Big Hero 6
When Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, one of the most exciting prospects of the sale was to see what we might see in terms of animated films based on Marvel titles. The first result of that possibility may not be based on one of Marvel’s most iconic creations, but “Big Hero 6” succeeds at being a male-led action adventure treat for families in a way that “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” and “Treasure Planet” failed at in the early 2000s, while also feeling of a piece with the likes of “The Lion King” and “Tarzan,” although not quite as classic as those films are.
The film is set in the future city of San Fransokyo; evidently, something happened that led to San Francisco and Tokyo merging into one metropolis, although we never learn what. What matters, though, is that the city is a technological hot spot, with titans of industry such as Alistair Krei (voiced by Alan Tudyk); a major tech school with world-renowned professor Callaghan (James Cromwell), and robot fights happening in the alleys of the city. It’s at one of these robot fights where we first meet Hiro (Ryan Potter), who graduated high school at age 13, and shows remarkable skill in robotics, not unlike his brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney), a student of Callaghan’s. When he commits to going to the same school as Tadashi, he has a groundbreaking idea for “microbots,” which can be controlled by neural link that catches the eye of both Krei and Callaghan. At the night of his unveiling, though, the university’s hall catches fire, killing Callaghan and Tadashi, who ran in to save him, and destroying the microbots. Devastated, Hiro loses himself in grief after having lost another family member (his parents died long ago, leaving him and Tadashi to be raised by their aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph)), until one day, Hiro inadvertently awakes Baymax, Tadashi’s health care service robot he built at school. That is a pivotal moment for Hiro, who discovers a secret that requires him to stand up and do something truly amazing…challenge himself, and face his grief head on.
This time last year, Disney not only raised the bar for their “princess” movies with “Frozen,” but busted a lot of conventions they had grown to rely on over the years. This year, “Big Hero 6” joins Dreamworks’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2” in telling a story that is easily palpable to any boy/son/brother who has lost a male role model too soon, and has to find their own path in life. “How to Train Your Dragon 2” did so with ridiculous ease that expanded on an already great universe, and while “Big Hero 6” may not be as successful as easily as that film is, I’ll be darned if it didn’t find new, entertaining ways of pushing those same buttons. The screenplay by Jordan Roberts, Daniel Gerson and Robert L. Baird treads a lot of familiar superhero territory for fans of “The Incredibles” and the Marvel movies, but the emotional core of the film keeps it unique within the genre it inhabits, and a big part of that is the personalities of the characters. Hiro is a great protagonist for this film– imaginative and impulsive, both of which are traits that will benefit him in the long run. In the human department, Tadashi is a rich character in the brief moments we get to know him; it’s easy to see why Hiro looks up to his brother. Meanwhile, Tadashi’s friends at college will make up the bulk of the team we see form here: Go Go (Jamie Chung), who is working on sleek wheels; Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), who has some interesting ideas on substances that can hold an adversary at bay; Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), whose work with lasers has lethal effect on all substances; and Fred (T.J. Miller), who seems like a slacker, but really is wicked smart, and loves science, although his dream of being a fire-breathing monster feels a bit impractical. With Hiro and co., though, anything feels possible. This is an extension of the “geek chic” trend of “The Big Bang Theory” and the new hit show “Scorpion,” where levels of intelligence most of us could only hope for are common place, but they also feel alienating to the outside world. In the world of “Big Hero 6,” being brilliant is better, more important, than being brawny, and it leads to some genuinely exciting moments when we see the team problem solving during big action scenes. In that way, it’s a perfect compliment to not only the “Dragon” films, but “The Incredibles,” where the character’s respective superpowers came from within, and the team worked better than the individual.
In all honesty, however, the film belongs to Baymax, voiced hilariously and heartwarmingly by Scott Adsit. However, all one has to do is watch one of the film’s trailers to know that. This is a type of robot that is both familiar to us as a companion to the main character, but also wholly original because of his primary function. And because the writers set him up the way they do, Baymax is alternately funny and exciting to watch in action. His body structure, which is “non-threatening and huggle,” leads to some great slow-burn comedy moments that are beautifully directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, but also fits well with destruction when it is called for. This is the type of character Disney has hit out of the park as comic relief, but shied away from as a main character, although they apparently did a great job putting one front and center in “Wreck-It-Ralph,” which unfortunately, is still on my “to watch” list. No matter, Baymax is a great start for me on this front, and his interactions with Hiro are a big reason “Big Hero 6” succeeds at being a feather in Disney’s cap among their recent forays into CG-animated features as a way of returning their in-house studio to it’s former glory. If they can work with more Marvel properties the same way they did this, we could be in for some genuinely special efforts in the years to come.
