“Style over substance” is a phrase that gets bandied about fairly often, but the problem with this as a descriptor is that it’s far too general.  

On the one hand, the phrase can refer to the films of Michael Bay, where the “style” is simply to pack the screen with as many explosions and hulks of metal as possible because you think “lots of stuff” somehow equals “interesting” rather than “nauseating.”  

On the other hand, though, are films like “Kubo and the Two Strings,” in which the animation and art style are visual treats, but the storytelling elements fall short despite some obvious artistic vision.  

“Kubo and the Two Strings,” which hit Netflix just this past weekend, is the directorial debut of Travis Knight and was produced by Laika, the stop-motion animation studio that made the likes of “Coraline” and “The Boxtrolls.” 

It’s the story of (who else) Kubo, a one-eyed boy who plays a magical shamisen (a traditional Japanese instrument with three strings). He’s warned by his mother to never do the thing, that thing being staying out after dark, lest his grandfather (the Moon King) try to take his other eye.  

It’s a movie, so of course Kubo does the thing, and now he must find his father’s missing set of armor to fight off the Moon King and his mother’s evil sisters. 

As is typical of Laika films, the animation is flawlessly executed and, honestly, a lot of fun. The action sequences are mesmerizing, and the settings are mystical, mysterious, and gorgeous.  

The story, though, is a bit of a mess, and much of what happens can only be explained by the phrase “for some reason.” 

An example: Kubo must acquire his missing father’s set of armor to fight the Moon King… for some reason.  

That is, the armor doesn’t seem all that special – the pieces are unbreakable, and… that’s all. Kubo’s most useful tool by far is his shamisen, so telling him he must fight with some extra-solid samurai gear doesn’t make much sense. 

So the central quest of the film is inherently flawed – and then there’s the issue that his grandfather wants to take his other eye… for some reason. A halfhearted explanation is given toward the end, but it’s hardly satisfying and makes little sense.  

There are other (more spoiler-y) examples, but this second one gets at another major flaw:  Almost every important development is overtly told to us over the course of the movie. There’s the bit about the eye, Kubo’s mother’s role in all of the goings-on, and, of course, what became of Kubo’s father.  

In all of these mysteries, there’s nothing for us to figure out – and that even applies to the overall themes of the movie, which are clunkily spoon-fed to us via dialogue.  

To paraphrase, Kubo says, “Memories are the most powerful magic!” And that’s all well and good as a theme, but we could have figured it out ourselves, I think. 

The rest of the dialogue is downright cringy at times. Sure, yes, the movie is ostensibly “for kids.” But the opening scene sees Kubo’s mother hit her head on a rock underwater – and actually bleed.  

The only other bleeding head wound I remember from a kids movie is when Dory gets hit with the mask in “Finding Nemo.” And she’s a fish. 

In other words, the dialogue creates awkward clashes with some of the more serious events happening onscreen.  

This is not to say a movie with darker visuals like “Kubo” must be devoid of humor and fun. But a filmmaker has to know where that fun belongs – and also what kind of humor contrasts too sharply in this setting, that kind being cheesy one-liners.  

Perhaps worse than the type of joke is the sheer volume sprinkled across the entire screenplay. It’s hard to get lost in the mystical and often foreboding atmosphere of “Kubo” when the mood is being regularly interrupted by groan-inducing jokes.  

“Kubo and the Two Strings” is a visual marvel, it’s true. And the film overall isn’t a bad one – I’d even say it’s generally worth watching. But the weak story and weaker dialogue detract from what might have otherwise been a phenomenal animated piece. 

“Kubo and the Two Strings,” rated PG, is currently streaming on Netflix and is available on DVD. Like my reviews? Give me a shout on Twitter at @MovieMuseSean