BIG HERO 6 review by Mark Walters – Disney brings Anime to their animation

BIG HERO 6 review by Mark Walters – Disney brings Anime to their animation

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BIG HERO 6 is the newest animated film from Walt Disney Studios, though many might not realize it’s based on a Marvel comic book… however, if you saw the comic you’d likely not know it, beyond the Anime-inspired look present in both. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, the movie is set in the fictional world of San Fransoyko – a sleek combination of San Francisco and Toyko. Hiro (Ryan Potter) is a brilliant and inventive kid who looks up to his scientist brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney). They’re so alike that Tadashi even takes Hiro to his school for scientists, and introduces him to Professor Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell), who sees promise in the young boy. Hiro also meets Tadashi’s buddies Fred (T.J. Miller), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Go Go (Jamie Chung), who all happen to be quite brilliant. Once given an opportunity to get into Tadashi’s school at an early age, Hiro sets out to invent something great, and succeeds in creating mind-controlled microbots, which can be used to form any shape and do amazing things. This catches the eye of wealthy industrialist Alistair Krei (Alan Tudyk), who wants to buy Hiro’s creation based of his first look. Callaghan seems to look down on Krei’s intentions, and suggests the boy follow the path of science and not easy money.

Then tragedy strikes, and in a valiant attempt to rescue folks from a disaster Tadashi is killed in an explosion that also claims Hiro’s work. After mourning the loss of his brother and giving up on the school, our young protagonist accidentally activates an inflatable medical robot invented by Tadashi called Baymax (Scott Adsit). At first this puffy companion’s presence is a nuisance, but it eventually becomes a buddy to Hiro, and gets him out of his rut of sadness. The two stumble upon a masked villain who has stolen and is replicating the microbots for evil purposes. Hiro eventually calls upon Tadashi’s old pals and decides to form a superhero team to bring down this mysterious thief. He even converts Baymax into an Iron Man-like flying tough guy. But with vengeance his only goal, can the young lad ever truly find peace?

BIG HERO 6 will undoubtedly draw comparisons to films like THE INCREDIBLES and WRECK-IT RALPH, and they would be fair to make. At this point there’s little you can do in these types of movies that hasn’t been tried in one form or another already. So the question is will the experience overcome any familiarity by just being really entertaining? Not to worry, this is a lot of fun. Don Hall and Chris Williams have captured a visual setting that is unique enough to set things apart, yet still be easy to relate to. The bright colors and sleek architecture compliment the film so nicely I frequently found myself studying the backgrounds in almost every scene. The characters are also smartly styled, sometimes looking like they sprung from the pages of a comic book, and other times looking like the best qualities of Japanese Animation. Even the score by Henry Jackman is terrific and fits the film perfectly, which shouldn’t be surprising considering his stellar work in recent years (including WRECK-IT RALPH).

The voice cast here is a fantastic mix. Ryan Potter is perfect as the ambitious young Hiro, delivering the expressive kid voice needed for this type of story. Daniel Henney is also great as Tadashi, the hip-sounding older brother. The blending of T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., and Genesis Rodriguez works very well as the scientific friends, each adding wonderful aspects to their respective characters. James Cromwell is also a welcome addition, and has such a strong and resonating voice it’s surprising he’s not used more in animation. The great Alan Tudyk is becoming a Disney animation regular, but always manages to vary his sound and feel enough to where his characters are hardly repetitive. And listen for Maya Rudolph as Hiro’s energetic aunt, making the most of her brief but enjoyable role.

But it’s Scott Adsit (30 ROCK) as Baymax who steals the show time and time again. His quiet and naive reading of the puffy pal is so adorable you’ll just melt every time he speaks. This is even more impressive considering Baymax doesn’t have a moving mouth or even an expressive face. Adsit’s voice must convey every possible nuance without the typical visual aids, just the vision of a big inflatable white robot… and it works, beautifully. I always thought Scott was under-appreciated at a comedic actor (saw him do a live improv show once that was brilliant), and hopefully this will put his name on the map a little better.

BIG HERO 6 at times feels like it’s trying a little hard to be entertaining, or perhaps pushing the excitement level beyond normal expectations, but the end result is so much fun you’ll forgive the shortcomings. As I said before, these types of films have become inevitably derivative of what’s come before, but there’s enough sincerity and creativity here to make it all work. I also found myself thinking about how this film, influenced by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau’s comic book, could be a foot in the door for more comic-to-animation adaptations. Can you imagine Power Pack done this way? It would be great! Heck, they could do a crossover with the BIG HERO 6 universe if they wanted to. In fact with all the live action comic book movies using giant budgets and coming close to wearing out their welcome, this may be the future of superheroes in film… and I’m not opposed to that, if it’s this much fun each time.

Lastly, make sure you stick around through the credits, as Marvel Comics fans will undoubtedly be walking out with a huge grin on their face. It’s one of the best post-credit stingers ever made, I kid you not.

BIG HERO 6 opens on November 7, 2014

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.