BIG HERO 6 - REVIEW

Based on the Marvel comics, Big Hero 6 was a 2014 CG-animated Disney film about a young inventor who befriends an inoffensive robot called Baymax before training it to become a fighting machine.

14 year-old genius Hiro Hamada is introduced to us participating in illegal robot fights and conning others with his misleadingly unassuming creations. His brother, in the hope of steering Hiro towards a better path, encourages him to apply for a university with an impressive research lab in which a team of quirky inventors get to be as creative as they can. After an unexpected accident, a mysterious villain shows up using one of Hiro's inventions on a dangerous scale so he and his friends, along with inflatable healthcare robot Baymax, decide to fight back and unmask their powerful enemy. Similar to how the marketing for Pixar's The Incredibles relied heavily on an out-of-shape Mr. Incredible trying to fit into his old superhero suit, Big Hero 6 was sold mostly through the balloon-like Baymax and his struggle to become a convincing armored threat. Indeed, Baymax is by far the highlight of the film and, whenever the adorable robot is on screen, it's impossible not to have a good time. The film's tone yo-yo's a bit early on between silly Illumination-style gags and something akin to the comics, but it eventually plateaus into a more focused and balanced sci-fi adventure.

The animation and character design is solid throughout, though it differs quite a bit from the style of the comics which was very much Marvel-meets-Manga. In fact, if it wasn't for a last minute Stan Lee cameo, you probably would never guess that this was based on a Marvel Comics property: so much was changed from the source material (there are no mutants or super-powers) that this really feels like a Disney film all the way. There's definitely enough variety there in terms of the humour and the plot for kids and adults alike to enjoy. Parts of the story are slightly dark and complex but Baymax is always around doing something genuinely amusing plus Hiro's super-team is consistently upbeat, to say the least. The voice cast includes the likes of Genesis Rodriguez, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr and James Cromwell with Ryan Potter as Hiro. It may take some time to get going, but once you finally get a feel for what the film is going for, it's a very charming and entertaining ride with some likeable characters, lots of cool action scenes and one of the best robots in any movie.

While there were no official plans for a movie sequel after Big Hero 6's release, it was a significant hit at the box-office and it eventually spawned a TV series. It's easy to see why this film has its fans as it's every bit as cute and cozy as its inflatable co-star.

Fun.