Kubo and The Two Strings in Dolby Cinema Review - Laika Brings Us One of The Best Films of The Year

Monday night Kristen and I were able to attend the launch of the newest Dolby Cinema at AMC located at the AMC Del Amo 18. We also got to attend a Dolby Cinema Master Class and then see an advanced screening of Kubo and The Two Strings. As many of you know I am a huge fan of Dolby Cinema and continue to be blown away by the immersive cinematic experience that it provides.

For those of you not familiar with Dolby Cinema, there are three key components:

1. Dolby Vision - powerful dual-4K laser projection creating the most realistic images ever

2. Dolby Atmos - a reference quality sound system that moves audio around the theater in sync with the action to create a more immersive experience. There are 5 in-screen speakers with 48 surround speakers, 4 ceiling mounted subwoofers and in-seat transducers for extra rumble. 

3. Design - premium seating, a room painted matte black to reduce ambient lighting and a large curved wall-to-wall-to-ceiling screen to make the movie going experience immersive and memorable.

So now that you know a little bit more about Dolby Cinema, let's take a look at a behind the scenes featurette for Kubo and The Two Strings:

'Kubo and The Two Strings' in Dolby Cinema from Dolby Laboratories on Vimeo.

Now that you have taken a behind the scenes look into Kubo and The Two Strings, let's get into the movie review.

Kubo and The Two Strings is the latest stop motion animated film from the brilliant and creative minds at Laika. If you have seen Coraline, Paranorman or The Boxtrolls then you have seen Laika's work. I loved the first three films by Laika but Kubo and The Two Strings is the best by far.

Kubo and The Two Strings takes place in ancient Japan and is filled with powerful storytelling and visuals. The story surrounds Kubo, a young boy who lives with his mother. He spends his days entertaining the villagers with his story about a legendary warrior and his quest for a sword, a helmet and a breastplate that will make him invincible. Kubo tells his tale through origami figures that he magically brings to life with the use of his shamisen. Right when Kubo nears the end of the story, the town bell rings announcing that it is almost nightfall and Kubo must return home.

But one night Kubo doesn't return home before nightfall and he is taken away on a quest to find the armor. Kubo isn't alone on his quest as he is aided by an overly protective monkey and a brave samurai beetle. And in hot pursuit is the Moon King and two masked demons who are also his daughters. Without giving too much away, the enemy is part of Kubo's family and the story has some very unexpected twists and turns. As Kubo says in the very beginning of the movie, pay attention to everything.

The film is pure eye candy and is even more stunning in Dolby Cinema. You forget that you are watching painstaking stop-motion animation. The storyline is superb with a perfect blend of humor with an amazingly deep story about after-life mythology and lost loved ones.

Kubo and The Two Strings is a fully immersive experience in Dolby Cinema. The score emotionally pulls you into the movie with it's pure audio clarity. The sound effects literally float around you and further add to the experience. Wait until you hear the haunting voices of the masked demons. You will literally feel them around you. Then add flawless video with every detail being crisp and sharp. There is zero quality loss. This is what Dolby Cinema brings to the table, a full immersive movie going experience that is second to none. I cannot wait to see Kubo and The Two Strings again but I will only watch it in Dolby Cinema.

Kubo and The Two Strings is not only one of the best animated films of the year but also one of the best films of the year. I cannot wait to see what Laika brings us next.

Movie Review: Into The Woods

One of my favorite musicals is coming to the big screen in a major way. The musical adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods opens in theaters on Christmas Day.

There have been several false starts by other directors, but this time, Director Rob Marshall is the right person to bring this musical to life on film. After all, Marshall was the director of the Best Picture Oscar winner Chicago, the last musical to bring home the Academy's top prize.

Right from the opening number, which sets up the tale of why all of our characters are venturing forth Into The Woods, we are off on an epic journey.

The musical follows the classic fairy tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and The Beanstalk and Rapunzel all weaved together with an original tale of a baker and his wife who are trying to have a child and a witch who has placed a curse on them.

Many times when a musical comes to the screen, the director chooses to space the songs and scenes differently than the stage blocking and that takes away from the story's stage roots. For instance, instead of allowing a character to sing their solo, the director has that character move around in the world around them, Or instead of having what amounts to a wide shot like on the stage, the director uses the close-up for the film. But Marshall knows when to let the big songs just break free and when to focus on the drama. This allows for a great transition between the darkness of the story as well as the magic.

The movie is superbly acted and moves along swiftly. If a film deserves a win for best ensemble it is this film. This cast supports one another. If there is a lead, then it is James Corden, who plays the Baker, along with his wife, who is played to perfection by Emily Blunt. Meryl Streep is a shoe-in for her 19th Oscar nomination, but this time for a supporting role as the witch. Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick are solid here as well. I had no idea that Chris Pine can sing! Plus, you will fall in love with Lillia Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood and Daniel Huttlestone who plays Jack. Johnny Depp is the wolf, but is only in the movie for a few minutes, but he does sing one of the darkest songs in the entire musical.

I was worried that this movie would not remain as dark as the stage show but Disney allowed this film to retain much of its darker tones. There are some creative changes but I think fans of the stage show will agree that this film plays out to the audience.

I expect Into The Woods to rack up the nominations come award season. Spectacular performances combined with stunning sets and costumes make this the musical, no, the film of the holiday season!

How does this all end? Will there be a happy ending for everyone involved? Well, in order to find out, you must venture Into The Woods!

Media Screening: The Lone Ranger Review!

Return with us to those thrilling days of yesteryear and a mighty Hi, Ho Silver Away! With that iconic phrase, white hat and his trusty horse Silver, The Lone Ranger and his friend Tonto ride into theaters!

As a huge fan of the radio show, I could not wait to see the movie!And they did a great job of sticking as close to the origin story as possible! The story of how the two heroes comes together is different from the radio show but fits in the context of the film! 

Casting is mostly a hit here! Armie Hammer plays John Reid perhaps a bit too goofy but is still a great choice to be the masked man! Johnny Depp plays a great Tonto and the movie seems to be geared to the fans liking him more than The Lone Ranger himself.

James Badge Dale (seen here on the right) in perfect as John's older brother Dan Reid, a tough Texas Ranger.

Ruth Wilson as Dan's wife Rebecca is also great as a strong frontier woman.

But my favorite characters are Tom Wilkinson, who plays railroad baron Latham Cole and William Fitchner, who plays Butch Cavendish a notorious outlaw.

Cavendish is one of the best villans I have seen in a long time. He ranks up their with some of the best villans in the Indiana Jones movies. He is someone so bad you just love to hate him!
The movie opens in an unusual way but I loved it. It opens in San Francisco in 1933 (the same year the radio series started by the way) in a traveling fair. A young boy dressed in cowboy gear and black mask pays to see the Wild West exhibit that promises to show him how the West really was. This is a great setup to tell a tale through flashbacks and we are off on our adventure!

And what an adventure it is! The scope of the film is vast and epic. Monument Valley, the setting for so many great westerns, is as majestic as ever. The action is fast and furious and almost non-stop! Wait until you see the amazing train sequence in the third act!

Such a highly entertaining movie! If you are looking for a film with high adventure, tons of action, a lot of humor and stays true to the fun and excitement of the old west then look no further! I have already seen it twice and look forward to seeing it at least one more time!

Hi Ho Silver, away!