Travis Knight directs Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson and Matthew McConaughey in this animated tale of a child warrior trying to outrun the clutches of his black magical extended family.

Visually this is mighty impressive stuff, with rarely a beat passing that isn’t sumptuous, kinetic and lovingly crafted. But as adventure romps go it can be slow moving and slightly alienating, the humour is also obvious and falls flat. The level of care and detail that has gone into Kubo gives me pause, it is a finely manufactured piece of fantasy cinema – undeniably so. As with so much animated product these days, I just did not connect with it on a personal level.

5