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Having lived in the shadow of sister studio Pixar for over a decade, Walt Disney Animation Studios has undergone a second renaissance in recent years, reminiscent of its late 20th Century rebirth.
Many could argue that ‘classic’ Disney’s recent output is actually of superior quality than its revered brethren. Comparing both studios’ last three films, I would personally have to agree and endorse Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen over Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University.
I am happy to report that Big Hero 6 continues this trend with characters that are thoroughly delightful and charm that only Disney can generate.
The titular troupe is based on a short-lived Marvel comic book series from the 90s and therefore this movie marks Disney’s first foray into the archives since their acquisition of the comic company in 2009. If you’re confused, go by the assumption that Disney owns everything and you won’t be far wrong!
Unlike most of Marvel’s output, the Big Hero 6 team is relatively unknown, which gave the writers an effective blank slate to craft the team’s origin story to their needs. While done in a very conventional, Disney-ish way, this does nothing to detract from how well-constructed the story is.
Taking place in the fictional Japanese-American hybrid city of San Fransokyo (geddit?), we are introduced to teenager Hiro (come on Disney, Heroes already pulled off that pun years ago!). Despite being a technological whizz, he pours his genius into winning underground (thus illegal) miniature robot fighting tournaments rather than concentrating his efforts in applying to science university.
After his brother Tadashi eventually drags him along to the university’s robotics lab to meet his misfit bunch of nerd buddies and to reveal his ultimate project, a personal healthcare robot named Baymax; Hiro decides he wants to pursue an academic career after all.
However, tragedy strikes soon after, and the project Hiro was painstakingly working on to secure his university entrance is stolen. Begrudgingly enlisting Baymax and the gang of nerds to form the eponymous hi-tech squad, Hiro sets off to track down the thief.
The true star of the movie is Baymax, essentially a giant walking NHS that can scan, diagnose and administer treatment to an injured person within seconds. Looking like a cross between an un-segmented Michelin Man and a giant marshmallow, he carries the film on his squishy shoulders and his budding relationship with Hiro is pure Disney.
While we’ve seen limitless animated partnerships like this before, it does not make it any less adorable or enjoyable to watch. With a fascinatingly contradictory personality of being parent-like with his over-attentiveness and nurturing of Hiro, while at the same time childlike with his bumbling, naïve demeanour, Baymax is truly an enthralling character.
A combination of an endearing smile, totally hilarious dialogue (even more so because of Scott Adsit’s wonderful delivery and timing), hugs you can almost feel through the cinema screen and the best fist bump ever recorded on film (worth the entrance ticket alone, I promise), he instantly rockets up the list of my favourite animated characters.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the cast. The film should really have been called Big Hero 2, Plus Another 4 Tacked On, since that’s what it feels like. The supporting characters don’t get nearly enough screen time to develop their personalities and so remain firmly entrenched in their archetypes. While it’s nice that the nerds get a front-and-centre spot for once, they’re just a little too good looking to be realistic and they pack too much typical teen attitude to draw our empathy.
Similarly, the main villain is forgettable with questionable motivations and the final act descends into well-trodden kid movie fare.
Still, some of the action sequences are thrilling enough to warrant a place in a Marvel live-action effort, and the animation is as high quality as you would expect from the pioneers of the format. The city of San Fransokyo is painted in vivid colour and from the few establishing shots we get, it’s a wonderful blend of culture; the Orientalised Golden Gate Bridge in particular is delightful in its simplicity.
Sadly, most of the film is set indoors so there is very little scope to explore more of the city’s nooks and crannies, which is a disappointment. Furthermore, despite the city being an American-Japan hybrid, Hiro and his brother are the only two noticeably Asian characters in the whole movie, which is more than a little bizarre.
Still, despite these few niggles, it is the relationship between Hiro and Baymax that is the beating heart of this movie. The emotional depth afforded to it by the writers more than compensates for the slightly déjà vu story, and in the process, you’ll meet one of the most genuinely loveable animated characters in years.
Final diagnosis: an excellent and beautiful film that can be enjoyed by both adults and kids alike!
*Showing in Cineco, Seef II and Saar Cineplex
