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LAIKA Studio’s KUBO and the Two Strings out on August 19th

August 18, 2016 /

Pay attention because I am only going to say this once. A great opening line to a fun and magical adventure; Kubo and the Two Strings.

The artists at LAIKA studios bring us a epic adventure set in ancient Japan about a young boy and and his quest to reunite his family, unlock the secret of his legacy and fulfill his destiny. With the help of his new friends and his magical musical instrument Kubo and the two strings will take audiences of all ages on a journey they will not forget.

To quote famed movie critic Kate Klein (my 10-year-old daughter) I loved this movie daddy it was the best movie I have ever seen!

 

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.

 

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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.

 

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Director: Travis Knight
Writers: Marc Haimes, Chris Butler (“ParaNorman”); Story by Shannon Tindle, Marc Haimes
Voice Cast: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Vaccaro, Rooney Mara, and Matthew McConaughey

At an early screening and KUBO and the Two Strings party. Kate LOVES this movie!
At an early screening and KUBO and the Two Strings party. Kate LOVES this movie!

As mentioned, our daughter absolutely loves this movie and has said several times it is one of her favorite movies of all time. We had a chance to attend an early screening and after-party this month at Universal Studios featuring From Coraline to KUBO A Magical LAIKA Experience where this talented studio’s showcased props, animation models from these award-winning films.  Here were some of our favorites!

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Introduction letter from Travis Knight, LAIKA CEO, Director & Producer of Kubo and the Two Strings.
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They used hundreds of masks for the characters.  Here are some for Kubo and Monkey.
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Kubo voiced by Art Parkinson
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Monkey voiced by Charlize Theron
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Beetle voiced by Matthew McConaughey
The creepy Giant Skeleton seemed to be jumping out at us!
The creepy Giant Skeleton seemed to be jumping out at us!
The Giant Skeleton was built for one of three eye-popping battle sequences that mark Kubo’s quest to collect the three magical pieces of armor left.  The creepy orange beast dreamed up by LAIKA measures in at 16 feet tall and 400 pounds, making it the world’s largest properly articulated stop-motion character ever made.
Scariest character in the movie I believe!
Scariest character in the movie I believe!
The Moon Beast became LAIKA’s first entirely 3D-printed puppet.  The physical inspiration came from an actual prehistoric fish.  The puppet was made up of around 881 individual parts: 130 color 3D-printed parts and 751 parts which combine to make a metal body and leg armature components as well as internal dressing pieces.
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The surface of the boat was covered with Canson Colorline paper laser-cut into nearly 250,000 leaves, which took about 100 hours.  It took three carpenters, four landscape artists, four model makers, two scenic artists, metal fabricators and two machinists about four months to complete the boats.  The sequence took 19 months to shoot.
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KUBO and the Two Strings after-party:
I ran into KUBO at the after-party! I bet a lot of kids will want to be Kubo this year for Halloween!
I ran into KUBO at the after-party! I bet a lot of kids will want to be Kubo this year for Halloween!
The highlight of the day (and probably her year) was when Kate chatted up Travis Knight, the CEO of LAIKA and Director and Producer of KUBO and the Two Strings.  She told him she loved the movie and he said she had good taste.
She was on Cloud 9!
She was on Cloud 9!
Be sure to check out KUBO and the Two Strings this weekend!  We love this movie and plan to see it again as well!  I think it will appeal to the whole family.
For more information, please follow them on social:
#KuboMovie

This movie is not to be missed.

GOOD NEWS!

The latest masterpiece from the animation studio behind the Academy Award®-nominated films Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls comes to Digital HD on November 8, 2016 and Blu-ray™ 3D, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand 11/22 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed as “an exquisite, beautiful film,” (Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood) Kubo and the Two Strings has captivated audiences of all ages, earning an extraordinary 97% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year!

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Melissa Northway, M.S. is a mom, founder of dandelion moms, and a children’s book author. Her award-winning book Penelope the Purple Pirate was inspired by her little tomboy. Penelope is a modern-day Pippi Longstocking who teaches girls and boys the importance of having fun while at the same time teaching them to be kind and respectful of others and their differences. Dandelion moms was created for moms to share their stories and to inspire and be inspired! You can reach Melissa at: info@dandelionmoms.com and follow her @melissanorthway and @dandelionmoms. Check out her author web site at: www.melissanorthway.com, as she hands out loads of goodies from the treasure chest.

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