Missing Link Official Trailer

The wait is over. Laika is at it again, with Missing Link.

 



 

This is new for Laika. Looks more light hearted than the previous films.

 

Trailermeter: 81%

Review #61 | Kubo and the Two Strings

“If you must blink, do it now!” says Kubo, our young hero, in the beginning of the movie and that moment I knew it was well worth the wait. Kubo and the Two Strings is the latest stop-motion animated film created by LAIKA (Coraline, ParaNorman & The Boxtrolls). 

Kubo and the Two Strings, 2016

It is directed by Travis Knight who has also produced all of LAIKA’s previous films.
I have been very unfortunate little being to be dwelling on the other side of the world trying to avoid spoilers for over 2 months since the release of Kubo in the U.S. And since I live in Korea, I’ve been waiting for this movie for more than you can imagine. I finally got to watch it today, and yes, it was well worth the wait for two reasons: 1. There were literally no one in the theater besides me and one other person, which gave me the freedom of over exposure and 2. Because the movie was a visually stunning film, a breakthrough in stop-motion history.

Kubo and the Two Strings follows our hero Kubo on his quest to find the magical suit of armor once wore by his father to defeat the spirits from the past who try to murder him and his mother for betrayal. Kubo has to locate the suit of armor with a help of the monkey and the beetle in order to face his enemy.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the movie but if I was to nitpick this movie, I would say I was a little bit disappointed of how the movie ended. I mean, it could have had a better ending. Nevertheless, what was awe inspiring the most was the visuals. I have never seen a stop-motion animated film that was beautiful and as action packed as Kubo. The movie strives above them all. LAIKA really out did itself in this part.

Now, for the story, I was into it all throughout the movie thanks to the great scary sequences, that actually caught me off guard. After all, this is what LAIKA does best. Although the movie seems to take it seriously, it is actually very funny at times because of the great characters who truly feel alive (aka “animated”). It is hard not like any of them!

While journeying throughout the land and sea, Kubo has to locate the magical suit of armor and fight monsters. Those moments were the very high points of this movie. It was so intense and exciting, that the final battle between the enemy and Kubo felt a little disappointing. The enemy fell into a trap that most villains in super hero movies did: he kept on monologuing until his defeat!

My final thoughts. With a blend of an amazing score, Kubo and the Two Strings strives to be one of the best animated films of this year. I can’t say it’s the best effort LAIKA has delivered to us but it does stand close to Coraline and ParaNorman or even better, only time will tell.

Animation Magic Theater Rating: 88%

Kubo and the Two Strings Official Trailer 4

The latest trailer for Kubo and the Two Strings offers funny moments and an epic adventure!

Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.

 The latest film from LIAKA promises some good animation this year. I can't wait to see this.

Trailermeter: 98%

Meet the Characters of "Kubo and the Two String"

Meet the characters of Kubo and the Two Strings.

The story is set in ancient Japan, where a young boy named Kubo cares for his mother in a village. A spirit from the past turns Kubo's life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.

Opening in theaters on August 19.

Kubo and the Two Strings Official Trailer 2

The new trailer for Kubo and the Two Strings is here.

Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.

Trailermeter: 91%

Kubo and the Two Strings Official Trailer

The new and more awesome trailer for Kubo and the Two Strings is here. Check it out below.

Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kamekichi (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Trailermeter: 95%

LAIKA 10th Anniversary

The studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, and The BoxTrolls, LAIKA, celebrates its 10th anniversary.

LAIKA, the award-winning animation studio nestled in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, celebrates 10 years of bold and memorable filmmaking this month. For a company whose name means “little barker” in Russian, Portland, Oregon-based LAIKA has made quite a noise in the global film industry over a relatively short time. With its world-class filmmaking team, LAIKA pushes the boundaries of family entertainment and animated movies, redefining what stories can and should be told through the art form. Take a look at some of the artistry in this 10th Anniversary video.

Kubo and the Two Strings Official Teaser Trailer

The teaser trailer for Kubo and the Two Strings is here. Check it out below.

Kubo and the Two Strings is an upcoming American 3D stop motion film produced by Laika for Focus Features. It is being directed by Travis Knight and written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. The film stars Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and Brenda Vaccaro. The film is set for an August 19, 2016 release.

Trailermeter: 99%

Kubo and the Two Strings Teaser Poster

Check out the new poster for Laika's Kubo and the Two Strings.

Kubo and the Two Strings, 2016

Kubo and the Two Strings is an upcoming American 3D stop motion film produced by Laika for Focus Features. It is being directed by Travis Knight and written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. The film stars Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and Brenda Vaccaro. The film is set for an August 19, 2016 release.

87th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature

And the Oscar goes to...

The Oscars, 2015

Best Animated Feature

• How to Train Your Dragon 2 (DreamWorks Animation)
• Song of the Sea (Cartoon Saloon)
• The BoxTrolls (LAIKA)
• Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
• The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Studio Ghibli)

Best Animated Short Film

• Feast (Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed)
• The Bigger Picture (Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees)
• The Dam Keeper (Robert Kondo and Daisuke Tsutsumi)
• Me and My Moulton (Torill Kove)
• A Single Life (Joris Oprins)

Congratulations for the crew of Big Hero 6 and Feast! Well done and keep up the good work! The world acknowledges the work you've done. I love you, Walt Disney Animation Studios!

Review #56 | Corpse Bride

This spooky tale will take you  to a place you will never have imagined it existed. The place where dead people go.

Corpse Bride, 2005

Tim Burton returns to the dark but fanciful animated style of The Nightmare Before Christmas with this stop-motion black comedy. Victor (voice of Johnny Depp) lives in a small European village in the 19th century, where he is pledged to marry Victoria (voice of Emily Watson), a partnership arranged by their parents. The two only meet the day before their scheduled nuptials, and Victor performs disastrously in the wedding rehearsal. Later that evening, while he is walking through the woods and hopelessly practicing his vows, he puts Victoria's wedding band on what looks like a branch. Victor quickly discovers this was a big mistake; as it happens, he has put the ring on the skeletal finger of the enchanted Corpse Bride (voice of Helena Bonham Carter), who then whisks him off to a dark and mysterious netherworld where they are now married. Victor is frightened in the land of the dead, and even realizes that he has fallen in love with his true fiancée, Victoria, so he searches for a way back to his own world. Directed by Tim Burton in collaboration with animator Mike Johnson, Corpse Bride features a stellar voice cast, including Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, Richard E. Grant, Joanna Lumley, and Danny Elfman (who also composed the film's musical score).

Tim Burton presents a spooky stop motion animated film that will blow your mind. In this world, dead people are not actually dead; they just go “downstairs”, which seems more joyful than the world of living.

Tim Burton cleverly depicts the reality of the living dullness. The people upstairs live like they have no soul and the people downstairs sing and dance are pretty passionate in everything they do. The plot of this story goes around Victor in trouble because of the unwanted vow he made to a corpse bride.

It is interesting to see how Victor chooses his ways and how things turned out to be. Corpse Bride delivers a great message of showing compassion and keeping promises. There were some great puns in this movie with some unique character designs. Just watching some character designs you can see how much further you can go with squashing and stretching human characters. Those characters don’t look like humans but they do resemble real ones.

Inside Outside Rating: 78%

First Official Trailer for 'The BoxTrolls'

We had seen three teaser trailers for The BoxTrolls but never really seen the official trailer until a few weeks ago. Check out the funny trailer for The BoxTrolls.

I'd loved to see how it will turn out to be, are you?

Review #14 | Coraline

I had to watch Coraline again at home and wanted to share my review on the movie.

Coraline, 2009

A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows, yet deeply unsettling in a number of ways, in director Henry Selick's animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's international best-seller. Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones (voice of Dakota Fanning) is fearlessly courageous, and perhaps far too adventurous for her own good. Coraline and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) have recently relocated to Oregon from Michigan. Bored in her new home since her parents are distracted by work and she has yet to make any new friends, Coraline passes the time by exploring her new neighborhood with an annoying local boy named Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.). But after paying a visit to her eccentric neighbors Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French), a pair of aging British actresses, and crossing paths with the outright weird Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane), the precocious young girl becomes convinced that her new surroundings are just as dull as she'd initially suspected. Shortly thereafter, Coraline discovers a hidden door in her new house, and decides to investigate. Venturing into the eerie passageway inside, Coraline emerges into an alternate version of her own reality. At first glance, this strange new world seems even better than the real thing; there her parents aren't distracted by work, and Coraline is always the center of attention. There's even a mysterious Cat (Keith David) that's fascinated by her every move. But when Coraline's button-eyed Other Mother (also Hatcher) attempts to make her stay permanent, the frightened young girl must summon her resourcefulness and bravery in order to find her way back home and save her real family.

It is the most creative and spooky animated film I have ever watched. I loved the characters, the world of Coraline and the well written story. The expressions shown on Coraline’s face are plain and you don’t need words to know how she is feeling. Each character like Coraline’s mom, dad, the other mother, Wybie and the cat, they all have their own characteristics.

This film is so unique in terms of the creative story, stunning visual world, amazing screenplay, character design, character animation, and a deep theme. Yes, this is the new Toy Story. Coraline takes most of the advantages a stop-motion animation film have. It proves that stop-motion animation can entertain people.

This film shows a strong message not in words but through the character, and that is something we accept.

Inside Outside Rating: 88%

Teaser Trailer #3 for 'The BoxTrolls'

The third teaser trailer for LAIKA's The BoxTrolls has been released online. This trailer shows more footage with new music. It looks more lighter than the previous movies from LAIKA.

It is directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi. The film opens in September 26, 2014. Watch the previous trailers from The BoxTrolls_Teaser 1 and Teaser 2.

The World of Coraline

The world of Coraline is full of wonder and mystery. What makes the animated movies different from other fellow movies? We get introduced to unique worlds that only animated movies can do. There are worlds that don't give much of our attentions and there are worlds that we simply want to know more about. To be in that world.

Think about the first Ice Age. The world of Ice Age was something we never saw before. That is what made this film unique. We enjoyed watching Ice Age and all the adorable characters in that movie.

When I first watched How to Train Your Dragon I was captivated into the world of dragons and vikings. The atmosphere and the world where Hiccup lived was breathtaking. It was fresh and good that makes us want to live there and ride dragons.

In Coraline, we are in a world that is dark and scary. But at the same time it is a familiar place.

With amazing characters and an excellent story, Coraline is one of the best made stop-motion animated films so far.