Big Hero 6, the latest from Walt Disney Animation Studios, is easily the best product of the Disney/Marvel relationship. Jam-packed with fun to the extreme, this is the way action movies should be made - short, sweet and to the point.
The film takes a group of obscure Marvel characters and has them team up to stop a villain. That sounds like Guardians of the Galaxy- another humorous romp- but adds the same Disney heart and warmth that we have come to expect from the studio for the past 70 years. Somehow, the film combines the familiar elements and plot of superhero movies with the emotional weight of a Disney project. That’s why Big Hero 6 works - tweaking the Disney formula but not straying too far from familiar territory.
Big Hero 6 starts off with brothers Tadashi (Daniel Henney) and Hiro (Ryan Potter) already without their parents, who died when Hiro was just three. The two tech wizards are being raised by their aunt (Maya Rudolph) and Tadashi is working hard to convince Hiro to go to his tech university. There, he meets Tadashi’s friends and Professor Callaghan (James Cromwell). Now enthusiastic, Hiro competes in a science fair with his new brain-controlled micro-bots and is invited. But, in typical “Bambi’s mom got shot” style, that same night, the tech university’s main hall goes up in flames and Tadashi is killed while trying to save Callaghan.
Hiro is crushed, obviously, since he just lost his father figure and big brother. Baymax (Scott Adsit), a medical bot Tadashi invented, tries to help him recover from his emotional stress (and a serious condition called “puberty”). Then, Hiro suddenly realizes that he’s got one of his mini-bots left and it is trying to rejoin other mini-bots. It turns out that they weren’t all destroyed in the fire and a mysterious villain is using them.
From that point on, directors Don Hall & Chris Williams take the audience on a thrill ride that feels more like five minutes than an hour. Tadashi’s friends are rounded up to help Hiro quickly and they encounter our villain even faster. The Marvel Studios filmmakers could learn a lot from this film, particularly when it comes to pacing and restraint. If a story does not require lengthy battle sequences, then they aren’t needed and an audience isn’t going to feel disappointed by that because story and emotional connections have been built.
This film is also hilarious and not just because of Baymax. Hall, Williams, and the story crew all came up with brilliant gags. From the genius “Eye of the Tiger” moment to Fred’s (T.J.Miller) skater-dude behavior, Big Hero 6 is filled to the brim with great characters.
As for Baymax, Disney has another marketable, loveable character. While the white, marshmallow man character is far different from the comic book character, it’s clear that Disney has created another character that the audience can have an emotional connection to, even if he doesn’t have much in the way of facial expressions. There’s a joyous feeling that comes out of seeing Baymax suddenly fly with Hiro on his back (which the Disney Parks team is probably hoping to turn into a ride some day).
Technically, Big Hero 6 falls in line with the smooth, kinetic style that the studio has been following since Tangled and continued through Frozen. It’s loose, energetic and the characters do tend to over-act, but that works for the fast pace of the movie. It also helps that they have some top-notch voice talent behind them. Ryan Potter carries the movie as Hiro and voices from T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr. and Genesis Rodriguez add personality to the other members of the team.
There’s also a fair share of Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the film for eagle-eyed Marvel fans. You might not notice them on the first viewing, but there is one hilarious gag at the end of the credits that’s worth the wait.
Also, don’t show up late. The short film Feast is a hilarious one, proving that Disney’s short film department is back with a vengeance. After Paperman, they keep getting better.
Big Hero 6 is as fun as a comic book movie should be. There’s no over-the-top oppressive feeling of darkness here. Live action filmmakers can have their grimy, realistic world all they want, but audiences deserve to see that films with comic book characters can have that same sense of fun you felt while reading them as a child.
This film was seen during the Savannah Film Festival. You can also check out our review of ‘Foxcatcher’ and check back for more coverage.
image of Ryan Potter courtesy of courtesy of Peter West/ACE/INFphoto.com
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