Friendship, science, robots, superheroes, action, and a huggable sidekick: What more could a GeekMom ask for? Whatever your answer may be, it’s probably somewhere in the movie Big Hero 6.
Big Hero 6 is the new Disney movie that’s being marketed as, “From the team behind Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph.” Something tells me that it will only be a matter of time before we see the tagline, “From the team behind Big Hero 6.” This is one impressive Disney flick.
Based on the comic book of the same name, the film focuses on Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), whose big brain has earned him a high school diploma at the ripe old age of 13. Hiro seems to be smart about everything, except his next move. That’s when his older brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney), steps in to show Hiro life at San Fransokyo Tech—and more specifically, inside the “Nerd Lab,” a robotics program that includes a ton of potential, as well as eye candy.
To get into this particular school, Hiro needs to come up with something truly great—and he delivers. But that’s not really the focus of Big Hero 6. Well, it’s a part of it, but it’s his brother’s invention that’s going to win hearts and sell tickets (as well as toys). That is Baymax, the marshmallow-y thing that you’ve probably seen in all of TV promos and commercials.
Baymax is voiced by Scott Adsit from TV’s 30 Rock (you go Pete!). Although it was originally designed as a healthcare companion, Baymax soon becomes a good friend to Hiro, as well as the cornerstone of a budding team of superheroes, which also includes fellow lab rats GoGo Tomago (Jamie Chung), Wasabi (Damon Wayans, Jr.), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), and Fred (Silicon Valley‘s T.J. Miller). Why and how they actually become that group is something that should be experienced in person.
It’s a great movie, with comic-book-style action, funny dialogue, a fiendish villain, and plenty of twists. Above all though, Big Hero 6 is a smart movie, but still manages to be kid-friendly for the most part. I say “for the most part” because I need to mention that one 5-year-old in the theater started screaming about being scared and had to leave during a tense scene in the movie. Use your own judgment, but my 8-year-old, whose face can usually be found buried in my arm during a lot of movies, watched the entire thing with a perma-grin. I even got a “when can we see that again?” when the film was over.
One thing we probably wouldn’t need to repeat is the 3D, which was decent enough. Really though, unless you have to see everything in 3D, it’s not really necessary here. Big Hero 6 does have some really nice depth to it, but there aren’t any crazy pop-out effects. In a way, that’s a good thing, because it’s not gimmicky and the 2D version won’t play off as something out for cheap effects.
It’s important to mention that you’ll want to stay through the credits for a little extra snippet at the end of the film. Almost no one in our theater stayed, but I have pretty much “trained” my son to expect one of those little surprises at the end. It’s a blessing and a curse, but there is something there and it’s something that superhero fans will not want to miss.
Also make sure you get to the theater early. Playing before the film is Disney’s latest short, Feast. The 3D did lend itself to this super-cute tale, which gives viewers a puppy’s-eye view of life with his owner. It’s one of those cartoons that will make you “awwww” out loud, but is also witty and very well animated.
So yeah, Big Hero 6 is a full day, but it’s a good day. The film has some of the drama you’d expect from a Disney film, as well as the hope, the entertainment, and the gorgeous imagery. Big Hero 6 is going to be a big one for Disney. Make sure to get your ticket.
GeekMom attended a press screening for review purposes.
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