This Is Why you Need Origami In Your Life

I have fond memories of trying my hand at origami, but sadly, I was never a natural at the art of Japanese paper folding.

My paper hats would come out lop-sided and at the precise moment the instructions called for anything to be inverted, I suffered a minor brain fart. There was a stage where I could make the perfect fortune-telling device that would tell my tweenaged friends how many babies they would have when they grew up.

But fast forward a few decades when my preschoolers were invited to a pirate fancy dress event and my attempt at an origami captain’s hat would have left Jack Sparrow choking on his rum. Even Google couldn’t save me as this time it was not symmetry that was my issue, but rather my lack of concept of proportions. A huge double spread of newspaper would make a hat barely able to fit atop my 18-month-old son’s head.

Luckily for me, he was not yet at the point of recognising how ridiculous he looked, so he proudly (okay, that might be exaggerating) wore his ‘pirate’ hat for all of 30 seconds before it blew off his head.

In my mind, it was mission accomplished.

On the other hand, my husband has thrilled the kids with his talents by making boats out of paper that can float and became somewhat of a magician in their eyes when he made a cup that could hold water.

Damn him.

But even those skills, so highly coveted by our easily-impressed preschoolers, are infinitesimal compared to what the masters of origami can conjure up. They can literally transform simple pieces of paper into anything you can imagine, from animals to superheroes, buildings, planes and yes even Pikachu. And if you think us mortals are pretty clever when it comes to paper flair, wait until you see what can be done with magic on your side.

The release of the latest LAIKA movie masterpiece Kubo and the Two Strings this month will have you looking at origami in a completely new light. The stop-motion epic adventure follows 12-year old Kubo, voiced by Art Parkinson aka Rickon Stark from Game of Thrones, as he grows up in a fantastical version of ancient Japan, where origami comes to life when the right melody is played on a magical shamisen. A shamisen is a Japanese folk instrument, similar to an American banjo with three strings.

Kubo paves out a relatively quiet existence as a storyteller in a seaside town, but his world is turned upside down when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past. The spirit storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta and Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known.

It is the power of origami that will help Kubo battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara)  to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Although we don’t have any magical instruments on our side (I’m pretty sure that will lead to a disqualification), Universal Pictures Australia is calling for anyone who has ever folded a piece of paper into something imaginative to channel their inner origami master and enter their Kreate With Kubo competition.

More than just glory awaits the chosen few, with 20 family passes for two adults and two children to see the film.

Entering is as simple as uploading a photo of your origami masterpiece to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #KreatewithKubo.

While Kubo’s quest begins on August 18, yours can begin now.

Competition open to Australian residents only. One entry per person per day. Competition will be judged on creativity, the most creative entry will win! Competition closes September 4th 11:59pm.

Be bold. Be brave. Be epic.

© 2016 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved

Kubo and the Two Strings is rated PG