It seems Disney films are always one step ahead of the competition, especially when superheroes are involved, and with hits such as “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “The Avengers” and their newest “Big Hero 6”, Disney has the comic book movie genre on lockdown.
Based on the obscure Marvel comic book series of the same name, “Big Hero 6” follows the adventures of a 14-year-old techno-genius, Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), living in the somewhat futuristic city of San Fransokyo (an amusing and particularly unique cultural fusion of San Francisco and Tokyo).
The animation is unsurprisingly fantastic and despite a rushed and exposition-heavy beginning the film has a solid second and third act. However, there is a somewhat odd turn towards its end.
While well-executed the plot is about as run-of-the-mill as one could imagine: the troublesome protagonist Hiro isn’t living up to his potential, but the sudden death of a loved one inspires him to apply himself in order to defeat the looming threat which may in fact be responsible for said loved one’s death. And the reveal of a painfully obvious twist villain doesn’t help much.
The members of the eventual superhero team “Big Hero 6” include Hiro himself, as well as his group of friends based for the most part on typical supporting character default personalities: the perfectionist, the slacker, the bad-ass female and the hyper-active one. While these characters don’t fail to serve their purpose, a little more development would have been much appreciated.
The final member of the team, and undoubtedly the most entertaining and memorable character in the film, is Baymax, a robotic nurse turned superhero via a little reprogramming by Hiro. And thankfully the majority of the film focuses on the relationship between these two.
Even though Hiro programs Baymax with martial arts knowledge from all the best action movies and equips him with incredibly deadly technology, the well-mannered robot remains true to his original programming: a machine dedicated to the healing and well-being of humans, primarily his patient, Hiro.
The film is both endearing and comedic in the ways through which this automated aide helps Hiro through the grieving process, and the film never fails to deliver great action scenes later on. While nailing most emotional moments perfectly, the film still unfortunately falls short in one small instance—at a moment of desperation and overwhelming hardship, Hiro cries, “But he’s gone!” in regards to the aforementioned loved one. Despite their growing maturity and respect for the intelligence of their young audience, kid’s films still seem to feel if they use the word “dead,” the children watching will be traumatized for life. If the film would have taken that one extra step, it would have made the scene perfect.
Despite these minor flaws, the film is still excellently made and wildly entertaining. It may not be the most original film but it’s certainly an old story well told and far better than a lot of the mindless garbage made for children today. A film with the Disney seal of approval that both parents and kids can enjoy, “Big Hero 6” is definitely worth watching.