Hiro, a 14-year-old genius, invents microbots that will get him into his choice of robotics school.
He is devastated when a mysterious fire destroys the school, his microbots and his brother, who was trying to save his illustrious professor.
A team of misfit students, Hiro’s four friends, join forces with his late brother’s school project, Baymax, a friendly, helpful, inflatable health care robot. They become an unlikely squad of would-be superheros called Big Hero 6, fighting the masked man who has stolen Hiro’s microbot technology and is using it to terrorize San Fransokyo.
We say, “It’s fun, full of action, a little scary, and a little adult themed.”
TAYLOR: I liked Big Hero 6. The kids and the adults in the audience responded to the humour, action and drama.
I would say, based solely on audience reaction, the film’s a success. But the film is very PG. There may be some parental guidance required. There was more than one moment during the movie where a chorus of kids erupted in questions.
HOWE: I didn’t get any questions from my little boy, but maybe it went over his head. He is only seven after all.
FENIN: I didn’t see anything over my head, Dad.
HOWE: Big Hero 6 is a great movie.
I thought The Lego Movie was going to be the best animated film of 2014, but this really does give it a run for its money. I laughed at the jokes, felt for Hiro’s sorrow, and cheered silently to myself when they defeated the bad guy.
Disney have outdone themselves bringing Marvel’s comic to life the way they did. They could have played it safe and gone a little cheesy and cute with the storyline, but I liked that they didn’t, choosing a serious plot instead.
Saying that, the younger audience will still enjoy it.
FENIN: I really liked the little robots at the beginning. Can I have one for Christmas, Dad?
I laughed really hard at the hairy baby cat, that was so funny. “Hairy baby…” Funny! Brian, my dad is like Baymax.
TAYLOR: Because of his belly?
FENIN: No, because he’s my hero.
TAYLOR: Aw, speaking of cheesy and cute, Baymax is designed to be cute, helpful and everyone loves him.
The first half of the movie establishes sympathy for Hiro and Baymax with typical Disney acumen. The mystery of what really happened with the fire moves the second act along. The third act is a tale of revenge, where our hero, Hiro, nearly becomes a murderer.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine for little kids to see more adult-themed stories and it’s been cool to kill the wicked witch for a long time. Everything ends happily and overall you feel like you’ve had a good time with Big Hero 6.
– Howe gives Big Hero 6 four trams out of 5.
– Fenin gives it 5 microbots out of 5.
– Taylor gives it 3.5 kabuki masks out of 5.
– Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are film reviewers based in Vernon, B.C. Their column, Reel Reviews, appears in The Morning Star Friday and Sunday.
