--- title: "Kubo and the Two Strings" year: 2016 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings" fi1m_score: 83 critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 24 published: "2026-09-17T07:07:09.366223+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T07:07:09.657254+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) Directed by Travis Knight · 1h 42m · MPA PG · Animation, Adventure, Family **Fi1m score: 83** · Critics 86 from 24 reviews *In a sentence:* Folded paper, frightening creatures, and adults who might need more comforting than the children > Travis Knight’s animated adventure is moving, frightening and unusually thoughtful about loss. We recommend it warmly, despite some laboured jokes and a quest that becomes harder to follow than it needs to be. ## Synopsis In ancient Japan, Kubo (Art Parkinson) tells stories through magical origami, giving his tales a cast made from folded paper. A samurai quest takes the boy across seas and landscapes inhabited by strange creatures, with family loss and betrayal complicating his journey. Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) are among the characters he encounters. As Kubo faces the dangers ahead, his storytelling becomes a way of making sense of what his family has left him. Keeping their memories alive is part of the task. ## Review Travis Knight’s *Kubo and the Two Strings* trusts children to sit with sadness for longer than family adventures usually allow. It is a fine film, occasionally muddled in its quest but attentive to the boy at its centre and to the pleasure of making things move. Kubo’s magical origami gives the talk about storytelling something concrete to show us. Paper becomes a cast of performers, with folds and edges that remain worth looking at even when the action grows busy. Cinematographer Frank Passingham makes the seas feel large enough to overwhelm the figures without letting the landscapes become anonymous scenery. There is a useful sense of weight here, even when the animation moves with a fluidity that makes the labour easy to forget. Production designers Nelson Lowry and Daniel R. Casey give the Japanese setting shapes and surfaces that reward attention. The creatures have the strangeness a fantasy adventure needs, and the paper belongs to the same convincing physical world. The movement of Kubo’s hair is a small example of how carefully the animation has been considered. Stop-motion and computer imagery work together without polishing away every trace of the materials. We were moved by the origami storytelling. The paper’s fragility makes the film’s concern with preserving memories feel immediate, and the care given to each figure matters as much as its movement. The animation gives those small objects time to matter. Art Parkinson gives Kubo enough uncertainty to keep him from becoming a small lecturer on the importance of stories. Charlize Theron’s Monkey has the firmness the adventure needs, while Matthew McConaughey gives Beetle a welcome looseness. The contrasting voices keep the companions distinct even when the writing settles for familiar exchanges. Some of the humour feels inserted because a family film is expected to provide a joke at regular intervals. Those moments briefly reduce characters who are more interesting when allowed to take their circumstances seriously. Christopher Murrie’s editing gives the action room to register, so the ingenuity does not disappear into a blur of movement. Dario Marianelli’s score helps the changes from comedy to danger feel like parts of the same adventure, even when the jokes themselves are awkward. At 102 minutes, the film has enough time for both spectacle and quieter feeling. Its slower patches come when the writing insists on explaining what the images have already made clear. Screenwriters Marc Haimes and Chris Butler are less convincing at organising the mythology than at making room for grief. As the quest gathers complications, its rules become harder to follow, and repeated emphasis on the value of stories starts to sound instructive. A little less explanation of the themes would leave more room for the characters. Yet the film allows loss to remain a difficulty that affection cannot simply remove. That gives the adventure a seriousness which survives the untidy plotting. Within family animation, this earns its place through patience and a willingness to frighten without laughing the fear away at once. The PG certificate is worth taking seriously, particularly for children unsettled by strange creatures. Adults may find the insistence on memory and family more affecting than expected. Choose it when a cheerful distraction is not quite what the evening calls for. *Fi1m score 83, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are unanimously positive, with praise clustering around Laika’s stop-motion craft and the film’s treatment of grief, memory and family. Critics repeatedly single out the fluid movement, intricate paper creations and inventive creatures, finding that the blend of puppetry and CGI gives the adventure a convincing physical presence. Most critics also admire its willingness to address loss without patronising younger viewers, and its belief in storytelling as a way of keeping loved ones close. The differences concern how well the writing matches the animation, with enthusiasm ranging from warm approval to wholehearted praise. The AV Club finds the mythology overloaded, while the Los Angeles Times wants clearer narrative logic. Time Out and the Evening Standard both flag awkward humour. The Wrap offers the sharpest reservations about characterisation and the repeated storytelling metaphor, though even this more qualified response admires the visuals and imaginative setting. ### Reviews we read (24) - **Little White Lies**, Charlie Theobald (3/5/4): The critic calls it technically masterful and full of heart, suggesting Laika may have delivered their masterpiece with this staggering stop-motion fable. They single out the poetic visuals and the film's reverent handling of themes of loss and grief. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/kubo-and-the-two-strings) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (5/5): The critic hails a dazzling fable with peerless stop-motion puppetry and creative CGI, woven around rich metaphors for love, loneliness and loss. They single out the gorgeously detailed animated masterpiece and its enchanting quality from the first frame. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hrmlgy/kubo-and-the-two-strings/) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (95/100, inferred): The critic hails it as a stop-motion masterpiece that is staggeringly beautiful and immensely true, the best animated film of 2016. It showcases Laika's technical and storytelling prowess at their peak. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/review-kubo-and-the-two-strings-laika-theron-mcconaughey-1201716309/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Christy Lemire (90/100, inferred): The film gives its young audience credit by handling tough themes of loss, family betrayal and resilience without condescension. It excels through jaw-dropping stop-motion visuals and a moving focus on storytelling's power to connect and transform. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/kubo-and-the-two-strings-2016) - **The Guardian** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises this stop-motion debut as succeeding on every level, highlighting its complex dark themes, extraordinary animation beauty, lyrical writing, and exploration of rebirth and destiny. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/11/kubo-and-two-strings-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a dazzling artistic leap for Laika, an eye-popping delight blending colorful folklore with gorgeous origami-informed visuals in a thoroughly engaging animated adventure. It honors filmmakers from Kurosawa to Miyazaki while delivering wonder, sly humor, and emotional touchstones about keeping memories alive. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/kubo-two-strings-film-review-918984/) - **The New York Times**, Glenn Kenny (90/100, inferred): The stop-motion adventure delivers gorgeous, fluid action and startling visual conceits while resolving its story and metaphors in unexpected, moving ways. Director Travis Knight creates an all-ages entertainment that avoids clichés and delivers a sincere family-friendly message. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review.html) - **The Times**, Kate Muir (★★★★☆): A glorious flight of the imagination from Laika, with sharp funny dialogue, magical origami storytelling, and an Indiana Jones-style quest in ancient Japan. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/kubo-and-the-two-strings-8rmnn7m9w) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (90/100, inferred): Laika's crowning achievement blends staggering visuals and genuine heart in a fantastical samurai quest that puts the emotion in stop-motion. Knight's directorial debut delivers awe-inspiring artistry and a sincere denouement that rewards repeated viewings. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review-1201834995/) - **The AV Club**, Jesse Hassenger (B+): The critic finds it a dazzling triumph with real resonance, praising the gorgeous animation and inventive monster designs while noting the dreamlike plotting overloads mythology. It stands out for processing death as part of life rather than using dead parents as a trope. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/laika-releases-another-less-ghoulish-triumph-with-kubo-1798188600) - **Empire**, Jonathan Pile (80/100, inferred): Laika's latest is another strong entry in their run of quality stop-motion films, balancing comedy, light horror and genuine emotion in an original Japanese-inspired tale. The animation is singled out for particular praise, especially the fluid movement of Kubo's hair and the overall visual beauty. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kubo-two-strings-review/) - **Slant Magazine** (80/100, inferred): The critic sees it as productively cross-cultural, using its Japanese setting to explore grief, loss, and memory through Shinto and Buddhist ideas while celebrating art's healing power. It mixes old and new animation techniques for lush, corporeal storytelling with inventive fight sequences. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings/) - **The Telegraph** (4/5): The film is hailed as Laika's profound riposte to bland cartoons, celebrating its obsessive artisanal stop-motion craft, meta elements, and fight against ADHD-style spectacle. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/08/kubo-and-the-two-strings-is-laikas-profound-ravishing-riposte-to/) - **Time Out**, Tomris Laffly (4/5): The critic finds it a mature and gorgeous stop-motion film, swoonworthy in its vibrant visuals of unruly seas, lush landscapes and vivid seasonal colors. They single out the strong storytelling gifts and emotional generosity, despite some clumsy humour. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (70/100, inferred): A splendidly strange stop-motion film from Laika whose animation repeatedly takes the breath away, particularly in its inventive use of paper and craft elements. Some gags feel forced once the quest begins, though the voice performances help keep things engaging. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings-film-review-animation-to-take-the-breath-away-a3340796.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (70/100, inferred): The film brilliantly updates stop-motion with seamless, polished animation that draws viewers into a dreamlike world of Japanese folklore and emotional depth. It pays tribute to storytelling's redemptive power with conviction, though the narrative sometimes lacks cleaner logic. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-kubo-two-strings-review-20160815-snap-story.html) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (A): The critic praises Laika's stop-motion animation as their most gorgeous work yet and highlights the film's somber exploration of family loss and personal storytelling. [Read](https://collider.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/) - **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (4 out of 5): The critic praises Kubo And The Two Strings as a captivating and eccentric fusion of fantasy elements, highlighting its innovative blend of stop-motion and CGI techniques that create a tactile yet grand visual style. They single out the exquisite detail in surfaces and objects, along with the charming direction and storytelling that handles themes of loss and memory effectively. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's spellbinding stop-motion visuals and its intelligent emotional core, highlighting the theme of legacy and how it explores what parents leave behind for their children without patronizing younger viewers. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/) - **Paste**, Andy Crump (8.7): The critic calls the film marvelous and very good, noting its original take on the hero's journey through rich mythology and strong emotional resonance. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings/kubo-and-the-two-strings) - **The Playlist**, Kimber Myers (A-): The critic calls the film a beautifully crafted fable about the power of storytelling and a boy’s growth, praising its wonder, weirdness, attention to detail in animation, and ability to evoke joy, surprise, and wonder in both children and adults. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/laikas-kubo-two-strings-will-enchant-adults-children-alike-review-20160817/) - **Consequence** (85/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a visual feast with a simple but effective story of love and adventure, praising its stunning animation, voice performances, and emotional depth on storytelling and legacy. [Read](https://consequence.net/2016/08/film-review-kubo-and-the-two-strings/) - **Polygon**, Ashley Oh (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's visually stunning stop-motion animation and emotional impact, particularly its themes of sacrifice, memory, and family legacy, while noting strong voice work from the cast. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2016/8/16/12503168/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/) - **The Wrap**, Sam Adams (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's breathtaking stop-motion visuals and imaginative world-building but faults its thinly drawn characters and repetitive emphasis on storytelling as a metaphor. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review-laikas-latest-stuns-visually-if-not-narratively/) ## Details - **Director:** Travis Knight - **Director:** Travis Knight - **Screenplay:** Marc Haimes, Chris Butler - **Story:** Marc Haimes, Shannon Tindle - **Cinematography:** Frank Passingham - **Editor:** Christopher Murrie - **Music:** Dario Marianelli - **Production design:** Nelson Lowry, Daniel R. Casey - **Costume design:** Deborah Cook - **Producer:** Travis Knight, Arianne Sutner - **Cast:** Art Parkinson as Kubo (voice); Charlize Theron as Monkey / Mother (voice); Matthew McConaughey as Beetle / Hanzo (voice); Brenda Vaccaro as Kameyo (voice); Ralph Fiennes as Moon King (voice); Rooney Mara as The Sisters (voice); George Takei as Hosato (voice); Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Hashi (voice) - **Runtime:** 1h 42m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG - **Release (the US):** 19 August 2016 - **Genres:** Animation, Adventure, Family - **Budget:** $60 million - **Box office:** $76 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz49Ml_rB34 ## Where to watch in the US - The Roku Channel: free, hd - Disney+: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $6.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IL, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2017: Best Animated Feature (nominated); Best Visual Effects (nominated) - Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2016: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated) - BAFTA Film Awards 2016: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated) - Critics' Choice Awards 2016: Best Animated Feature (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Tale of the Princess Kaguya* (2013), Fi1m 84: Another handmade-looking Japanese fable that gives beauty and sorrow time to register. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya.md) - *Song of the Sea* (2014), Fi1m 82: Family grief and folklore, with children allowed to be difficult as well as brave. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea.md) - *The Adventures of Prince Achmed* (1926): Silhouette animation whose intricate creatures reward anyone fascinated by Kubo’s folded paper. - *A Monster Calls* (2016): A sterner encounter with childhood grief, where telling stories offers no easy comfort. - *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: A quieter, adult film about a child using monsters to understand difficult things. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings