[YMS] So I just saw Cujo, I mean Kubo and the Two Strings and it was pretty great.
Although I'd have to say that it was more pretty than it was great,
because although there were certain elements that were nothing short of astonishing,
there were other elements that were nothing but insultingly lazy.
Kubo and the Two Strings easily has some of the best stop-motion animation I've ever seen in my entire life,
used to bring to life the most average, pandering and condescendingly dumbed down story I've seen all year.
This is essentially a 5/10 story with 10/10 animation.
The animation alone sells the entire movie.
I'm even considering buying this on Blu-ray when the price drops just for the special features.
The story of the film starts out incredibly strong, but then gets gradually worse as it goes along.
There are parts of the film that had me genuinely awestruck and invested,
but the longer it goes on, the further down it goes and instead of landing safely, it just crashes into a fiery blaze.
The conversation and the dynamic between Kubo and the monkey near the beginning of the film was so absolutely perfect.
The two characters played off of each other in such a way that had me immediately invested at that point.
There was an immediate sense of care and heartfelt humor between them,
but it didn't obstruct or overshadow the serious tone of the situation surrounding them.
Unfortunately, that dynamic completely disappears as soon as Matthew McConaughey's character is brought into the story.
And he never leaves.
Apparently, the film didn't think that the humor between Kubo and the monkey was enough,
because Matthew McConaughey's character is nothing but comic relief.
And if it wasn't bad enough to force in an inescapable comic relief character where comic relief wasn't needed,
he immediatley goes on to become the designated source of plot devices.
Surprise, surprise! There's now conflicts in the story that only exist with the explanation of: "Because he's stupid."
The fight scenes in the film were particularly well-choreographed and entertaining to watch,
which makes one particular fight scene all the more infuriating.
Not only was there not much to it with the best shot already shown in the trailer,
but the way that this fight scene is eventually resolved is the most idiotic unsatisfying bullshit I've ever seen.
Not gonna spoil anything, but you'll know it when you see it.
This movie farted out the ending so fucking hard that it was difficult to keep a straight face.
During the film, there's an interesting symbolism between some of the characters shown.
As I was watching, I was thinking about how nice it is to have that extra tidbit for those thinking about it during the film,
but then the movie just flat out ruins the whole thing and explains it to you.
Now you might be saying: "Adam, they wanna make it easier to understand for children.",
but how is that aspect of a film at all necessary information for the viewer to understand anyway?
What I thought was a nice, supplementary way of looking at the film turned out to be a set up for a forced and unnecessary reveal.
Again, not gonna spoil it, 'cause you'll know it when you see it,
but I thought it was such a weird choice that the movie decided they wouldn't let you not notice it.
If anyone's seen the ending to Life of Pi, you'll pretty much know exactly what I mean.
Now despite the film having some issues with the story, overall, it is a worthwhile experience.
What the film lacks in its script, it more than makes up for in its animation and production.
Those aspects of the film alone are nothing short of a monumental achievement.
If anything, I can appreciate that the movie at least tried to give me an actual experience.
Is the film worth your money? Yes.
Should you see it in theaters? Sure.
But just don't be surprised if you're a little disappointed over the missed opportunity of what this film could have been.
And I'm giving this one a seven out of ten.
Hey guys, just a heads up that I'll be at Toronto Film Fest this week, followed by Vancouver Film Fest in October,
which means there'll be a lot more Quickie reviews than normal over the next month.
This happens every year, but I also get a lot of new subscribers every year.
So just letting you know in advance: No, I have not stopped all reviews other than Quickies.
This is just the period every year where I watch the most movies in theaters.
That being said, I'm also working on a larger project that I'm having a lot of fun with, and I can't wait to show to you guys.
Not gonna say what it is, but it's kind of like a bunch of mini YMS-style reviews in one large video.
My goal is to have it out this month, but with the film festivals going on, it might be out the month after.
If I wanted to split the video into several parts to be released before the whole thing's finished,
I probably have something for you right now,
but this is the kind of video where even if I do wind up splitting it into several parts,
I'd wanna have the vast majority of it finished before that anyway.
And right now, it's looking as though it'll be at least half an hour long.
Anyway, just keeping you guys posted so you're not confused. Maybe some day Youtube will learn how to do the same thing.
Love you guys, mwhheh!
[Subtitles by Abel Boeschoten]