Favorites of 2014- Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney

Directed by: Don Hall and Chris Williams

Plot Summary: 14-year-old robotics genius Hiro Hamada is encouraged by his older brother Tadashi to apply at the robotics lab in his university. In order to get in, Hiro presents his microbots invention at the school's science fair. Hiro's invention impresses many and he is accepted into the university. Later that night, a fire breaks out at the university, and Tadashi is killed in the fire trying to help clear people out of the building. Several weeks later, Hiro accidentally activates Baymax, a healthcare robot invented by Tadashi before his death. Following Hiro's last microbot, Baymax leads Hiro to an abandoned warehouse full of microbots and are attacked by a man in a Kabuki mask controlling the microbots. Suspicious that the masked man started the fire to steal the microbots, Hiro plans to give him, Baymax, and their friends superhero upgrades in order to catch the masked man, retrieve the microbots, and avenge Tadashi's death.

So, now we come to the film that won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards last year: Big Hero 6. Based on a Marvel Comics property, the film was riding the coattails of the success of Frozen (don't get me started on that film....I'll tackle that overrated tripe someday) and was Disney's first animated superhero film since The Incredibles, so there was a LOT to live up to. Considering its Oscar win this previous year, you would think that it was able to live up to the hype. In many ways, it did. But, fast forward a few months, and people kind of forgot about it. People were still talking about how The Lego Movie was snubbed at the Oscars. People were still going crazy over Frozen. Big Hero 6 wowed people for a couple of weeks, but then it kind of became an afterthought. And I'm here to say that the film does not deserve that kind of treatment. Big Hero 6 was a fantastic film, had some amazing characters, had breathtaking animation, and deserves to be remembered as one of the better animated movies Disney has put out in quite some time.

The main protagonist of Big Hero 6 is Hiro Hamada, voiced by Ryan Potter. Hiro's biggest strength in the film is his mind. Being sort of a young Tony Stark, Hiro has all the skills necessary to be the next great inventor, yet he's still a kid who wants to do childish things like scam and hustle people for cash (kids want to do that right?). His older brother Tadashi, voiced by Daniel Henney, serves as a role model and conscience for Hiro to look up to. Like nearly EVERY Disney film out there, they don't have the traditional family upbringing. While they live with their Aunt Cass, voiced by Maya Rudolph, Tadashi takes it upon himself to be looking out for Hiro to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. It is because of Tadashi that Hiro wants to apply to the university, so he really is a great brother character that this film did correctly.

Hiro forms an amazing friendship with Baymax, voiced by Scott Adsit. Baymax is AWESOME! He is awkward. He is hilarious. He is huggable. He will make you cry. WHO DOESN'T WANT A BAYMAX!?!?! He has easily become the iconic image of the film, and rightfully so. He is one of the most unique robot designs we have seen in film thus far, because there isn't much complexity with it. He is a large, white robot with blank, black eyes. He isn't very fast, and really gets in the way for the first act of the film. When Hiro gives him an upgrade, he is much more functional and becomes an action hero we would love to have on our side. Adsit's voice is so soothing as Baymax, and you will be quoting him for weeks after seeing this film.

Hiro and Baymax receive some help from their friends to save the day, including GoGo Tomago, voiced by Jamie Chung. GoGo has all the rebellious attitude that a loner would have, but is still able to pal and joke around with the rest of the group. Honey Lemon, voiced by Génesis Rodríguez, is a very energetic and bubbly character in the group. Yes, she can get very annoying from time to time (did anyone else hate hearing her say Hiro's name?), but she makes up for it with her brilliant and inventive mind. Damon Wayans Jr. voices Wasabi, a character who despite his intimidating size, is actually very timid and obsessive compulsive. Often quick to panic about the chaos around them, Wasabi is hilarious because many would probably be like him in that situation. A great comedic foil for him is in the character of Fred, voiced by T.J. Miller. Fred's a comic-book fan (and possible stoner?) and absolutely jumps at the chance to be a real-life superhero (even if his methods are not scientifically possible). That's the other side of the coin for an audience member in this situation like this. Many would LOVE the chance to save the world as a superhero, and that's why Fred's one of the more popular characters in this film.

I'm not going to spend too much time on the animation because it's Disney, and they won an Oscar. Of course the animation is going to be top notch. The animation and creativity put in this film is amazing. It was like watching a comic book or Japanese anime come to life through Disney animation. Just look at the effects used to bring San Fransokyo to life. Look at how polished the fluid the animation is in the actions scenes. If we are looking PURELY at the animation quality, it's easy to see how Big Hero 6 could have won Best Animated Feature.

It's been about 7 months since Big Hero 6 came out, and the question remains what kind of legacy this film will have on the history of animation. The film definitely dealt with some dark stuff, while also providing a fun, family film, but that's what people would expect from Disney. Baymax and Hiro are memorable and well-marketed characters, but other than that, there's a lot of people that have moved on from the film. Yet, people are still talking about The Lego Movie for what new things it brought to the table in animation. Even worse, people are STILL talking about Frozen over this film (Grrrr.....). Hopefully, this film can find its footing in animation history, because it certainly deserves the recognition.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Big Hero 6 was a very entertaining film to watch. The characters were all memorable and relatable, and the animation was superb in delivering action-packed scenes and beautiful scenery. I recommend this film for all families and fans of comics and anime to own in their collection. And with that, I can gladly say that I am satisfied with my care.

Big Hero 6 and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures