Kubo and the Two Strings: Difference between revisions

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

In the USA, theThe film soar toreceived critical acclaim when it was releasereleased and grossed $77 million internationally against a budget of $60 million. '''Kubo and the Two Strings''' won the [[BAFTA]] and was onenominated offor the nominated for [[Academy Award|Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film]] and Best Visual Effects. in 2016.

* [[Advertised Extra]]: Despite being promoted in the ads, [[George Takei]] barelyonly hasportrays anya lines and hisminor character has little appearance.

* [[An Aesop]]: Memories are so powerful that; one can never be separated from those that we love and care about.

* [[Ancient Tomb]]: The appropriately named "Hall of Bones" and its surrounding caves.

* [[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'rethese horrible in-laws are hunting you down and want to gain custody of your child,. What's worse is that you even knowingknow full well that theyour in-laws can will abuse your child and do bodily harm your child.

* [[All-Star Cast]]: To start, thereThere's [[Charlize Theron]], [[Ralph Fiennes]], [[George Takei]], [[Rooney Mara]], just to name a few.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: TheSome extraof stuffthe andimportant somedetails of-- like the importantnames detailsof aboutthe ''KuboSun Villagers and the Twolocations -- Strings'' are shown in the scripts, commentary, and official sources, like the names of the villagers and the locations.

* [[All There in the Script]]: Some ofcharacters' the important charactersactual names, like the Moon King, Kubo's Mom and Aunts, are this, since the movie doesn't mention them by their real names.

* [[Anachronism Stew]]: Various different historical elements, influences, and ideas are smooshed together in this film, like Edo, Heian, and whatever Kiyoshi Saito puts in his printmaking, also. Saito was also influenced by Western painters and thinkers, which he fuses into his craft. TheSome evidenceexamples can be seen in the Sun Village for example.

* [[Animal Motifs]]: Beetles, especially concerning Kubo's family,. theirTheir crest is that of a stag beetle, and cranes, whether it's the real bird flying, squawking, or the origami characters that the charactersKubo crafted.

* [[Annoying Arrows]]: During whenWhen the trio are battling the Skeleton Demon, the latter picks up Monkey, and. Beetle promptly reacts by firing his arrows., Almostwhich hittingalmost hits her. andThis shemade Monkey yellsyell "Enough with the arrows."

* [[The Archer]]: Mainly Beetle is this out of the trio.

* [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]]: {{spoiler| The Moon King, whoKubo's alsograndpa, isthe Kubo'sMoon grandpaKing, wants the titular character to becomejoin this.him So,in the Moon Kingdom so they can be a family.}}

* [[Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever]]:{{spoiler|TheWhen the Moon Beast attackingattacks the Sun Village, he's a huge versionit ofresembles a prehistoric fish.}}

* [[Audible Sharpness]]: The "Sword Unbreakable" mademakes a sound of awesomeness when Kubo pulled it out of the Skeleton Demon.

* {{Spoiler|[[Badass Family]]}}: This trope is {{Spoiler|mainly Kubo, Hanzo, and Sariatu's last name}}.

* {{spoiler|[[Be Careful What You Wish For]]}}: {{spoiler|The Moon King wants to be with his grandson, so they can be a family. At the end, he got what he wanted but now he has amnesia.}}

* {{Spoiler|[[Bittersweet Ending]]}}: {{spoiler|Kubo lost both of his parents, but he has his grandfather, and the whole village to take care of him.}}

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: At the beginning of the film, Kubo does his "If you must blink" speech,. alsoThis tacksincludes some things to give a backstory exposition, which makes itappearing like he's addressing us. Even mention in the [[Foreshadowing|foreshadowing]] entry, it's seems as though Kubo is telling us to pay close attentionaudience.

** DuringThis is even mention in the film's[[Foreshadowing]] endentry, it seems like Kubo usesis histelling voicethe overaudience to saypay "[[Theclose End]]attention."

* [[Brick Joke]]: While fishing in Long Lake, Beetle haswas teaching Kubo how to fish by shooting an arrow at a fish, and it sank (He's teaching the pre-teen how to fish) sinks. During the fight against one of Kubo's aunts, heBeetle returnsboards the tiny boat after retrieving the fish the boy shot earlier.

* [[Cave Mouth]]: Hooboy, the cave entrance to where the "Sword Unbreakable" is hidden at ishas what appears to be a gaping thismaw.

** The bracelet made out of his mother's hair that Kubo wears. {{spoiler|He combinesuses this to add to restring his shamisen. - Along with his hair and Hanzo's bow string. TheseThe areshamisen usedwas tothen restring his shamisenused to defeat the Moon Beast. Earlier, Monkey was telling him about memories'how powerpowerful memories are as one, Kubo invokesuses his and the powervillagers' memeories as one inhuge doingpowerful sospell.}}

* [[Close Knit Community]]: The Sun villagers are very tight knit to the point that they care about a strange kid, who lives in Mortal's Point, a mountain top cave.

* [[Combined Energy Attack]]: {{spoiler|During the final battle, Kubo and the Sun villagers their' memories are combined with the young musician's magic to blast the Moon Beast with a spell and win.}}

* [[Comically Missing the Point]]: Beetle forgets that he wasabout searching for the Breastplate Impenetrable and instead went after the fish Kubo shot earlier.

* [[Curse]]: Beetle explains that he was cursed in this form and forceforced to [[Walk the Earth|wander the Far Lands.]]

* [[Cut Short]]: Not the film itselfIn-Universe, but some of the stories that Kubo tells never gotgets satisfying endings or were left in a [[Cliff Hanger|cliff hanger]] {{spoiler|Justified. Because Kubo was just retelling whatever story of Hanzo that his Mom says,— though shewho struggles with details due to her head injury — told him.}}

* [[Dark Is Evil]]: The Moon Society characters, like Raiden, Washi, and Karasu are portrayed as this. {{spoiler|This isAverted averted bywith Sariatus.}}

* {{Spoiler|[[Defeat Means Love]]}}: {{spoiler|Sariatus was sent to kill off Hanzo, until he defeated her. Since she already has admiration for him and fought him before, the final defeat made Sariatus fall in love with Hanzo.}}

* {{Spoiler|[[Diagonal Cut]]}}: {{spoiler|This isImplied impliedto ofbe how Monkey died in the Fortress battle.}}

* [[Didn't Think This Through]]: This happens whenWhen Beetle was teaching Kubo how to hunt using a bow and arrow while at Long Lake.

** Kubo somehow {{spoiler| manages to kill one of his aunts with his [[Magic Music]]., Thoughthough Beetle injured Washi earlier.}}

** Monkey manages to {{spoiler| slay Karasu in a single combat.,}} Despitedespite not having her powers and only relying on melee.

** {{spoiler|WhatIn the finale, Kubo and the Sun villagers just did atblasted the finaleMoon Beast.}}

* [[Died Happily Ever After]]: {{spoiler|Both Sariatus and Hanzo died together happy, knowing that they'll be together forever. They both can be seen in the ending in as ghosts. Beforeproudly looking at their son before leavingtraveling to the after life.}}

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: Kubo's Mom warning him about the dark and curfew hours resembles "Stranger Danger." {{spoiler|It'sThis is for good reasons, because her Dad and sisters are searching for them, plus, they CAN''can'' and WILL''will'' takekidnap Kubo away from her. But thisThis also resembles a single parent overdoing the warnings so notthey towill not lose custody, soand the kid won't end up with abusive relatives.}}

** Beetle questionsdiscusses this trope though, asking why"Why isn't Kubo called "Boy"?

* [[Doomed Hometown]]: The village after when Karasu and Washi attacked.

** {{Spoiler|Before the final battle, it turns out that it was only a portion of the Sun Village that got destroyed. Inand addition, theits localsresidents are safe.}}

* {{Spoiler|[[Dynamic Difficulty]]}}: {{spoiler|The two final bossesWashi were difficult for Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle to defeat.}}

* [[The End]]: This is theThe last line that Kubo narratessays in the movie: The End!.

* {{Spoiler|[[Enemy Rising Behind]]}}: {{spoilerSpoiler|During the battle with the Moon Beast, the latter does this a few times.}}

* [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones]]: The villainous Moon King cares about his daughters and extended family...Even thoughThough it's twisted and complicated.

* [[Eye Scream]]: How Kubo lost his right eye in histhe backstoryprologue part.

* [[Everything's Better with Chickens]]: Kameyo keeps on requesting the chicken yokai, because it's funny and the paper puppet theater needs some sort ofhumor to balance the drama.

* [[Failed a Spot Check]]: Beetle can't help it, because he's curse and has [[Laser-Guided Amnesia|short-term]] [[Finding Nemo|memory loss]].

* {{Spoiler|[[Family-Unfriendly Death]]}}: {{spoiler|Washi killing Beetle was shown. It's also implied that Monkey was sliced in half.}}

** {{spoiler|While we don't see it, butMonkey slice through Karasu's maskskull. wasThe cutonly inproof half.that Whichwe showsget was that Monkeywe slicesee throughKarasu's hermask skullthat was cut in half.}}

** Kameyo, the friendly old widow, tells Kubo that if he uses a lantern and prayers to the dead spirits, he'll be able to communicate with love ones that died. Later, Kubo tries to talk to his father's spirit, but nothing happens, but the rest of the villager's lanterns lights up. He assumes that his father is ignoring him, {{spoiler|Thiswhen it actually means that his Dad ain't dead.}}

** Little Hanzo behaves as a compass to the [[MacGuffin|three MacGuffins]]. When they go to get the helmet {{spoiler|The little origami figure is pointing at Kubo's opposite walking direction. It's revealed that [[Lured into a Trap|it's a trap]] by the Moon King.}}

* [[Gory Discretion Shot]]: {{spoiler|WhenIn thea sistersrather gethumorous killedfashion, wewhen onlyKubo's seeorigami theirperformance masks.got Blooda isbit nothairy, evenHosato shownquickly whencovered Beetle gotMari's stabeyes.}}

* [[Hell of a Heaven]]:* The Heavens that the Moon King rules over are described as {{spoiler|without the evils, turmoils, and suffering of the mortal world}}. Though how Sariatu describes it, the qualifications of her son to go there, are OwellianOrwellian in nature (judging how the Sisters and Raidan does things and their true nature).

* [[The Hermit]]: Justified sorta, sinceSince both Kubo and his Mom arelive bothin hidingthe fromMortal's thePoint Twinscave andhigh up thein Moonthe Kingmountains.

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: In the prologue, Hanzo and his army perished. So that way, Sariatu and Baby Kubo can make their escape. In the early part of the movie, Sariatu died to saved him from her twin sisters. {{spoiler|Both Monkey and Beetle died later on near the ending.}}

* [[Hidden in Plain Sight]]: {{spoiler|The "HelmentHelmet Invulnerable" was actually used as a bell in the village. No-one knows about this, especially Kubo's Aunts and Kubo, until the latter realizes it.}}

* {{Spoiler|[[I'll Kill You!]]}}: {{spoiler|Kubo says this to his grandfather at the beginning of their [[Curb Stomp Battle]].}}

* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: Monkey exams Little Hanzo and outright states that origami figures this complicated and elaborate are impossible.

* [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall]]: Near the end, Kubo {{spoiler|prays that his parents' spirits}} just to be with him at the story's end. This literally happens at the last scene.

* [[Left-Justified Fantasy Map]]: The interactive map in the movie's official website showed [https://web.archive.org/web/20190928134942/https://allthetropes.org/wiki/File:Kubo-Map.png the Dark Sea on the left side].

* [[Luke, I Am Your Father|Luke, I Am Your Grandfather]]: Averted. Due to Kubo knows about his ties to the Moon King.

** {{spoiler|Washi reveals that Beetle was actually Hanzo to the trio, before she battles them at Hanzo's fortressFortress.}}

* {{Spoiler|[[Lured into a Trap]]}}:{{spoiler|When Kubo and his friends went to an abandon fortress to search for the helmet. Washi and the Moon King set a trap for them.}}

* [[MacGuffin|MacGuffins]]: The magical sword, shield, and armor.

* [[The Merch]]: There's action figures and even these lovely [https://web.archive.org/web/20190928134942/https://allthetropes.org/wiki/File:Kubo-Air-Shoes.png Air Jordans].

* [[A Minor Kidroduction]]: In the prologue, the film introduces Kubo was just a baby. Then fast forward 12 years later.

* [[Mundane Utility]]: Kubo just uses his divine demi-god powers, just to put on shows in the village as a [[The Storyteller|storyteller]]. Before the start of his huge quest.

* [[Needle in a Stack of Needles]]: The Sword Unbreakable is pin on the Skeleton Demon's head. But there's other swords that are also pinned on the monster's head, this gave Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle a mad scramble and fight to find the correct one.

* {{Spoiler|[[One Size Fits All]]}}: The {{Spoiler|"Breastplate ImpentratableImpenetrable" manages to shrink, just to be the right size for Kubo}}.

{{quote|'''Beetle''': Kubo's story will live on in the people he shares it with, and the people they share it with, and the people they share it with...}}

* [[Peek-a-Bangs]]: Kubo,'s himselfhair.

* [[Point and Click Map]]: In a non-video game example, the movie website hasused to have a map about the film's fictional locations that's clickable to find out more about the places the heroes visited.

** Mortality to the Moon King was described as "hell." The reason why the moral guardians gives this a pass, is because Raiden is using this as a direct description...Not a profanity.

* [[Quest for Identity]]: Beetle's arc is this, only remembering that he used to fight alongside with Hanzo.

** At the beginning of the movie, Kubo's mom suffers a blow to the head, though it's difficult to draw blood, but the andbump leavingleft a scar. This causes her serious medical problems, especially at the present, Sariatu spends most of the day comatose, even when she looks "better", she still has holes in her memories and tremors. This is probably because {{spoiler|Like her father and sisters, it can be presumed they're nocturnal. Though Kubo's Mom was the only one shown to be lucid during the nighttime.}}

* [[Remembered I Could Fly]]: This happens when the Skeleton Demon was about to stomp on both Kubo and Beetle. Beetle picks up Kubo and hovers.

* {{Spoiler|[["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]}}:

{{quote|'''Kubo {{spoiler|(To Raiden)}}''': {{spoiler|No! It's in my memories! The most powerful kind of magic there is! It makes us stronger than you'll ever be. These are the memories of those we have loved and lost. And if we hold their stories deep in our hearts, then you will never take them away from us. And that really is the least of it}}...}}}}

* [[Scenery Porn]]: All the scenery and backgrounds!

* {{Spoiler|[[Secretly Dying]]}}: {{spoiler|After their final battle with Washi, Beetle didn't tell Kubo and Monkey that he's dying, while they attend to him.}}

* [[Sheathe Your Sword]]:* {{spoiler|Kubo does this, during the final confrontation with his grandfather.}}

** {{spoiler|Monkey is Level 5, since Sariatu's soul reincarnated her soul into her son's monkey charm.}}

* [[Spoiled by the Manual]]: The movie's official website mainly, especially the mini-game tie-ins {{spoilerSpoiler|"Moon Beast Brawl" anyone?}}, the wallpapers, avatars, and the merch ads, which spoils some major plot points in the movie.

* [[Splitting the Arrow]]: Beetle does this as he demonstrates his ''first time learning'' archery skill and does this.

* [[Surprisingly-Sudden Death]]: {{spoilerSpoiler|Happens to Beetle, when Washi stabs him in the back.}}

* [[Stealth Pun]]: When Beetle quips "I got a bone to pick with you." To the Skeleton Demon, why? Because it'sthe monster madeis ofrather bonesbony.

* [[The Stinger]]: {{spoiler|The credits show how the the Skeleton Demon was created and it's the largest puppet ever, plus it survived the encounter after Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle defeated it.}}

* [[That Was Not a Dream]]: When {{spoilerSpoiler|Kubo found out that the kind old man who was in his dream and told him about Hanzo's fortress was actually his evil grandpa, the Moon King.}}

{{quote|'''Monkey''': "Once we're inside, you might be tempted to complain about the odor. Keep in mind my sense of smell is ten times stronger than yours."}}

* [[This Is My Story]]: Kubo states something along these lines at the beginning of the movie, especially ifwhen he's [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|breaking fourth walls]].

* [[This Is Reality]]: What shock Kubo early was that all the [[Fairy Tales|fairy tales]] of the mighty samurai warrior Hanzo, his battles with the Moon King and other adventures ARE...All...Real.

* [[Thwarted Coup De Grace]]: SariatuWhen Monkey was retelling her back story, {{Spoiler|she kills most of Hanzo's men when she went into the fortress and was about to off Hanzo as well. When during their fight, he told her "You are my quest." She changed her mind about following through her father's wishes}}.

* [[Trophy Room]]: Beetle has a cave filled with Samurai memorabilia. Since he's trying to figure out who he was and, remember his best friend, Hanzo., and what on earth happen to his boss.

* [[Unusually Uninteresting Sight]]: The whole Sun Village seems to be used to Kubo's magical performances, basically since it's implied that he goes to town and were he does shows all the time.

* [[Villain-Beating Artifact|Villain Beating Artifacts]]: The "Helmet Invulnerable", "Sword Unbreakable", and "Breastplate Impenetrable."

* {{Spoiler|[[We Can Rule Together]]}}: {{Spoiler|The Moon King states this, even offering that Kubo can go beyond stories...He can be [[The Ageless|immortal]]. and live with him}}.

* [[When the Clock Strikes Twelve]]: Kubo has to come back to Mortal's Point, the mountain top cave, before the sun sets.

* [[Windows of the Soul]]: Since eyes are the themewindows, sotherefore isthe film has this. as its running theme.

[[Category:Film]]