Kubo and the Two Strings Review

Today was movie day with my dad. Like the last three weeks we go on Tuesday to see a movie shown at one of the local theaters. Today’s pick was between Ben-Kur and Kubo and the Two Strings. Kubo won based on the reviews we read.

Kubo-and-the-Two-Strings-international-poster

Now we showed up to the theater a little later than we meant to and that meant that we had to find seats in the dark. I did not mind, but my dad likes specific seats in the Sam’s Town theater.

We sit down and watch the last five minutes of previews. Nothing all that wowing to see coming up on the big screen.

The opening scene was very dark, but set the mood for the movie. This is a tragedy, but it has a sort of happy ending.

Kubo’s mother is a daughter the Moon King. His father’s name is Hanzo, a samurai who won his mother’s heart, only after she had been sent to kill him. A minor detail, but I digress.

Kubo’s mother is fleeing from her father and two sisters. Her father has stolen Kubo’s left eye out of rage. Apparently falling in love with the guy you were ordered to kill by your father is a really big no no in this family.

Eleven years pass, though we don’t have a very stick idea of time. The movie shows an older boy, one who can walk, talk, and play a three stringed guitar. Oh by the way the guitar or Kubo, I never really figured out which, has the power to make origami come to life and help him act out stories.

Kubo’s mother is not well, after she escapes she has trouble remembering who Kubo is and the story of her husband Hanzo. She tells the stories of his daring deeds, but she cannot remember the ending.

She warns Kubo, he must never loose his monkey charm, never stay out past sunset, and always come home.

Kubo is a good son, but one day, he breaks his promise. He learns about the festivle in the village. The people make lanterns and pray to the souls of those they have lost. Them they help send them on to the next place.

Kubo hopes that he can talk to his father this way, but when it does not work and he stays out too late, his aunts find him.

Kubo inadvertently destroys the village by not listening to his mother. Also his mother dies protecting him.

Kubo wakes to a talking monkey. Very strange, but it is a story so I guess anything can happen.

The monkey explains that the only way to keep him safe from his Grandfather and Aunts is to find his father’s armor.

Seems easy enough, but this armor has been lost and split up for years. When he asks the monkey where it is, the answer is, I don’t know. Helpful, I know.

A shadow has found them and steals Kubo away, or so we think.

The Monkey finds a Beetle who cannot remember anything talking to the oragmi man Kubo made who is supposed to be his father.

Beetle and Monkey help find the armor, but at the cost of something so dear.

Kubo must fight his grandfather, The Moon King. Who is a jealous and cruel man. But when Kubo wins, the Moon King does not die. He becomes a man, lost and confused. The villagers help to tell a new story instead of telling him who he had been. They help him write a new story.

Kubo helps as well. He may not have a lot of family, but he at least has his grandfather.

Now, I enjoyed the story. It was well paced and well told. I enjoyed that not everything was explained. The reader has the ability to imagine what might have happened after the end.

Now that being said, I do not believe that this is solely a children’s movie. I am not a child and neither is my father. We both enjoyed the movie for what it was. A great story.

The plot is easy to follow and the darkness of the Moon King and the Aunts is a little terrifying, but not overly scary. You understand that the darkness is also a play on what the Moon King and the Aunts are incapable of. They cannot see the light or love. All they fear is death, why they want to be blind to the soul.

Kubo, though so young, shows that being hard and cold leads only to being alone. Truly the Moon King, as he had been, was alone with all of his daughters gone. He tries to control Kubo the same way he controlled them. With fear.

Kubo is too strong for that. He has seen the power of love and understands that love is the most powerful way to live. To see humanity and be a part of it. That is worth more than immortality.

This is a wonderful story about becoming who you want to be, even against what appears to be impossible odds. Truly a marvelous story.

Reflections on my First Week in Paradise Palms

One week, that’s how long I’ve lived in Paradise Palms, Las Vegas. New people, new places, and lots of heat. A big change from the muggy and humid world of Iowa and the Midwest.

Now I live in what is called the “hippest neighborhood in the coolest city”. After last night I can see why.

My dad pulled me aside earlier this week amidst my unpacking and job hunting to tell me about this social happening on Saturday.

“Do you want to go?” he looks at me as if I’m going to say no. I think to myself I have two options and they are as follows: I can go and be social and meet new people. Or I can stay home where I am about to go nuts because I have nothing to do.

Needless to say I decided that I was going to be social and meet some of my new neighbors.

Two nice people invited my dad and me over the day after I moved in. Tom and Amy are wonderful people who are dear friends of my dad. Amy took me under her wing and told me a little about living in Sin City. How the town works, what looking for job is like, and other things that a small town person like myself needs to know.

I spend the majority of my time trying to acclimate myself to my new surroundings. It’s not like college where everyone is roughly my age and we all have the prepared mantra of questions. What’s your name, what are you studying, where are you from, what year are you, etc. These questions I know will not help me understand who these people are.

Surprisingly, on Friday Dad gets an invite to another party. “These are two of the nicest people.” I’m now looking for any excuse to get out of the house.

We drive to this house and I met Ben and Tania. I was not disappointed in their openness and kindness toward me. “Welcome to Paradise Palms.”

Tania talks to me about how my job hunt is going and I’m not surprised when I learn it can take months to break in here. I’m discouraged but not beaten.

“What are you interested in?” Tania asks me with genuine interest. I was not expecting to be shunned because I am so young, but I was happily impressed with how much these, to me, completely new people wanted to help me. I voiced my surprise to which I was met with a kind smile.

“We are a family here. If you need something all you have to do is ask.” I smiled back myself.

I had this picture my dad had painted for me of these people: kind, nice, helpful, and fun.

Then I had my ideas about Las Vegas: Elvis, weddings, gambling, shows, drugs, and everything else that movies and books portray it as.

I saw things that were left out of my dad’s description of these people: open, loving, warm, and generous. They opened their home to a complete stranger, yes they know my dad, but they still were willing to offer help to me.

Many asked me if I was going to be at the party the next day. I replied that yes I would be there, but I did not hide my nervousness. By my own admission, a shy and reserved person when introduced into a large group. Thought still not sure I am supposed to do. Small groups or single people I am much more relaxed.

They reassured me that most of the people at this party would be at the one the next day. That made me feel a little bit better, but I was still wary.

A wonderful couple Dan and Jim, told me about all of these writers in the neighborhood and said they would introduce me the next day.

Saturday comes and I am not sure about this party so much anymore. I am trying to be calm, but inside my knees are shaking and my stomach is churning.

The host, a rambunctious woman named Sue, greets me kindly but embraces my dad like they were Kindergarten classmates. She ushers us into the house were I am greeted with by dozen faces, none of which look at all familiar from night before. Dad goes off and talks to his friends and I am standing rather awkwardly next to the bar trying not to look as nervous as I feel.

A housemate of Sue’s, Casey, comes up to me. “I haven’t see you before.” He was polite and very sweet, but I could see he wasn’t sure who I was or why I was there. I introduced myself and pointed at my dad, “I’m his daughter.”

Recognition of my older brother and the news that I was moving into my dad’s was coming back to him. I was then swept through a whirl wind of introductions. Trying my best to mingle and now be nervous.

I was introduced to several of the writers at the party. Many people were wondering how I was going to break into the writing business. I said it will take a little bit of time, but for right now I just want a job, preferably one that allows me to use my degree.

I had so many more people say, “I have a friend who works in this department for this company. I’ll see if they are hiring and put in a word for you, if you want?”

I may be young, but I am not so proud and foolish to turn down extended hands of help when they are offered.

Many told me about their experiences trying to find jobs as well as their willingness to help me in my search.

Paradise Palms truly did surprise me, but not in the way you would expect. It is a family not just a community and for that I am happy that I live here.

Welcome!

Here we go a Writing!

This is my blog where I post projects I am working on. I will as talk about how I set up my plots, build characters, and delve into world building.

This is my world and how I have built it up and created the backstories for each character.

I focus in Sci-Fiction and Fantasy. These are my main genres but I also dabble in others.

A  graduate of the University of Iowa in the prestigious English and Writing program. For more information on Iowa and the program look here.

Enjoy the view and I’ll be back soon.