In Review: "Big Hero 6"

In Review: "Big Hero 6"

Let's take a look at Disney's recent track record (originals, not sequels and animated, not live-action):

-"The Princess and the Frog" (2009)-- The first attempt to start a new Disney princess era was not a big success. The hand-drawn animation, though beautiful, could not compete with the 3D animation.

-"Tangled" (2010)-- Rapunzel catapulted Disney princesses back on the market. Complete with a mini sequel to the film, the film surpassed "The Lion King" in the highest grossing opening weekend Disney film- later beaten out by "Wreck-It Ralph" and then "Frozen"

-"Wreck-It Ralph" (2012)-- winner of best Animated Film in the Annie Awards (animation awards), innovative storyline and setting

-"Brave"(2012)-- the first ever Pixar princess was not a huge success with audiences because it struggled to find one message that viewers could take away (though it did win Best Animated Picture)

-"Frozen" (2013)-- the buzz still hasn't stopped with this movie, and rumors are flying left and right for further continuation of the story and its characters- a sequel, musical, ride, a short (which is definitely happening). The film has had a theatrical release of a sing-along version, a meet-and-greet station that has caused serious drama at the Magic Kingdom, and toys/costumes/merchandise that can't stay on the shelves long enough.

You see the pattern? Disney is starting its new Renaissance! With stories and characters who come from original or tried-and-true material, modern morals, and an audience who can't stop eating it all up! "Big Hero 6" is just a continuation of Disney's upward movement.

The Story

Originally from a Marvel comic book series, the movie tells the story of a young genius named Hiro who is steered on the right path by his older brother and his brother's invention, a health care robot named Baymax. After a mysterious accident, (THERE ARE NO SPOILERS. IT IS IN THE TRAILER) Hiro's brother dies and Hiro is left alone with Baymax. As an health care robot would do, Baymax finds a need for his care- to help Hiro deal with the loss of his brother. Hiro discovers a clue into finding what really happened the night his brother died and Baymax is open to help. With some modifications to Baymax, himself and his brother's friends, Big Hero 6, a crime fighting superhero team, is born.

The Stars

The last few Disney movies have boosted ticket sales because of the stars that were hired to voice the characters. Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Kristen Bell as Anna, and Sarah Silverman as Vanelope, just to name a few. But this movie doesn't use the big names to draw in audiences. (Of course, they don't really have to since Disney has been on a roll lately). Instead what is really interesting and innovative is they use bi-racial actors. Ryan Potter, who plays Hiro, is half Japanese and half American. Daniel Henney, who plays Hiro's brother, is half American and half Korean. The characters, as well as the world created in the movie, are bi-racial and so are the actors. Sure, you might not be able to tell the difference, since it is their voices that you hear and not their faces that you see. Bu, it is really the thought that counts. "The Last Avatar" cast Caucasian actors for Inuit, Chinese, and Japanese characters and made many fans very unhappy.

The Message

Once again, as with "Frozen", there is no love story. Yay!! Just familial love- in this case, between brother and brother. But really, the film gets at a deeper message. Losing someone you love is hard, but doing it without friends and family who love you is even harder. Doing it with revenge and hatred in your heart is near impossible. That's a pretty big concept for a kid's movie! But it gets at a basic idea that everyone tends to forget- you can't live life alone.

Overall

I love, not only the story, the message, the casting, and how the original material was translated for a younger audience, but visually, this film is like a kid in a giant, colorful candy store. The concept of the world is a combination between San Francisco and Tokyo. Both cultures and cities embrace the past and the future. There's a bridge that looks like the Golden Gate Bridge at first, but if you look closer it looks like the symbol for the ancient Japanese religion of Shinto. There are also cherry blossom trees along the streets, elevated fast-moving trains, cable cars, and big, colorful Victorian style homes.

On top of that, Baymax is just well animated. How do you make a big balloon look adorable, humorous, and indestructible at the same time? Minimum animation. One of the best scenes is when Baymax is trying to squeeze past a space in between a table and abed. This could look stupid and clunky, almost like the animators were trying to hit you in the face to make you laugh. But it was realistic and earnest, making it a laugh out loud moment in the film.

The only reason I'm taking off points is that I wish there was a little bit more character development with Hiro's friends and his Aunt. You assume that his parents died, but you are not quite sure why this Aunt seems like she has had 100 cups of coffee. And Hiro's friends add real color to the storyline and action that you are sad you don't get to see more of them. Stay til the end though to find out something very special about Hiro's friend Fred.

3 out of 4 Baymaxes