Big Hero 6

 BIG HERO 6

Directors : Don Hall and Chris Williams

Year : 2015

Genre : Animation

Rating : ****1/2

 

Any doubts about Walt Disney Studios controversial 2009 acquisition of Marvel Studios are sure to be laid to rest after watching 'Big Hero 6', a simply wonderful science- fiction animation based on the lesser-known comic strip of the same name. Set in the beautifully designed fictional city of San Fransokyo (a curious melding of Japanese and American suburbian conventions), the film focuses on Hiro, a brilliant young inventor who forms an unlikely friendship with the inflatable and completely adorable robotic nurse named Baymax after the unexplained and suspicious death of it's creator Tadashi, Hiros brother. Left heartbroken by his loss and blinded with revenge, Hiro, with the help of his robotic companion as well as 4 of his closest friends to form the eponymous 'BIG HERO 6', a makeshift group of no so super-heroes to find and take out the person responsible for his beloved brothers demise.

From it's beginning frame to it's final credit, 'Big Hero 6' sizzles with a continuous joy that many of todays animations lack. Sure, it has it's fair share of emotionally driven scenes and as is traditional with Disney, 'Big Hero 6' manages these moments with a reverence, sincerity and maturity that both kids and adults are sure to appreciate. However, it's final act is filled to the brim with constantly eye-popping visuals and breaktaking CGI that manage to make the most of the technology of todays animation. But while I found the final act to be highly entertaining, the scenes of Hiro and Baymax forming their friendship during the first half of the film are so genuinely brilliant that I almost didn't want the film to transform into the superhero movie it would inevitably become.

Much like the greatest Disney movies, 'Big Hero 6' stands out thanks to it's diverse and memorable characters and this movie has one hell of a doozy with the instantly adorable Baymax. With his deadpan, Vulcan-esque logic (magnificently provided by improvisational comedian David Adsit), his soft squidgy plus-sized body and his slow, waddling walk, Baymax is one of the most instantly lovable characters I've ever seen in a movie of any genre. Not only is he cute as a knitted basket of new born kittens in wooly hats but he is also a hilarious character reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. In one stand out scene, Baymax begins to run out of power and therefore deflate, causing him to behave in the manner of a severe drunkard leaving a bar at 4 in the morning. I don't think I've laughed as hard at a single scene in a film for the longest time. The rest of the characters are all delightfully written and beautifully animated (CGI is really beginning to capture human emotion with frightening accuracy) but it is the bouncy, bouyant Baymax who completely steals the show.

There are some hard-hearted cynics out there who say that Disney aren't as present and as vital to our culture as they were during the golden ages of the 30's and the 90's. Yes, it may be true that some of their recent movies such as 'Tangled', 'Wreck It Ralph' and 'Bolt' lack the staying power of some of their more popular and indelible films and yes, maybe the company has damaged their reputation somewhat with a number of rubbishly pedestrian TV programmes and made for DVD projects. But if the box office figures and the endless number of awards are anything to go by, Disney are set to be just as big a part in the childhoods of today's youngsters as it was during ours and I'm so happy to say that a movie as marvellous as 'Big Hero 6' can now play an integral part of that.