Fandango Synopsis:
“When a criminal plot threatens the hi-tech metropolis of San Fransokyo, brilliant young robotics whiz Hiro Hamada (voice of Ryan Potter) leaps into action with his tech-savvy friends, and his robot companion Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit) in Disney Animation’s adaptation of the popular Marvel Comics series.”
Cast/Characters:
Big Hero 6 boasts a very solid crew of actors voicing the characters. T.J Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Alan Tudyk, and Maya Rudolf just to drop some of the more familiar names. The main character is Hiro Hamada, a teen-genius with a penchant for mischief, is voiced by Ryan Potter, whose most high-profile project prior to this was the Nickelodeon show Supah Ninjas. I’ll be willing to bet that we see more of Ryan from now on. While Miller and Wayans Jr. definitely bring some comedy to the table, the real stand-out of this film is Baymax, voiced by 30 Rock’s Scott Adsit. You know that funny balloon-man from the previews? That’s Baymax, and he’s really more of a balloon-robot. He’s the new Groot; a larger-than-life character with sincerity and wonderment. In fact, I predict that Baymax will end up having even more of a cultural impact. After seeing this movie, anytime you pet a cat you’re gonna say, “Hairy baby.” Or when you walk or run slower than someone and they tell you to hurry up, you’re gonna say, “I am not fast.” It’s just very obvious that they injected a lot of heart and soul into Baymax, and it works because… well, for the sake of keeping this spoiler-free, I’ll stop there.
Production/Cinematography:
Don Hall, who directed 2011’s Winnie the Pooh film, and Chris Williams, who directed Bolt (both for Disney) teamed up to direct Big Hero 6. Williams’s knowledge and experience directing CGI partnered with Hall’s ability to capture emotion in ways that shouldn’t work in animation but somehow do, makes this one of the more emotional films, dealing heavily with subjects of personal loss.
I love most all the Pixar movies. I at least like more of them than I dislike. And this one steps it up visually. The CGI is clean, bright, and beautiful, but that’s totally what you expect from Pixar really. Here though, there were actually a few moments where it looked like they used real images blended in with the CGI but I was certain that wasn’t the case. Right…?
Story/Plot:
As I mentioned above, the film deals with personal loss and sadness in a pretty serious way. Again, I will avoid spoiling anything for you, but suffice to say, the Big Hero 6 team is born out of that loss and things can get pretty emotionally heavy at times. But, just like their high quality visuals, deep, heart-wrenching emotion is another staple of Pixar’s movies.
One of the tings I really appreciated about the movie, was the suspense and mystery. It genuinely made me nervous at times for our protagonists and their well-being. And it was tough it figure out. My father and I took my boys to see it and we we’re sitting there trying to figure out who the Kabuki-masked villain was, because we knew it couldn’t be as obvious as they let on… (We we’re right.)
Overall Thoughts:
Big Hero 6 is my new favorite Pixar film. Replacing Wreck-It Ralph by just a very small margin. In fact, you’d have to look at my adoration of them under a microscope to see that Big Hero 6 is just barely ahead. I was always more of a comic books and superheroes kid than I was a video game kid, which is probably why. This movie has action, comedy, more action, a balloon robot… what more could you want?
Also, the Pixar short that plays before the film, is the best one since Luxo Jr. (the one with the lamp and the ball). It’s called “Feast” and it’s equally hilarious and heartwarming. AND… make sure to stick around until after the credits roll because THERE IS AN AFTER-CREDITS SCENE. This one you won’t want to miss…
Big Hero 6 will not disappoint you. It’s an exciting flick that make you laugh and hang on the edge of your seat. Get out to the theater this weekend and see this movie!