been gone a week, mate.

[@leosorghum6867]

I meant back with a "proper" video

[@sainttan]

Ooohhh... I didn't know that, I love those movies. ^_^

[@rachelkoz1420]

I absolutely loved this movie! The sad thing is that we know Disney will when the Animated picture Oscar :/

[@blakebonecutter]

When

[@rachelkoz1420]

+Blake Bonecutter when was a typo oops

[@agoogleuser5846]

Rachel Kozlowski sad... just why? They work hard and pay good money for the animation and they put a lot of effort into their movies. Zootopia, Moana. These are gold ya know.

[@sinclairstrong9020]

When's a new episode of obituary coming out

[@memoriblewerd]

it would be nice to see more obituary that's why I subbed

[@canary7641]

when is the next obituary coming out?

[@JROtoons]

I loved Kubo.

[@Onodera1980]

The time of the Samurai? That's a very specific time period...

[@GTRichardson7]

my favorite movie of the year.

[@rufolocod]

200K HYPE

[@SaltySparrow]

its sad that movies like this don't do well, but Suicide Squad does.

[@artloveranimation]

More Obituary please?

[@sofialaos82]

My friend Gina works for Laika.

[@Wabajck]

I really enjoyed it. A few parts of the story felt predictable and the action scenes were a little bit of a mess sometimes. I'd still give it like a A- though

[@ryanmalarik4398]

Predictable isn't always bad, I mean the core of them being family started to become obvious especially Beetle being Hanzo but it was still an amazing payoff that it ended up being that way and their sudden deaths at that moment was still shocking. And the action was remarkable (mainly the battles of Monkey vs Aunts) but the action was never messy

[@Charizard100000357]

The only disappointment I had with kubo was the fact that there was no gut punch soundtrack moment for me, but yet again that is very hard to do.

[@ryanmalarik4398]

The entire soundtrack was gutpunch, its honestly one of the best scores I've heard in a while

[@gazhly850]

Maybe add background music while doing a review?

[@mrobertsmt]

Just saw the movie it was amazing

[@Balthazar2242]

Boxtrolls was garbage so hopefully this is great like he says

[@raptorekpl]

Man, despill key and balance greens...

[@experiment0789]

+Belated Media On your What if Star Wars Episode 3 were good video , I asked if you could do a What if THE LAST AIR-BENDER was good video. I don't know about you but I think you still could make a decent movie out of it dispirit the series size and volume. Anyway, if you could possibly reply to me on if you may or may not do this, I would appreciate it.

[@frangelycomagz]

rogue one review BM!!!!

[@ItsDylanHarding]

I somewhat disagree. I adored the visuals and a lot of the mythos of this film, and some of the themes are unique and thought-provoking for the genre, but I felt that the script was seriously lacking in some places. Pacing was very abrupt, with scenes often lacking due transition and flow from one to the other, and some of the dialogue in the third act got fairly repetitive and obnoxious. Also, the three items that Kubo has to collect are completely pointless in the climax, because it's never shown how he couldn't have just gone and gotten the same kind of equipment and used it on the Moon King. On top of all that, the sound design lacked in a few places, giving the world less character than it needed, and the score was incredibly disappointing. Maybe it's because I'm so attached to the glorious Kung-Fu Panda films that I was hoping for something more like that crossed with the score from Avatar (the show, you fool), but it was so not Asian-inspired and really lacking because of that.

[@stevenlast]

coraline was good, but after the disappointment of paranorman, and the ugly, revolting box trolls, i think i'll sit this one out

[@momfart]

Aye my dad works for laika

[@dmmendoza5]

What if The Hobbit was good?

[@WilliamTheWatchful]

*hands over "The Hobbit" novel* Read. *end of video*

[@skulduggerypleasantt]

make more Obituary

[@irishman6414]

I really wouldn't say all of Bluth's films were good. All Dogs was pretty bad, and pretty much everything after 1990 was awful, aside from Titan A.E., which was awesome in premise and okay in execution.

[@belatedmedia]

It's been a while since I've done a review and fell into that ol' habit of making broad generalizations. His more recent pieces haven't been stellar, but I'd say his average is still stronger than many.

[@irishman6414]

***** Haha, no worries. Certainly the ones he's known for are good. When he was able to move out of the shadow of Disney is where it was the most interesting, especially when it went dark; so I agree with the point you made. But yeah, stuff like Anastasia is just painful.

[@Armaghtti]

brilliant

[@saligari6669]

you should do more vids

[@richardwarner4585]

You got a green filter on you. It looks bad.

[@VMG3001]

U watch arrested development???? Where's the review?????

[@gendergoo1312]

While visually stunning, Kubo was just meh from every other perspective. The pacing was odd, the dialog clunky, and the story in general really unconventional (and not in a good way). The way all of it is delivered feels like it's staying too true to the Japanese tale off which its based. Authenticity might seem fine, but storytelling has evolved and film requires certain things of ancient tales. Core messages are fumbled as if they were lost in translation. Certain story beats or customs seem like they're better suited being read from a book of mythology. The end, for example, feels really hamhanded and hard to buy. It's a little hard to explain. Also, say what you will of this criticism, but a complete lack of Japanese voice talent outside of a one-off from Takei (whoop-dee-doo) was really disappointing.

[@Kumahachi8]

+Mario Castaneda I agree with all of that, but I want to add one more thing: I went into this movie expecting to find characters that I could really become attached to. I didn't. Due to the odd pacing and lack of character development, I found that I didn't actually connect with any of the characters. For example, when we found out that [name redacted for the sake of preventing spoilers] was actually his father all along, we were given all of 2 minutes to process that, and then he died. He just died, and I felt absolutely nothing, which is really unusual for me. We just didn't watch his character blossom throughout the movie. In fact, aside from Kubo who changed slightly to become more serious in the last 15 minutes or so, none of the characters really developed throughout the movie, and they were exactly the same characters at the end as they were in the beginning. It was like they were going through the motions of a plot and simply dragging the characters along with it. It was, as you say, visually stunning, but the characters were awfully bland.

[@gendergoo1312]

Indeed. I didn't want to get too in depth into my specifics gripes about the movie, but you bring up a definitely glaring one.

[@Kumahachi8]

Well, there was all that, and then there was the fact that, outside of a little backstory that focused more on Kubo's parents, the main villains weren't developed, either. The Moon King and the two sisters were all vaguely-developed characters who were just sort of there as a vaguely-defined presence instead of something meaningful, especially the Moon King whom we were acquainted with for all of 15 minutes. All of the villains had the same personality and goals, and we never really got to see the Moon King's powers beyond becoming a giant dragon. The Sisters feel like one person as there's no difference between them in terms of characterisation, and the Moon King's goals are rather shaky at best, and how he became human was never really explained. We were just expected to accept it. I, for one, will not. XD

[@gendergoo1312]

That's where I feel like the story is perhaps too close to the mythology without adapting it for modern scrutiny. If you read other cultural mythologies the events in those have that quality too - stuff just happens and for no real reason. It's sort of drilling down to the root of symbolism, in a way. Why does an apple mean knowledge in stories? Well, it was the fruit that Eve eats in the garden. But why was it an apple in the bible? Uh... *shrug*

[@Kumahachi8]

It's not so much, "Why was it an apple?" as opposed to, "Was there something else to the story that wasn't recorded/thought of?" Using the Bible as an example isn't really the best thing to go by, considering the fact that the answer that many, including myself, would give you is that the apple was an apple because God chose an apple tree as the test. Why? It was His decision, and why not? What I'm getting at is that a story should be expanded upon. For example, why does stuff happen for no good reason? Is it because the individual recording it or telling the story didn't understand the magic behind it because they couldn't do it, themselves? How can they rectify that from the point of view of someone who *does* know magic? I don't think that the root of symbolism is the problem. The problem is that they must expand upon a plot point from the point of view of the characters, but at the same time, we'd have to focus on what matters rather than every tiny detail. If one was creating a movie about Adam and Eve, we would focus more on the characters and their feelings, not the 'thrilling' details regarding why God chose an apple tree, if you catch my drift.

[@vulpinedeity3379]

I can make a crane very easily. Would you like me to show you?

[@mjstory1976]

👍

[@queenanacaona8531]

are you high?

[@timothywong7280]

Spoilers!! I fucking hate that Kubo basically brainwashed his grandfather to be a good guy. This victory is not earned, the ideology did not win, it was FORCED onto others, and the act of brainwashing itself is atrocious! To think that the protagonist did that on someone and everything seal clap in response to that!

[@MegaNarwhalGuy]

[SPOILERS] The idea is that his grandfather's infinite story was preventing him from seeing the beauty in a story that has an end. Kubo was forced to erase his story to give him a new start, with the eye that he stole from Kubo literally giving him a new view on the world. I'd say it's definitely better than the alternative of just straight-up killing the guy, instead showing him the beauty of a mortal life.

[@timothywong7280]

Narwhao well okay, from your point of view it makes sense, but I would still want the movie showing that Kubo had no choice and his rationale (not just let you explain it to me long after I watch the movie). Just like Man of Steel, a lot of people had problems with Superman breaking Zod's neck, and had Zack Synder explained the rationale better, or had Superman showed remorse, the scene would had came off better.

[@hart7668]

Rogue One? Kappa

[@mexhonduranmadness2167]

Kubos is my shet

[@highwind81]

You really need better lighting. The green hue reflected on your skin is really really distracting.

[@ds2587]

Almost first.

[@sonicshuffler]

First.

[@wrisst1712]

First