Big Hero 6 is huge! I just saw the other night and I already want to see it again! This film does so many things right that I don’t even know where to begin – scientists as superheroes; a visual mash-up of San Francisco’s woodsy coffeehouse vibe, and Tokyo’s neon high rise glam; and a robot that looks like a giant marshmallow!
The look and feel of this film is something to savor – think Disney with a bit of an edge. Disney has wanted a bit of an edge for a while, and lately I think they are finding their way towards reaching an audience that still wants dreams to come true, but whose dreams may be somewhat different than those of Cinderella circa 1950. Working with a story based on Marvel comics seems to have been a great catalyst here. Our hero, the aptly named 14 year old Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter), is a smart kid who is looking for thrills. Rejecting older brother Tadashi’s nerdy ways (yeah, college, who needs that?), he goes his own way, which also leads to a bit of trouble, making the first few minutes of this movie great fun. In other words: rather than a protagonist to whom exciting things happen due to a fairy’s curse, magical powers or the random luck of external events and such, a lot of the action is determined by Hiro’s actions and reactions. Then, of course, it also takes off into exhilarating flights of imagination.
Same goes for his amazing buddy, Baymax, a very loveable robot programmed as a health care companion. Voiced by Scott Adsit, Baymax is hilarious and strikes just the right note between a programmed ‘personality’ and the fantastic element of an artificial intelligence that has the ability to learn and change. Very cool is the fact that Baymax is based current robotics research, and also resonates with anyone familiar (and who isn’t?) with Asimov’s three laws of robotics, especially the first law: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”
There is something about science fiction, perhaps it is that very act of imagining a future, that creates a more open, egalitarian humanscape. Gender, age, and ethnic differences are a non-issue in this film and the fun cast of characters here might inspire others to realize that working beyond stereotypes is not so scary. Our heroes are a cohort of all colors, temperaments and scientific know-how. Once they morph into super-heroes, the costumes are a Cosplay dream.
The setting hovers between the real and the imagined. “Painted Ladies,” the Victorian and Edwardian style wood row houses built around the turn of the last century, each home painted and embellished in bright and often unusual color combinations; roads that ride like roller coasters up and down the hills, the beautiful bay and Golden Gate Bridge all sing out San Francisco, while the sleek, dark buildings towering over the city, bold signs and cherry blossoms lend a Toyko ambiance to this futuristic fusion city.
It’s sci-fi action with lots of hugs and laughs – and what could be better than that?
Warning to the uninformed, sad, and the uninitiated movie goer: please stay until the very end of the credits. You will not be sorry.
Big Hero 6
Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams; Screenplay: Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, Jordan Roberts; Based on the comic by Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle; Music: Henry Jackman; Art Director, Scott Watanabe; Visual effects supervisor: Kyle Odermatt; Head of effects: Michael Kaschalk; Head of animation: Zach A. Parrish; Jeads of story: Joe Mateo, Paul Briggs; Lead character designer: Shiyoon Kim; Character design supervisor: Jin Kim; Voices: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph, Stan Lee is the voice of Fred’s Dad.
