Review: Big Hero 6

Genre: Animation | Action | Comedy
Directed by: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Starring: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Jamie Chung
Written by: Don Hall (story), Jordan Roberts (story

Synopsis: The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes. (c) Imdb

Disney is back. With the huge success of Frozen, they follow it up with another potential blockbuster in Big Hero 6. The story takes place in a fictional town of San Fransokyo, yea it’s what happens if you were to blend San Francisco with Tokyo. It’s a cool looking town by all accounts, more on that later. Hiro Hamada is a technology wiz kid. He emulates his older brother Tadashi who is an inventor that’s attending a prestigious technology school that Hiro wants to be a part of. An accident that kills Tadashi, turns Hiro’s life upside down. It’s when he discovers Tadashi’s prized invention Baymax, that inspires Hiro to to get out of his funk. An evil masked man attempts to steal Hiro’s invention idea, forces Hiro to team up with Baymax and his friends to get back his creation.

The imagery is stunning and flawless. The town of San Fransokyo looks amazing. There are skyscrapers, the bridge, mountains, valleys, far away forests, and bodies of water surrounding this fantasy city. The city billboards read in English and Japanese. You can’t quite figure out where this ward the characters live in might be at. The graphics are arguably the best seen from Walt Disney Animation Studios. They have taken the art concept from Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen and expanded on it with Big Hero 6, it’s quite the visual feat.

Mini Avengers

The characters are very likable. Hiro is like a typical teenage boy, lively, anxious, happy, and snarky. Tadashi is a compassionate, smart, and protective brother. The heart of the film is the Michelin Man-like Baymax. He is Tadashi’s prized creation, that Hiro ends up inheriting unexpectedly. Bymax was created to be robotic healthcare provider that will change the future of healthcare. Baymax is an adorable character. He is Hiro’s companion and health advisor. Baymax is the most endearing animated character since WALL-E. There is an abundance of humor filled scenes where Baymax tries to medically diagnose every problem Hiro. There is a scene where Baymax describes puberty to Hiro, this is the sort of scene that adults will get a kick out of, and the kids might not be able to grasp. There are certain gags in that push the Disney limits.

In addition to Baymax, Hiro has a tight-knit group of friends at his side. They compromise the 6 that’s mentioned in the film’s title. This goofy bunch are his companions that help him get through the loss of his brother and help him fight off the evil masked man. One mistake that Disney made was making the Honey Lemon character (voiced by Genesis Rodriguez) appear rail thin. In a society that has an issue where anorexia is an issue with teens and young adults, it doesn’t serve a purpose to have a character look like a twig in comparison to the other ones. There is some poking fun of Baymax being overweight and not being able to fit into things. Weight seems to be a noticeable trend in this film, and there is no reason for it.

Big Hero 6 is Avengers for kids. It’s the first Disney movie that has a heavy Marvel influence. There is more shooting, explosion, flying action than any Disney movie to date. It’s as much an action film as it is anything else. Disney keeps nudging the viewer of this throughout the film. There is a strong link to Stan Lee. The attempt of making it Avengers-lite for kids is a nice and new touch for Disney. It could be a start of a new animated action trend in years to come.

Big Hero 6 is a fun movie for everyone. It’s not not only a thrill ride for the kids, the adults and teens will love this film also. This film has it all. Action, comedy, stunning animation, and heartwarming. Disney has created an endearing star character in Baymax that everyone is going to love. The most impressive aspect might be the layered story lines that add up to an outstanding film that’s a must-see for all age groups. Marvel fans will get a kick out of the numerous mini easter eggs included. Don’t leave when the credits start rolling, there is a great bonus post-credits scene for all the Marvel lovers.