DVD Review: Big Hero 6

Courtesy: Walt Disney Pictures/Marvel

Starring the Voices of Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, and Daniel Henney

Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams

Rated PG

My Rating: ****/5

When I first saw “Big Hero 6” being promoted this past November; I honestly didn't

know what to make of it. I personally expressed more interest in the type of “intelligent

blockbusters” that studios are more willing to offer; such as young adult book adaptation

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One” and Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar.”

By all means, it should have been an easy sell. An animated Marvel film from the same

talented animators that produced the likes of “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen?” One that draws

heavy influence from anime at that? Yet, I remained reluctant until I found out the film won

Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. Because of this, my interest was finally piqued enough

to rent the film.

The story concerns a young robotics prodigy named Hiro Hamada (Potter) and his

brother Tadashi (Henney) living in the fictional metropolis of San Fransokyo (an amalgam of

Tokyo and San Francisco in more than just name). Tadashi is not impressed with the fact that

Hiro spends time in back-alley robot fights instead of using his intelligence and skill more.

He encourages Hiro to pursue higher education, but an accident occurs during a campus

demonstration; and he's killed.

Learning to cope with his brother's absence; Hiro has been left a rubbery “health care

companion” known as Baymax (Adsit). He also latches onto an eclectic group of friends such

as extreme sports nut Go Go Tomago (Jamie Chung); gentle giant Wasabi (Damon Wayons Jr.),

eccentric scientist Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) and genre-savvy fanboy Fred (TJ Miller).

As the first animated entry in the multi-billion dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe; there

are clear strains of the Avengers within the team. Hiro's rebellious tinkerer persona often recalls

Tony Stark. Go Go's no-nonsense attitude and little to no need to be rescued can easily parallel

Natasha “Black Widow” Romanov. Wasabi displays a sense of intelligence mixed with fighting

prowess that is all too familiar to Bruce Banner. Honey's idealistic spirit would definitely not be

lost on Captain Steve “America” Rogers. Even Fred gets a piece of the action not too dissimilar

from Clint “Hawkeye” Barton. The villain Yokai (whose identity I will not be spoiling) is

every bit as frightening as Marvel's rogues gallery in live-action as well as the line of Japanese

beasts that give its name.

There is a clear amount of anime influence in the character designs; both looks and

personality. It also has influence from the Japanese genre of “tokusatsu” (literally “special

effects”); to the point where late “Kamen Rider” and “Super Sentai” (the series that would

become the basis for “Power Rangers,” itself being rebooted in 2016) creator Shotaro

Ishinomori is honored in the credits.

As befitting a movie a health care robot is kitbashed into a superhero in a garage; the

film also borrows many elements from other animated films of its kind, notably “The Iron

Giant” and “The Incredibles” (the latter having the honor of being my favorite Pixar film). Yet,

while no “Wreck-It Ralph” or “Frozen;” I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised in a

similar manner to when I saw the first “Iron Man” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” for the first

time.

Are the concepts familiar? Yes. Do the superhero tropes and action stand out more than

the laughs? They do. Are there elements from works that have come before it? Definitely. Does

it also contain the flaws of its lineage but lack the tongue-in-cheek sendups Disney offered

in “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen?” It does. Yet, “Big Hero 6” still manages to be an

entertaining and spectacular animated film that never stops surprising you. I can say that I'm

satisfied with my treatment.