Big Hero 6 **** (2014, voices of Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, T J Miller) – Movie Review

This spectacular 2014 comedy-adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios (Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph) is cute, funny and charming. It’s the first animated Marvel film to be released in cinemas via Walt Disney Animation Studios. Under the direction of Don Hall and Chris Williams, it is all very spruce, smart and modern seeming indeed. It is Golden Globe nominated as Best Animated Feature Film.

Scott Adsit provides the voice of the inflatable robot Baymax, and Ryan Potter vocalises teen prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with close friends adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred to form a band of high-tech heroes called Big Hero 6. T.J. Miller is the voice of Fred; Damon Wayans Jr vocalises Wasabi.

It is set in an alternate future when, after the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco was rebuilt by Japanese immigrants using techniques that allow movement and flexibility in a seismic event. The rebuilt city was renamed San Fransokyo as it combines Japanese and American architecture. But now a devastating event has befallen the city of San Fransokyo and Hiro’s family, so he and his gang set out to unravel the mystery behind the catastrophe and reveal the villain responsible.

It’s unusual, attractive stuff throughout, though the sweet first half concentrating on Hiro’s home life and family, and his relationship with the robot, is more appealing than the more conventional action-packed superhero second half.

Big Hero 6 is a happy by-product of Disney’s profitable relationship with Marvel, who provide them with the choice of a little-known comic as the basis for the movie.

The story and screenplay are based on the characters created by Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle, who must be pleased at how things have turned out. Although based on the Marvel comic Big Hero 6, Disney were free to create something original, and they have made many changes to the names, the setting, the ethnicities of characters, the back stories and plot points.

Hiro is the first bi-racial main character in a Disney animated film and his voice actor Ryan Potter is also half-Japanese and half-Caucasian.

Baymax’s hilarious movement and way of posing is modelled by the animators on studies of the movement of baby penguins.

A portrait of Stan Lee, Marvel Comics chairman, can be seen in Fred’s mansion. and he also provides the voice of Fred’s Dad.

Executive producer John Lasseter’s wish was to create a new mythical city for the film, prompting the simple but effective idea of combining the cityscapes of San Francisco and Tokyo.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2051

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