Big Hero 6 (2014)

Written by Jordan Roberts, Dan Gerson, & Robert R. Baird

Directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams

This is another review I’ve struggled to write, because I really can’t decide how much I really liked this film. There are some parts that are truly excellent, and others that fall flat. Like Bolt, on its surface, it’s a fun action flick, that does have some true emotion within it. However, once the surface is scratched, it starts to not hold up.

San Fransokyo

The animation within the film is really excellent, particularly the backgrounds. There’s a richness and detail that is astounding, and the animation uses effects to almost seem photo-realistic, while not sacrificing its comic-book origins. The idea of setting the film in a futuristic blend between San Francisco and Tokyo (called San Fransokyo) is brilliant, and, having been to both cities, it’s fun to watch the film and find little references to both.

And, I spent a lot of time doing that, because the film’s plot doesn’t do a lot to hold my interest. It’s an origin story, but it’s pretty by-the-numbers: a group of people use their combined talents to take down a bad guy. Those talents are interesting (depending on the character), but the overall motive of the villain seems a little extreme. Also, the exposition near the beginning of the movie is really painful to listen to (to (barely) paraphrase: “What would mom and dad think?” “I don’t know, they died when I was three, remember?” THAT IS SOME CLUNKY DIALOGUE).

The Team: Wasabi, Go Go, Baymay, Hiro, Honey…and Fred

The team in question has various abilities, and these are on varying levels of interest: Wasabi has some cool laser weapons, Go Go uses some nifty electromagnets, Honey has some balls of...stuff? That do things? Fred...Fred has a costume. It involves fire, but it’s more that he wears a glorified high school mascot costume. And Hiro has...Baymax. Which, beyond that...isn’t much. Like, if Baymax were deactivated, Hiro would have nothing. He doesn’t actually contribute anything to the team besides creating their armor and hiding behind his big robot (listen, I know all the fans of this film are gonna jump on me for that, because they did when I posted it after I saw the movie the first time. But, it’s true. In battle, Hiro contributes NOTHING that doesn’t involve controlling Baymax).

Hiro and Baymax

I should take a moment to point out that Baymax is an awesome character. For me, he makes the film worth watching. He’s funny and moving, and brings a dose of reality to the plot, even though he’s one of the more far-fetched things about it.

I recall that I enjoyed this movie more when I saw it the first time, but now, not so much. It’s not a bad film, but after the wave of greatness that precedes it, it feels like a step backwards.

FINAL GRADE: B-