Nathaniel Nelson / Winonan

Every summer, there is always that one film that comes in at the end and makes the wait worth it. Rolling with and playing with popular conventions in an utterly unique way, these films often serve as stylistic end caps to the onslaught of massive blockbusters. In 2011, it was Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive,” with its fusion of art film stylings and action film brutality. In 2013, we got “You’re Next,” a smart, funny and completely terrifying play on the slasher film. After one of the worst summers for movies in recent memory, “Kubo and the Two Strings” arrives and redefines what animated movies can be, proving that a small team from Oregon can craft a film so full of wonder that even Disney cannot hope to compare.

“Kubo” is the newest film by Laika Studios, creator of “Coraline,” “ParaNorman” and “The Boxtrolls.” The film centers on a young child named Kubo (Art Parkinson) who, after escaping from his home with his mother (Charlize Theron), spends his days telling stories in the village square. With his abilities, he is able to visualize fantastic fables through origami models that come to life and perform to the tune of his shamisen, a Japanese three-stringed instrument. However, after disobeying his mother by staying out past sundown, he is thrown on a perilous journey through the world of his dreams.

Laika Studios is known for their incredible stop motion animation. Their previous films constantly improved on the last, with their animation growing steadily more complex. “Kubo,” on the other hand, is in a league of its own. It is not only the best animated stop motion film out there, but it is also one of the most beautiful films of the past 10 years. Pairing stop motion with CGI backgrounds allowed Laika to make sequences unparalleled in scale, tempting one to doubt their authenticity. The simple fact that these characters flying across the screen are puppets, shot frame by frame, is a testament to the talent of the team at Laika.

Typically, animated films are made for children. While the PG rating might persuade you otherwise, “Kubo and the Two Strings” is nothing of the sort. It wears its samurai film influences on its sleeves with reckless abandon. The story could have taken any number of paths, but it chose to follow a winding one of confusion and melancholy. The characters develop naturally, and instead of explaining the situation through dialogue, the film allows you to interpret and make connections yourself. Framed through the eyes of a child, the story takes turns that most studios would not dare, and drives the film into dark territories rarely seen in American animation. In many ways, “Kubo” is similar to the much-lauded films of Hayao Miyazaki. For one, the heavily Buddhist philosophy of the main characters is a welcome change of pace, and the themes come off as subtle and affecting rather than heavy-handed.

With Disney releasing a new musical every few years, music has become a staple of animated films. However, “Kubo” utilizes music first and foremost as a plot device, as those “Two Strings” of his play center stage in many of the film’s most extravagant sequences. But aside from the plot, the music helps to make the film something wholly unique. By focusing on Japanese aestheticism in both the music and the visuals, “Kubo” draws you into a world that is more like Kurosawa’s “Ran” than Disney’s “Frozen.” It quickly stops being a simple movie and becomes a full-blown experience, with an atmosphere that oozes style and completely draws you in.

“Kubo and the Two Strings” is without a doubt the best movie of the year, and one of the best animated movies to date. It is a mystical, engrossing, melancholic journey through the minds of some of the film industry’s finest. Its story is as somber as it is uplifting and its visuals are unparalleled in detail and beauty. Taking cues from Kurosawa and the other masters of Japanese cinema, Laika Studios and director Travis Knight have crafted a film that will be talked about for decades.