13 Awesome Movies To Watch This Summer (Which Aren't Blockbusters)
4. Kubo & The Two Strings
Release Date: August 19
The Plot: In ancient Japan, young Kubo (Art Parkinson) lives an unassuming life with his mother... until a spirit swears revenge on Kubo and unleashes a fleet of monsters upon him. Kubo must then track down the magical suit of armour worn by his late Samurai father in order to protect himself and his mother.
Why It's Going To Be Awesome: It's the latest animated offering from Laika, the studio behind stop-motion hits Coraline, Paranorman and The Boxtrolls. Enough said.
Laika always serve up something pleasantly left-field, and from what we've seen so far, this looks no different. It should be a visually gorgeous, quirky spin on a familiar tale, and it doesn't hurt that the supporting cast includes a monkey sidekick played by Charlize Theron, and a guy in a beetle suit played by Matthew McConaughey. That's not to forget the presences of Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and George Takei either.
If this one isn't an immediate contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, we'd be shocked. This could easily be Laika's best work to date.