Kubo and the Two Strings Page #10

Monkey grabs at swords from the Odokuro’s skull and smashes *

them against the hand that is holding her. Each sword *

shatters on impact. *

Odokuro dangles Monkey over his awful maw, SCREAMING in

triumph, but before he can swallow her there’s another sound.

A melodic BIRD SONG, like we heard earlier, and it signals an *

entire flock of paper birds, fluttering out of the shadows

and circling Odokuro’s head in an angry squall.

Below on the temple floor, Kubo plays his shamisen for all he

is worth, maneuvering the origami assault while Beetle

watches on in disbelief.

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Odokuro stomps its giant feet down, narrowly missing Kubo. *

Beetle draws back his bow and challenges the creature.

The paper birds dive and swoop and Odokuro SHRIEKS with

frustration, swiping and swatting at them. *

Odokuro waves his arms, swatting birds out of the air. He

flails madly, dancing back and forth across the temple floor.

Kubo is in danger of being crushed by Odokuro’s stomping

feet, but Beetle throws himself through the air, covering *

Kubo as the Odokuro’s foot comes down. *

BEETLE *

Oh, foot! *

A beat, and then both Beetle and Kubo realize they’re

hovering a few feet above the floor. They are stunned to see

a pair of wings BUZZING out from beneath Beetle’s shell.

KUBO:

You can fly?!

BEETLE:

Apparently, yes!

Beetle is no less surprised but doesn’t waste any time. With

a quick flex of his new wing muscles, he rockets them further

up into the air, careening wildly towards the beast. *

Monkey watches, dumbfounded, as they crash upon the skull

beside her. *

Odokuro ROARS in outrage, as Kubo and Beetle pull at the *

remaining swords, frantically trying to find the real deal.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

Are you sure it isn’t the Sword

Unfindable?

Beetle’s hand grabs a hilt that will not budge. He gives it a

tug, but the blade is stuck tight. *

BEETLE (CONT’D)

I think I found it!

He pulls at it again. And again. With increasing effort. He *

turns over his shoulder and YELLS, his voice cracking.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

A HAND HERE!?! ANYONE!?

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And suddenly Odokuro’s skeletal hand obliges, snatching him *

up in its bony fingers, leaving Kubo alone upon the *

creature’s skull. *

BEETLE (CONT’D) *

Ah! That’s not what I meant. *

Odokuro gleefully squeezes Beetle and Monkey in each hand,

giving a victorious HOWL as it lifts them towards its opening

mouth. *

Kubo reaches for the sword but is thrown into the air by the *

Odokuro’s movements. *

MONKEY:

Kubo!

As Kubo is flying through the air, an arrow zips by and pins *

his robe to the wall, saving him from the fall. *

Kubo’s robe starts to rip and he begins to fall again. Monkey *

frees herself from the beast’s grip and races up the skeleton *

to save Kubo. Just before she gets to him, the Odokuro’s hand *

grabs her again. *

MONKEY (CONT’D) *

Kubo! *

KUBO *

Monkey! *

Kubo’s robe rips fully and he falls towards the ground far *

below. *

MONKEY *

No! *

BEETLE *

Kubo! *

Kubo falls and lands on the Odokuro’s skull. He begins *

smashing every hilt lodged in the skull until he finds the *

Sword Unbreakable and gives it a hard pull, finally yanking *

it free.

Odokuro suddenly stops in his tracks, looking confused. Both

Monkey and Beetle look up and see Kubo standing victorious,

the Sword Unbreakable in his hand. *

BEETLE (CONT’D)

Thank goodness that’s over.

The Odokuro begins coming apart, bone by bone, as if the

sword was the linchpin that was holding it all together!

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Kubo’s smile of satisfaction quickly fades as he realizes the

monster is literally crumbling beneath his feet, and he’s a

really long way up...

In a rain of broken bones that CRASH to the ground, our *

heroes topple helplessly down. *

(2200 ATS) ARGUMENT ON THE SHORE *

EXT. THE LONG LAKE SHORE - DAY

Beetle, carrying Monkey and Kubo, flies out of the Hall of

Bones and crash lands on the beach below.

Beetle lies on his side as Monkey squats behind him, slapping

mud and leaves onto his wounded wings as a bandage. Little

Hanzo sits on the horned crest of his helmet, swaying every

time Beetle winces.

They are on the shore of a vast lake that stretches so far

into the distance that it’s hard to pick out the horizon from

the sky. All around, great barnacle-encrusted driftwood

wrecks tell tales of feckless fishermen dashed against the

rocks.

BEETLE:

Everything...turning...black...

MONKEY:

Then open your eyes.

BEETLE:

Uh oh. I can’t feel my wings.

MONKEY:

You didn’t even know you had them

five minutes ago. Stop wriggling.

There... is that feeling better?

Beetle squirms under her touch, like she’s giving him a

massage.

BEETLE:

Yeah, a little to the left. Down

just a bit. Right there. That’s

good.

A surprising thought dawns on him.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

You’re being nice to me.

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MONKEY:

Shh. Don’t tell anyone.

Seeing Beetle is awake, Kubo runs excitedly along the water’s

edge, waving the Sword Unbreakable above his head and

shouting.

KUBO:

We did it, Beetle! We got the

sword!

Monkey eyes him sidelong as she finishes dressing Beetle’s

wounds.

MONKEY:

Put that down, it’s sharp.

Kubo makes a face behind her back and kicks his feet through

the loose pebbles at the water’s edge.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

Okay. We’re done here. Get up.

She slaps Beetle gently on the back and he winces with pain.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

We have a lot of walking to do.

BEETLE *

You can’t be serious.

MONKEY *

I’m always serious.

Kubo GROANS.

KUBO:

Are you two going to fight again?

MONKEY:

Of course not! We just need to have

a grown-up conversation.

KUBO:

You’re going to fight again.

BEETLE:

Kubo, just go over there and...

uh... play with something.

Kubo picks up the Sword Unbreakable.

MONKEY:

Not that.

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He grabs his shamisen instead and stomps away, sitting down

upon a rock where he PLUCKS moodily at the strings.

Beetle turns back to Monkey and HISSES quietly.

BEETLE:

Monkey, this is the Long Lake. We

can’t walk around it! We need to

swim across. I can carry Kubo...

Monkey cuts him off.

MONKEY:

“Carry Kubo”?! That’s your better

idea? Look, I appreciate your help,

I really do, but when it comes to

the boy, I know what’s best.

BEETLE:

Is that right?

MONKEY:

And what’s best is to not be *

fielding ideas from a talking *

cockroach. *

BEETLE:

This coming from the talking *

monkey.

KUBO (O.S.)

I can still hear you, y’know. *

MONKEY:

Then play louder.

Kubo scowls. His fingers dance across the strings. Unseen by *

Monkey and Beetle, some of the scattered leaves and twigs *

begin to wobble and shift and rise off the ground.

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes