In today's era of rapid development of cg technology, there are fewer and fewer stop motion animations. In fact, such a situation is expected. How difficult it is to make stop motion animations can be imagined by looking at the nearly twenty-minute ending credits and the super long staff list of this film.
Pixar DreamWorks Disney focuses on cg animation, while the 26-year-old Lycra studio, in the field of animation feature films, only focuses on the most difficult animation creation method-stop motion animation. After a lapse of two years, this magical masterpiece dressed in an oriental coat, "Kubo and the Erxian", was released after "Box Monster", which once again refreshed the audience's understanding of stop-motion animation.
"Technological qualitative leap"
In my impression, the picture of stop motion animation is inevitably stuck, but this film is exceptionally smooth. Whether it is the expressions of the characters, the beautiful scenery, or the mottled magical world, it has surpassed what it was before. Any stop motion animations you've seen. Coupled with Lycra's retained Gothic style and powerful imagination, the dazzling visual effects produced are enough to feast your eyes.
The film is set in an ancient Japanese village. One-eyed kubo, who has never left the village, is forced to go into exile to find armor in order to resist his grandfather's taking away his only one eye. It tells the story of kubo, accompanied by his amulet (a "monkey" given life by his mother), and encountering the armored beetle, learning about the memories of the ancestors and harvesting the process of growth in the bizarre.
The story is specially set in Japan, and the oriental mystery and folklore stories add many elements and highlights to the film. However, the character of the characters in this film is not "Japanese" at all. In fact, it carries an eternal theme in European and American animation-love and memory, and it is also about family and humanity that often appear in Lycra animation. Generally speaking, it is actually a very American story.
"Memory is the most powerful magic in this world"
In this film, the setting of human nature originates from the eyes (this reminds people of the button eye in "Mama Ghost", which draws the boundary between illusion and reality through the eyes).
Kubo always thought that grandpa who wanted to take his eyes hated him, and his mother told him that grandpa didn't hate him, but just wanted to make Kubo like him-annihilate his humanity, and become a cold, ruthless, and perfect person.
Kubo's mother was given new life because of seeing the humanity in Hanzo's eyes. Kubo perceives the world through one eye. Whether it is happiness or suffering, it is a testament to him as a mortal.
Kubo has only one eye left to feel the world, so the villain grandpa wants to take his eye. Without eyes, kubo can no longer see the eyes of human nature, can't feel their hearts, and can't feel the love of the world.
Human nature is the banner of kubo, and memory is powerful and the ultimate weapon to defeat evil.
When the moon god told kubo angrily that everything he knew had been taken away, kubo replied, "No, they are still in my memory." At that time, kubo played the piano, and the dead became The barrier protects kubo and the villagers. The second string in Kubo and Erxian Qin refers to Kubo's memories of his father and mother. Kubo tied his memories to the piano, and the memories burst out, and he was able to defeat the Moon God.
"The end of one story is just the beginning of another story"
Kubo is obsessed with using the magic of paper to tell stories to the villagers, but none of these stories has an ending, as his mother said: "Like Kubo's paper, we will change, we will change into other things, and then we can Another place continues our story.”
Kubo’s parents who died in the film also changed to another form to accompany kubo. His mother became a talisman monkey, and his father became a beetle in armor. They did not leave completely because of death, but changed their form to continue their story.
Speaking of the advantages of this film, there are also many embarrassing bugs that can't help but want to complain: Why is the evil sister killed by an arrow so suddenly? Why is the whole film looking for armor but the armor doesn't seem to be of much use? Why did the family of three just meet and confess and shoot his father to death with one arrow? Why is Moon God blind for a while and half blind for a while? Why did the Moon God quickly wash him white after being defeated? ?
Some people also set up is really ugly, kubo his father is actually a long cockroach like the Beatles, Luna is actually a giant fat worm, I see all these people obviously can not help but feel more domineering look better .
But putting aside these, and putting aside the plot of a little routine, it is definitely the most well-made stop motion animation this year. Even if it has some chicken soup, it is definitely a pleasing chicken soup, the kind of goose bumps to drink.
Director Travis Knight is not only the CEO of Lycra Studios, but also the son of the president of Nike (look at other rich second generations).
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