November 7th, 2014 
James Shotwell 
Film: Big Hero 6
Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit
Directed by: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Big Hero 6 may be the first comic book adaptation to succeed — because it offers a story unlike anything found in the original source material.
You do not need to know that Disney’s Big Hero 6 is adapted from a relatively unknown Marvel comic book property. In fact, knowing too much about the original series may change your opinion of the animated adaptation because it’s almost nothing like the comics that inspired the characters now being promoted all over the world. This is not the story of a government bringing together potential superheroes and going after evil, but rather the tale of a lost young boy and the gentle robot who will stop at nothing to ease his pain. Everything else is spectacle. Brilliant and gorgeous spectacle, yes, but spectacle nonetheless.
The plot of Big Hero 6 is relatively simple: Hiro, a boy genius with a love for tech, befriends a marshmallow-like robot named Baymax while trying to learn the reasons behind a recent tragedy. The explanation turns out far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, and with the help of a few equally intelligent friends, Hiro forms a group of superheroes to stop the madman before he strikes again. It’s a little bit like The Avengers crossed with The Incredibles, only nobody is an actual superhero and the second lead character is a robot who acts drunk when his battery is running low. Oh, and Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t make an appearance.
Following a thrilling and humorous opening sequence, Big Hero 6 struggles to find a pace and tone that works well while giving viewers all the information they need in advance of the catalyst waiting at the end of the first act. It’s not dull, necessarily, but things do slow down for a bit while making introductions and explaining the various experiences that had led Hiro to be where he is when we first meet. After he encounters Baymax, however, things change for the better. The story finds a thrilling pace, and coupled with gorgeous CGI, delivers an incredibly satisfying second and third act that leaves you wanting more.
The performances are all admirable, though none of the leads particularly stand out as something people will be talking about when awards season rolls around. The one standout I noticed was TJ Miller, who frequently delivers one-liners as the mysterious and silly Fred. His character gets all the big laughs, including a bit in the post-credits that had the audience at my screening howling with joy, but he also brings a lot of heart to the story as well. It’s not the first time Miller has had this kind of impact with kids’ films, and I hope for the sake of our children and our children’s children it’s not the last.
There is always a message buried at the heart of Disney films, and for Big Hero 6 it seems like the house that Mickey built wants us to know that it’s okay to be sad, but that we must eventually learn to move on. Hiro’s life has included a series of tragedies, and the emotional toll that takes on his young mind causes him to essentially shut down. He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep, and he doesn’t even find joy in the things that used to make him happy. It’s only through picking himself up (with a little help from his robot) that Hiro is able to move forward, solve the mystery at the center of the story, and continue living his life. In fact, his life is destined to get exponentially better, but it’s only after he allows himself to feel and deal with loss properly that he begins to recognize that himself. The same goes for most of us, I believe. Life knocks us down and we sometimes struggle to find reasons to get back up, but if we ever want to grow as people we must eventually brush the dust off and continue living.
There have been a number of impressive animated films released in 2014, but as far as I’m concerned none of them can hold a candle to Big Hero 6. From beginning to end this film offers top-notch animation, a truly thrilling story, humor for all ages, and numerous messages about growing up and learning to move forward even when it seems like all hope is lost; that should speak to everyone who sees it. I won’t go as far as to claim it’s the kind of cinematic perfection that led Frozen to dominate box office charts for months on end, but I do think Big Hero 6 has the potential to be one of the last big money makers of the year, and the best part of it all is that it’s actually an incredibly well-made piece of cinema. Whether you’re 9 or 90, see it.
GRADE: A-
Review written by James Shotwell Follow @utgjames
- 2015’s Most Underrated Films - December 29, 2015
- Passing The Torch: The End Of An Era For UTG - December 1, 2015
- UTG PREMIERE: Before The Streetlights – “Private Browser” - November 26, 2015
Posted in 
Tags: 