While they may not be as famous as The Avengers, the latest animated tale from Disney does indeed qualify as another superhero adaptation. Based on the Marvel Comics characters, Big Hero 6 takes a young group of misfits and fashions them into full-blown crime-fighters. It is a simple but reasonably entertaining lark that will impress the kids thanks almost exclusively to the inclusion of a single, scene-stealing character.
Hiro (Ryan Potter) may only be a kid, but he has a brilliant mind that he uses to build battle-bots for illegal back-alley gambling. His older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney), encourages the boy to join him at the city’s robotics institute and use his savvy skills for something worthwhile. Hiro get excited by the idea and makes an incredible new discovery, but soon after tragedy strikes. After finding an inflatable health-care robot created by his brother and named Baymax (Scott Adsit), the pair set out to find out what really happened. Teaming with friends from the institute, they form a superhero cadre and face off against a villain causing citywide chaos.
While there is a mystery to solve, the main focus centers on Hiro and Baymax. This is a good thing, because the Baymax character is by far the strongest character in the movie. Giant and at times less-than-graceful, his purpose is to help and provide health care for all – not the best trait when you’re squaring off against a masked lunatic. The character is a funny contrast to the situations at hand and it leads to many effective gags dealt in a deadpan style.
It’s also a wonderful to watch. The neon lit San Fransokyo is a unique setting, giving famous landmarks a Japanese spin. Naturally, there’s a lot of action as the group faces their foe and its all dazzling to witness. Baymax looks adorable and the costumes of the other team members (particularly the Fredzilla monster) generate a laugh or two. There’s also an eye-popping sequence that takes place through a space portal to another dimension.
Yet with Baymax making such an impression, the other characters seem somewhat generic in comparison. The inflatable hero is so funny and fantastic that there are serious dips in laughter and enjoyment when it isn’t on screen and the story reverts to exposition and the protagonist’s inner turmoil. As a matter of fact, there are a few brief instances when Hiro’s comments to much older and equally smart teammates comes across as slightly patronizing.
And it’s too bad that the themes weren’t a little more developed. Death is certainly a big element, but it isn’t explored in any depth. Instead, the moral is simplified and the message awfully silly. Essentially, seeking vengeance by way of killing another human being is an appropriate response to tragedy and will not help a person deal with loss. As a concept for a children’s film, one isn’t sure if that really needs to be hammered home.
In the end, Big Hero 6 is a good movie that may not stand as one of the best Disney animated efforts, but will entertain children nonetheless. Oddly enough, in the end it’s a non-human character that ends up tugging at the heartstrings.