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Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Be bold. Be brave. Be epic.

Release:2016
Runtime:1h 42m
Country:United States
Director:Travis Knight
Language:English

Genre

AdventureAnimationFamily
See the best adventure movies →

Keywords

JapanSamuraimagicForgivenessStop MotionStorytellingOrigamiFeudal Japan
iRank84

Kubo and the Two Strings rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.7/10· 146K votes
Rotten Tomatoes97%
Metacritic84%
TMDb7.6/10· 4K votes

With 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.7/10 on IMDb and 84/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

Cast of Kubo and the Two Strings

  • Art Parkinson

    Art Parkinson

    as Kubo (voice)

  • Charlize Theron

    Charlize Theron

    as Monkey / Mother (voice)

  • Matthew McConaughey

    Matthew McConaughey

    as Beetle / Hanzo (voice)

  • Brenda Vaccaro

    Brenda Vaccaro

    as Kameyo (voice)

  • Ralph Fiennes

    Ralph Fiennes

    as Moon King (voice)

  • Rooney Mara

    Rooney Mara

    as The Sisters (voice)

  • George Takei

    George Takei

    as Hosato (voice)

  • Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

    Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

    as Hashi (voice)

  • Meyrick Murphy

    Meyrick Murphy

    as Mari (voice)

  • Minae Noji

    Minae Noji

    as Minae (voice)

  • Alpha Takahashi

    Alpha Takahashi

    as Aiko (voice)

  • Laura Miro

    Laura Miro

    as Miho (voice)

Kubo and the Two Strings facts

Budget
$60M
Box office
$76.2M

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • •Stop-motion artistry achieves visual grandeur rarely seen in modern animation
  • •Emotional journey from loss to forgiveness carries genuine human resonance
  • •Elaborate puppetry and practical effects showcase technical mastery impressively

What the audience disliked

  • •Convoluted narrative structure demands close attention to maintain coherence
  • •Pacing occasionally stutters when advancing complex mythological plot

Trailer

Where to watch Kubo and the Two Strings(US)

View on JustWatch →

Rent / Buy

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Availability may change. Data by JustWatch.

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