“Big Hero 6” is far from what you expect but everything that you want in a Disney movie. The acquisition of Marvel allowed Disney to bring this comic book superhero team to the big screen. As the oversaturation of the superhero market has become unbearable over the past few years (what are we on, Iron Man 4 and the third reboot of Spiderman?), my skepticism towards this film grew; however, leave it to Disney to create something entirely unique while everybody else continually copies each other. The unique approach begins with the hybrid city of San Fransokyo. This futuristic combination of San Francisco and Tokyo is an excellent backdrop for car chases, back-alley bot fights, and mysterious islands. While the majority of Disney films take place long ago, “Big Hero 6” thrives on technology, gadgets, and the genius of its graduated-high-school-at-age-13 hero, Hiro. The film’s villain is very real but the heart of the story lies within Hiro as he fights an internal battle between good and evil. Disney even defies expectation by dreaming up an unconventional robot that is soft-spoken, endearing, and symbolic of the positive example set by Hiro’s older brother. I had no idea how Baymax (the robot) could possibly fit into a Disney story, but he is utilized very well in Hiro’s transformation and great for comic relief. Also, I have to mention the stunning animation. Everything from the fast-paced action sequences to Hiro's hair possesses the details that we expect of Disney. It was hard to imagine how Disney would follow up the unprecedented success of “Frozen,” but their total change of pace was a great decision. For as entertaining as this film was, there certainly were shortcomings. First, it often felt like the same joke was recycled throughout the movie. You can only point out Baymax’s awkward size so many times, and his low battery-drunkenness went on for at least 3 minutes too long. Still, the writers did a good job of developing the personalities of the four friends and only using their quirks sporadically as the story progressed. Fred is a really awesome character. Second, the voice acting was just average. After incredible performances in “Frozen” by Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and all of the others, these voice actors seemed pretty average. Lastly, it just didn’t have the magic that makes a Disney classic (the spaghetti in “Lady in the Tramp,” the flying lanterns in “Tangled,” the kiss in “Sleeping Beauty”). This film will entertain children for generations to come, but don’t expect a featured ride in Disney World. While it won’t be topping my list of favorite Disney films, “Big Hero 6” had me laughing much more than I expected, giddy at the unexpected twists, and loving each sentimental family moment.
[Pictured: Disney does everything right, even futuristic technology and robots]
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