Big Hero 6 (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
In recent yrs., Disney Animation Studios has experienced a renaissance with Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, & certainly Frozen. The trend of quality flicks continues with this action-packed Marvel comic book collaboration, 'Big Hero 6' (directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams). Quality flick: yes. Consistently entertaining for me: not all the time. More on that later. Set in the fictional futuristic city of San Fransokyo {haha}, the narrative follows 14 yr. old tech-geek genius, Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), who agitates his Aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph) by spending his time fighting robots in back-alley robot-battles rather than going to school.
But that all changes one day when his older brother, Tadashi, shows him the marvels of his university's robotics lab, where he & his colleagues work on incredible projects under the tutelage of stern Prof. Callaghan (James Cromwell). Desperate to get into the program, Hiro enthusiastically invents "microbots" that can be controlled telepathically; an invention so impressive that he's immediately accepted into the university! But just as Hiro & Tadashi are about to celebrate this development, a fire (arson, really) breaks out in the exhibit hall, killing older brother Tadashi. Hiro is devastated and, all that remains of Tadashi is his own inflatable invention, Baymax ... a huggable, vinyl Healthcare Companion robot who looks like a giant marshmallow and is designed to help ease people's pains.
When Hiro discovers that his "microbots" weren't actually destroyed in the university fire but are instead being controlled by a Kabuki-masked villain, he enlists Baymax & Tadashi's geek friends - laser-blade innovator Wasabi, perky blonde chemistry specialist Honey Lemon, adrenaline-junkie/feisty feminist GoGo, & comic book-obsessed Fred. Together, they must utilize their talents and become high-tech avengers to battle the masked villain who 'appears' to be responsible for the university fire that took his beloved brother's life. 'Fun' & chaos ensues. And I mean Chaos with a capital C.
So Disney does a decent job here blending animation with a superhero (Avengers-lite) template. That said, this is an inferior film to 2004's The Incredibles; which set the golden standard for this type of movie. I enjoyed the beginning of this film. I enjoyed the end. I even teared-up at a very poignant moment btwn. Hiro & Baymax (wait, I cried during a movie ... no way). But I have to say that a large chunk of the middle of the film didn't do much for me. It's a charming, if somewhat bland film that loses its charm during the midsection when it becomes alllllllll about the action. Whizzbang action -- my least favorite. Really, it goes on for far too long. Thank goodness for the character of Baymax, the gentle, waddling robot who provides humor, heart, & emotional resonance.
What Frozen was to sisterhood, 'Big Hero 6' aims to be about brotherhood. There isn't a happily ever after for Hiro & Tadashi, but the power of brotherly love still permeates the story; along with the brotherly love btwn. Hiro & Tadashi's loveable robot, Baymax. 'Big Hero 6' also contains brilliant CGI-animation (wondrous locales & character designs). I just wish there wasn't so much bombast & mayhem in the middle. See the movie for Baymax. Heck, see it so you can watch the animated short, 'Feast', which plays before the feature film starts. It involves the adventures of a food-loving Boston terrier and ... it's better than 'Big Hero 6', itself.
But that all changes one day when his older brother, Tadashi, shows him the marvels of his university's robotics lab, where he & his colleagues work on incredible projects under the tutelage of stern Prof. Callaghan (James Cromwell). Desperate to get into the program, Hiro enthusiastically invents "microbots" that can be controlled telepathically; an invention so impressive that he's immediately accepted into the university! But just as Hiro & Tadashi are about to celebrate this development, a fire (arson, really) breaks out in the exhibit hall, killing older brother Tadashi. Hiro is devastated and, all that remains of Tadashi is his own inflatable invention, Baymax ... a huggable, vinyl Healthcare Companion robot who looks like a giant marshmallow and is designed to help ease people's pains.
When Hiro discovers that his "microbots" weren't actually destroyed in the university fire but are instead being controlled by a Kabuki-masked villain, he enlists Baymax & Tadashi's geek friends - laser-blade innovator Wasabi, perky blonde chemistry specialist Honey Lemon, adrenaline-junkie/feisty feminist GoGo, & comic book-obsessed Fred. Together, they must utilize their talents and become high-tech avengers to battle the masked villain who 'appears' to be responsible for the university fire that took his beloved brother's life. 'Fun' & chaos ensues. And I mean Chaos with a capital C.
So Disney does a decent job here blending animation with a superhero (Avengers-lite) template. That said, this is an inferior film to 2004's The Incredibles; which set the golden standard for this type of movie. I enjoyed the beginning of this film. I enjoyed the end. I even teared-up at a very poignant moment btwn. Hiro & Baymax (wait, I cried during a movie ... no way). But I have to say that a large chunk of the middle of the film didn't do much for me. It's a charming, if somewhat bland film that loses its charm during the midsection when it becomes alllllllll about the action. Whizzbang action -- my least favorite. Really, it goes on for far too long. Thank goodness for the character of Baymax, the gentle, waddling robot who provides humor, heart, & emotional resonance.
What Frozen was to sisterhood, 'Big Hero 6' aims to be about brotherhood. There isn't a happily ever after for Hiro & Tadashi, but the power of brotherly love still permeates the story; along with the brotherly love btwn. Hiro & Tadashi's loveable robot, Baymax. 'Big Hero 6' also contains brilliant CGI-animation (wondrous locales & character designs). I just wish there wasn't so much bombast & mayhem in the middle. See the movie for Baymax. Heck, see it so you can watch the animated short, 'Feast', which plays before the feature film starts. It involves the adventures of a food-loving Boston terrier and ... it's better than 'Big Hero 6', itself.