It’s been a treat watching stop-motion animated films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline and Paranormal in 4K UHD. Movie screens already highlighted the detail of those worlds, but 4K especially brings it more intimately into your home. So, there was more to see with Laika’s Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings.
The Boxtrolls reflects my experience with the three above. You see the detail in the characters and sets in a clarity as close to being on set as possible through a camera. The cobblestone city and vast Boxtroll lair especially exhibit this.
The film also has unique atmosphere, with fog wafting over the night. There are lots of deep shadows which of course are 4K’s specialty to preserve the pure darkness. Daylight scenes give glamour lighting to any characters who show up during the day.
But Kubo and the Two Strings is a more epic story. With Kubo, Laika expanded the worlds it could present in stop-motion. No longer limited to contained locations, they capture the vast ocean and even water boiling. Kubo and his companions wade through a blizzard. The snow in their hair is a nice touch.
The widescreen frame is packed with detail. Woven baskets, paper dragons, sand, wood, stone and cloth all have palpable texture. Kubo’s origami figures make distinct sharp lines against that backdrop.
So that’s the first four Laika movies. Hopefully they still upgrade Missing Link to 4K because that’s my second favorite one after Paranorman.