Whimsy can be a tough thing to intentionally pull off. Films who try to add a dose of whimsy to their stories often tumble into being too cutesy or precocious. Kubo and the Two Strings has the exact perfect dose of whimsy, and it does so because it instead focuses on storytelling and character relationships.

Before its release, a substantial amount of coverage of Pan has been based on the casting of Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily. While that can be used to highlight one of the troublesome practices in Hollywood, it also may lead at least some people to become disinterested in this film. As I found out for myself, that’s not the only …