Kubo and the Two Strings



Kubo and the Two Strings is a 2016 Stop Motion fantasy film directed and co-produced by Travis Knight, starring the voices of Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey. It is Laika's fourth feature film. Kubo and the Two Strings first premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and later on was released to the United States on August 19, 2016.

The story revolves on Kubo, who wields a shamisen and must deal with his grandfather, the Moon King. Accompanying the young hero are Beetle and Monkey on this dangerous journey.

Not to be confused for Tite Kubo or Mitsuro Kubo.


 * Action Mom:Sariatus to a "T."
 * Advertised Extra:
 * An Aesop:
 * Adult Fear: Imagine being on the run from your in-laws and with your only child, because you married a guy they didn't like. Plus, they're hunting you down and want to gain custody of your child, even knowing full well that the in-laws will abuse and do bodily harm your child.
 * All-Star Cast: To start, there's Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Rooney Mara, just to name a few.
 * All There in the Manual: Some of the characters names, like the Moon King, Kubo's Mom and Aunts. Since, they are not mention by name in the movie itself.
 * All There in the Script:
 * Anachronism Stew:
 * And Starring:
 * Animal Motifs: Hanzo's crest has beetles.
 * Cranes.
 * Annoying Arrows:
 * Arc Words: "Story."
 * "You are my quest."
 * "If you must blink..."
 * Armor Is Useless:
 * Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence:
 * Attack of the 50 Foot Whatever: The Skeleton Demon, since he's the largest puppet that Laika has ever built for this film.
 * Audible Sharpness:
 * Badass Family: This trope is Kubo, Hanzo, and Sariatu's last name.
 * Baleful Polymorph:
 * Bittersweet Ending:
 * Blank Slate:
 * Blue and Orange Morality: The Moon society is basically this.
 * Body Motifs: Eyes. Eyes are symbolizes and played straight here.
 * Bon Festival
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall:
 * Brick Joke:
 * Brought Down to Normal: What happens to.
 * Character Name and the Noun Phrase:
 * Chekhov's Gun:
 * Clucking Funny:
 * Close Knit Community: The villagers are this.
 * Combined Energy Attack:
 * Comically Missing the Point:
 * Cool Sword: The Sword Unbreakable.
 * Creative Closing Credits: 2D animated, cameos of previous works, and.
 * Cut Short:
 * Daddy's Little Villains: Karasu and Washi.
 * Defeat Means Love:
 * Dem Bones: The Skeleton Demon, who was based on Gashadokuro.
 * Diagonal Cut:
 * Didn't Think This Through:
 * Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?:
 * Died Happily Ever After:
 * Divine Parentage:
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?
 * A Dog Named "Dog": Beetle is just "Beetle" and "Monkey" is named "Monkey."
 * Beetle questions this trope though, asking why isn't Kubo called "Boy"?
 * Don't Explain the Joke:
 * Doomed Hometown: The village after when Karasu and Washi attacked.
 * Dramatic Slip:
 * Dynamic Difficulty:
 * The End:
 * Enemy Rising Behind:
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The villainous Moon King cares about his daughters and extended family...Even though it's twisted and complicated.
 * Everything's Better with Monkeys: Anything concerning Kubo's good luck charm.
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin:
 * Eye Cam:
 * Eye Scream: How Kubo lost his right eye in his backstory.
 * Failed a Spot Check:
 * Family-Unfriendly Death:
 * Flipping Helpless: Whenever Beetle gets knock over.
 * Foreshadowing:
 * Freudian Trio:
 * Giant Eyes of Doom: The Garden of Eyes.
 * Giant Wall of Watery Doom:
 * Gory Discretion Shot:
 * Handicapped Badass: Kubo, since he's missing his eye.
 * Sariatu, who is sick, depending on her son to take care of her, and doesn't remember much.
 * Heaven Above:
 * Heel Face Brainwashing:
 * Hell of a Heaven:
 * The Hero's Journey:
 * Hidden in Plain Sight:
 * Homage: To Studio Ghibli and various Japanese mediums, like Akira Kurosawa, ink wash paintings, and origami...To name a few.
 * The Beatles band as well, considering the end credits song.
 * The Hypnotoad: The Garden of Eyes monsters are this in spades.
 * Hungry Menace: Karasu and Washi are describe as being this.
 * Hypnotic Eyes: The many eyes in the aptly named "Garden of Eyes," revealing many secrets to its victims.
 * I'll Kill You!:
 * Insistent Terminology:
 * In the Back:
 * In the End You Are on Your Own:
 * Justified Title: More evident near the end
 * Karma Houdini:
 * Lampshade Hanging:
 * Laser Guided Amnesia:
 * Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
 * Lighter and Softer:
 * Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
 * Lightning Reveal:
 * Love At First Sight:
 * Luke, I Am Your Father:
 * Lured into a Trap:
 * Lying to Protect Your Feelings:
 * Mama Bear: Sariatus, Kubo's Mom.
 * MacGuffin:
 * Magical Guide: Monkey is primarily this.
 * Magic Compass:
 * Magic Music: What Kubo does when he plays his shamisen.
 * Martial Arts and Crafts: This is combine with The Power of Rock to Kubo's arsenal.
 * Meaningful Echo:
 * Metaphorically True:
 * Metaphor Is My Middle Name: Beetle states "Stealth" is this.
 * A Minor Kidroduction: In the prologue, Kubo was just a baby. Then fast forward 12 years later.
 * Mundane Utility:
 * Mysterious Watcher:
 * Mythology Gag:
 * Needle in A Needle Stack: The Sword Unbreakable is pin on the Skeleton Demon's head. But there's other swords also pinned on the monster's head, this gave Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle a mad scramble and fight to find the correct one.
 * Nice Day, Deadly Night: The village is very lively, especially when the Bon Festival going on. But night is very ominous, even dangerous.
 * Nightmare Fuel: Where to start, there's:
 * Kubo's aunts, Karasu and Washi.
 * The whole Garden of Eyes underwater scene.
 * No Name Given:
 * No Ontological Inertia:
 * Not Using the Z Word:
 * Overly Long Gag:
 * Peek A Bangs: Kubo, himself.
 * Power Incontinence: When Kubo's magical powers grow, the more it paints him as a target.
 * Precision F-Strike:
 * Quest for Identity: Beetle's arc is this, only remembering that he used to fight with Hanzo.
 * Reality Ensues:
 * The Reason You Suck Speech:
 * Rousseau Was Right:
 * Rule of Cool:
 * Rule of Symbolism:
 * Rule of Three: Team Kubo: Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle.
 * The Moon King and his two daughters.
 * Quirky Town: The whole village located bellow the mountains has a strong sense of community, even caring about each other and Kubo.
 * Samurai
 * Samus Is a Girl: Kubo has been carrying around his lucky charm for a very long time, bestowing it the name Mr.Monkey, until it became alive.
 * Scary Shadow Fakeout:
 * Scenery Porn: All the scenery and backgrounds!
 * Secretly Dying:
 * Sheathe Your Sword:
 * Shout Out: Kubo's themes featuring eyes being stolen and replace, like one of Laika's earlier film, Coraline.
 * At the closing credits, a cat came through the door.
 * followed by Norman's head and a zombie's hand.
 * a few boxtrolls.
 * Shut UP Hannibal:
 * Significant Double Casting: Rooney Mara voices both Washi and Karasu.
 * Single-Stroke Battle:
 * Sliding Scale of Living Toys:"Little Hanzo" (Level 4), since the little origami figure is shown to move independently on his own, i.e. pointing Kubo to the right directions, fighting, and etc.
 * Splitting the Arrow: Beetle demonstrates his first time learning archery skill and does this.
 * Stealth Pun:
 * The Stinger:
 * Stop Motion:
 * The Storyteller: Kubo's main job, whenever he's at the village, he tells of the adventures of Hanzo.
 * Surprisingly Sudden Death:
 * Sword of Plot Advancement: The three weapons: "Sword Unbreakable," "Helmet Invulnerable", and "Breastplate Impenetrable."
 * Symbolic Blood:
 * Take a Third Option:
 * Talking in Your Dreams:
 * Talking to the Dead:
 * Tell Me About My Father: Kubo asks Beetle this, when the latter mentions that Hanzo was his master.
 * That Was Not a Dream:
 * This Is Gonna Suck:
 * This Is Reality:
 * Thwarted Coup De Grace:
 * Together in Death:
 * Trailers Always Spoil: The trailers show parts of the ending.
 * Unreliable Narrator:
 * Unusually Uninteresting Sight:
 * Villain Beating Artifact: The "Helmet Invulnerable", "Sword Unbreakable", and "Breastplate Impenetrable."
 * Walk and Talk:
 * We Can Rule Together
 * Wham Line:
 * Wham Shot:
 * Where It All Began: The movies starts in the village with the Bon Festival
 * Windows of the Soul:
 * Youkai: All the creatures and monsters that are featured and reference in the movie.
 * You Shall Not Pass: Sariatu does this, using her final magic, to face off her sisters and send Kubo to safety.
 * You Killed My Father:
 * Windows of the Soul:
 * Youkai: All the creatures and monsters that are featured and reference in the movie.
 * You Shall Not Pass: Sariatu does this, using her final magic, to face off her sisters and send Kubo to safety.
 * You Killed My Father: