Kubo and the Two Strings

[Booyakasha]

Incidentally, not to be a hopeless nitpick. But I coached archery for ten years, and so I can't help but notice when people in movies and TV are shooting wrong. Can count on one hand the number of times I've seen archery done right in entertainment, and, well, 'Kubo' isn't one of them.

Not to say it hampers my enjoyment any, of course, or that it reduces the overall quality of the product---------it just always stands out, is all.

[Valigarmander]

As long as we're nitpicking, I'd like to point out that real monkeys have tails but Monkey did not. :crossedarms:

[Apollo the Just]

I would like to point out that there are actually 3 strings on the shamisen. This movie's title lied to me. I want my money back

[Valigarmander]

GEORGE TAKEI PLAYED A VILLAGER WITH LIKE THREE LINES. WAY TO WASTE AN AMAZING TALENT, LAIKA.

[Apollo the Just]

^ ok but his "oh my" was the best line in the entire movie

[Valigarmander]

Definitely worth the price of admission.

[Valigarmander]

Kubo is now the most critically-acclaimed Laika production... and at the current rate will also be their worst-grossing film.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and go check it out. And if you've already seen it, maybe go see it again. Invite some friends while you're at it.

[Apollo the Just]

I am seeing it again Thursday

also, I was so disappointed when I went opening day and there were only 2 showings and only like 10 people in the theater. Laika deserves better.

[Marilink]

Gonna have to wait until this hits DVD, unfortunately

[Apollo the Just]

So I tracked down the blogs of a couple of artists who worked on this film and they've started posting concept art pieces, sketches, and storyboards. They're really cool so I'm gonna share some of them here [spoiler tagging in case you want to go into the movie blind, and also because they are huge]:

[spoiler=Ovi Nedelcu concept posters]





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[spoiler=Ovi Nedelcu storyboards]



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[spoiler=Shannon Tindle character design works]






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I'm a huge sucker for concept art, sketches, design studies, etc., but especially for a movie that has such incredible visual direction... I'm obsessed with these. I hope they keep 'em coming.

[Apollo the Just]

DP because my friend switched plans on me so I saw it again today instead of Thursday.

I am a firm believer in re-watching and re-playing media you consume, because if you REALLY like it you'll get more out of it the second time (and if you don't, then you don't really like it all that much, do you).

Um...... Kubo passed the re-watch test with flying colors. I didn't actually cry the first time I saw it but the second time I was sobbing right as the credits were starting. THIS MOVIE IS SO DAMN POETIC, Y'ALL. I didn't catch half of what it was going for the first time and I'm sure there's more left. There's so much and it's all so beautifully woven into the story.

One super neat thing:

[spoiler]So I remember my roommate telling me once about what we could consider 'bards' historically in Japan, who played shamisen and entertained and traveled. They were primarily women and were blind. Thinking thematically of how blindness is used in this movie..... that's DEFINITELY intentional.

It makes Kubo's line - "I see... something that starts with an 'S'. It's a song." - combined with his half blindness and the film's focus on eyes, associating lack of eyesight with his mother's family, so incredibly interesting. I'm even more in love with this movie.
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