---
title: "Kubo and the Two Strings: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings"
critics_score: 86
critics_reviews: 24
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): what the critics said

Critics' score 86 from 24 reviews: 24 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative.

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.

## Little White Lies — Charlie Theobald

Rating 3/5/4. 15 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/kubo-and-the-two-strings)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hrmlgy/kubo-and-the-two-strings/)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/review-kubo-and-the-two-strings-laika-theron-mcconaughey-1201716309/)

## RogerEbert.com — Christy Lemire

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/kubo-and-the-two-strings-2016)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/11/kubo-and-two-strings-review)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/kubo-two-strings-film-review-918984/)

## The New York Times — Glenn Kenny

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review.html)

## The Times — Kate Muir

Rating ★★★★☆. 9 September 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/kubo-and-the-two-strings-8rmnn7m9w)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review-1201834995/)

## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger

Rating B+. 18 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/laika-releases-another-less-ghoulish-triumph-with-kubo-1798188600)

## Empire — Jonathan Pile

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kubo-two-strings-review/)

## Slant Magazine

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings/)

## The Telegraph

Rating 4/5. 8 September 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/08/kubo-and-the-two-strings-is-laikas-profound-ravishing-riposte-to/)

## Time Out — Tomris Laffly

Rating 4/5. 18 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2016. 

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 the review](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

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-kubo-two-strings-review-20160815-snap-story.html)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A. 18 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://collider.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/)

## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie

Rating 4 out of 5. 2 September 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/)

## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 8.7. 17 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/kubo-and-the-two-strings/kubo-and-the-two-strings)

## The Playlist — Kimber Myers

Rating A-. 17 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://theplaylist.net/laikas-kubo-two-strings-will-enchant-adults-children-alike-review-20160817/)

## Consequence

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://consequence.net/2016/08/film-review-kubo-and-the-two-strings/)

## Polygon — Ashley Oh

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.polygon.com/2016/8/16/12503168/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review/)

## The Wrap — Sam Adams

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2016. 

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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-review-laikas-latest-stuns-visually-if-not-narratively/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/kubo-and-the-two-strings.md