WesternAnimation Disney grows up, but is still Disney, for the better
I saw this movie not knowing what to expect. Something about robots, there's a big friendly fluffy cute robot, and a boy named Hiro who builds robots. Something like that. I think I may have heard it was a superhero movie, but I let that slip my mind.
So when it started off with an underground robot fight with illegal gambling, run by high school students, it was the last thing I expected, certainly from a Disney movie. I had no way of knowing where the plot was going to go. Tadashi was established and built up as an important character, and then his death early in the film caught me off guard. I'd already come to like him.
This is Disney not screwing around. They're telling a more mature story here. And by "mature", I don't mean "dark and loaded with cynicism", like the Marvel comic it's based on. I mean one with themes that you don't normally expect in their films, such as loss, grieving, revenge, and moral questioning. Even the villain has a sympathetic motivation.
Of course, it's Disney, so there's plenty of light-hearted comedy and cute character designs. In fact, the movie is a bit of a genre-blender and emotional rollercoaster.
When the characters decided they wanted to put on costumes and become superheroes in order to catch the villain Hiro blames for his brother's death, I thought, "Oh please. Now it's turning into a superhero movie." Well, it didn't quite do that. Instead, it merely added "superhero" to the list of genres it already occupied: comedy, drama, adventure, mystery.
I said before that this movie is based on a Marvel comic. Well, I say "based on" in the loosest sense. While Disney is a bit infamous for taking stories and cute-ing them up, here I think it works very much in the story's favor. We still get a bunch of dark themes and even a questionable moral choice from the protagonist.
But the Marvel comic contained darkness that was there solely for the sake of having darkness: it had a ghost made of the souls of Hiroshima bombing victims, it had government corruption and tragic backstories galore - you get the idea. Disney stripped all that stupid crap out and only kept the darkness needed to tell a compelling story, while adding, well, cuteness and humor.
It's Disney growing up, while still being Disney.
WesternAnimation One of my favorite movies ever
And no, that title is not an exaggeration.
- The jokes were HILARIOUS. I laughed SO much. Pretty much EVERYTHING Baymax said was hilarious, and the other characters got great lines as well. And none were bad, at all.
- The animation was STUNNING, some of the best animation i've ever seen in a film. The scenery was gorgeous. The flying part was BREATHTAKING.
- The characters were great. Baymax was the best, of course, but all the others had great personalities and were all likeable.
- "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy was a top-notch rock song with a great melody.
- The story was great, interesting, never deviated from it's main theme, was focused, and always kept me entertained. The twist was also extremely well-done. Yeah, it might be another superhero story, but I don't mind genericism as long as it's well done.
- The action was STUNNING, each scene kept me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, a one for the ages. 10/10.
WesternAnimation I might have been a bit harsh on this movie the first time
I admit, when I first watched this movie, I felt a bit underwhelmed. Multiple factors probably were involved; I tend to naturally have Hype Backlash when something is popular, unless I actually knew it first. I also don't particularly like this trend of CGI animated movies Pixar and Dreamwork started (not sure why, but the designs always felt off to me), and didn't like the fact they removed a lot of elements that I feel were awesome in the original comic (Fredzilla being turned from a kaiju-transforming metahuman to just a guy in a suit, most notably). Overall, I didn't feel like the movie was bad, but I thought it was nothing special.
Now however, I am look back, and... maybe I wasn't fair.
Sure, the movie still isn't a masterpiece, or something I would classify in my true favourites. Sure, it doesn't really breaks any new ground for this type of movie, aside from being the first disney animated movie based (loosely) on an actual comic book. But what it does, it does it very well. While most of the main heroes are underdevelopped, those who are (Hiro and Baymax) are good, and have genuinely touching scenes. Many scene feel very strong, and left me enough of an impression that I still remember them.
Big Hero Six might not be the best animated movie I have ever seen, but looking back, I think it might actually be above average, and maybe better than I gave it credit for. I would genuinely be interested in a sequel, preferably one developping the rest of the team.
WesternAnimation Very Artificial, but thematically decent
Right off the bat, Big Hero 6 isn't a reccord breaker, or even good story telling. Everything about it appeals to the lowest common denominator: borderline Gary Stu protagonist, recycled stereotypes as his [brother's, then actually his] friends, dead older brother, Dark Is Evil villain that shopped at the same store as Amon. Nothing about the characters spells "be emotionally invested in this", except Tadashi, who is very likeable.
However, it is a good theme piece. It shows accurately the extremes that grief can lead one into, and it manages to wage quite well the meaning of compassion and the weight of human life. The antagonist is a dark mirror of the protagonist, and while this isn't a new invention, it defenitely is played well here.
Overall, not bad, but only in regards to exemplifying a narrative mechanism. Otherwise, you're better off doing something else.
WesternAnimation The Tale Of A Young Teenager Dealing With Loss
Big Hero 6 is a film that I think should be watched at least once (though more if you like it) and is one of the most realistic portrayals of an individual dealing with grief (it being a big focus of the film). It's also a superhero movie loosely based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name.
I think the character Hiro Hamada is very relatable and believable. I thought a lot of the Japanese influence really shined in the animation and setting by how it looked and was executed. The writing I thought was fantastic and it got me to care about the characters, who I thought were pretty cool. Also, I think that it's awesome that for a lot of the film, it genuinely showed that science can be awesome and I appreciate the level of effort put into the research done for the scientific elements of the film. Also, I enjoyed the action sequences in the film and I thought they were well directed.
Also, like the title says, it fully explores the grief and sadness of losing a loved one in a very realistic way despite the film being animated. The scenes that did show this I thought were smart to not overdo it and keep it more subtle and believable in how it was portrayed. I know that certain Disney movies have a character that goes through a loss but I think this one goes through the situation a lot more thoroughly though.
Overall, I think that this is an engaging, entertaining but surprisingly tragic and sobering movie that takes a story element that's been seen in other Disney movies but expands upon it and makes it one of the big elements of a film that does not shy away from a very real situation.
WesternAnimation Ryochi reviews Big Hero 6
Pros:
- Hiro's development and portrayal is both realistic and relatable
- His relationship with Baymax is very likable
- The deconstruction of the Death by Origin Story is rather solid
- Action sequences are intense
- Animation is among some of the best by Disney Animation Studios...possibly THE BEST by far.
Cons:
- (Minor) Everyone besides Hiro, Baymax and Yokai is rather one-dimensional....or two dimensional if you are Hiro's brother. It's minor because the movie focuses on Hiro and Baymax not the rest of the cast. But to deal with his recovery, it would help to know a bit more about Hiro's relationship with say...his aunt...or his friends....
- (Minor) The Tear Jerkers....didn't really hit for me to be honest. Its not that I didn't care, I do care. The thing is....The movie UP (while I forgot most of the plot) almost made me cry, not comparing but its like this movie is trying to get you to shed a tear for them.....(I'm saying this very carefully...someone please word it better if you like)...but its rather difficult for me to care possibly because....
- (Minor)....of the pacing. I don't know if its just me, but the movie seems to be moving a bit too fast at certain points. I'm not really good at noticing pacing so I might be wrong.
Overall:
A good film. A very good film. Not exactly TEH BEST THING EVUR, but its a pretty good movie nonetheless. The main thing that people should be watching this movie for is for three things....Hiro, Hiro and Baymax's Relationship, and the Death By Origin story deconstruction. All of the side characters are pretty one-dimensional archetypes (who yes help Hiro in his recovery) but they aren't really groundbreaking in terms of characterization.
Yokai is a really great villain that mirrors Hiro in a way that is clearly mentioned in the Death by Origin Story tag on the main page. Its just a nice parallel worth mentioning.
And what exactly can I say about Hiro and Baymax that wasn't mentioned already? Besides the fact that he develops realistically and their relationship develops so naturally that you can't help but root for them.
So would I recommend this movie to someone? Yes. But if they don't like Hiro and Baymax, they won't like the movie. But its OK that Hiro and Baymax play a big role, because THEY are the focus of the movie.
WesternAnimation Can't Wait for the DVD!
Big Hero 6 is by far a masterpiece in Disney cinema. The animation is glorious, the acting is stunning, everything here has minimal flaws.
The settings seen in this film are so expansive and detailed, you actually have to give a hand to the animators for such hard work. San Fransokyo feels almost real. The animation, from movements to elemental effects, are believable. The soundtrack is perfect, nothing too flashy or loud, nothing too depressing.
The main character (who is given a amazing performance by Ryan Potter) is interesting. He's still a kid, and his feelings and emotions are played realistically, not ramped up for drama. He doesn't spend the movie as a moping mess, he's just a bit drawn into himself. His relationship with Baymax is slow but steady, a sort of reliance deal that really has you feeling good.
My favorite thing is that this is a perfect movie for everyone. There's a ton of action, but also some drama, and also some light-felt humor. None of it outweighs the other. You don't watch it missing some element that you had wanted. It's like a mix between a Marvel movie, a who-dunnit mystery, a tragedy and a comedy.
This movie is also very emotional. I kid you not when I say that this could rival Pixar's Up in levels of Tearjerking abilities. The emotions are so real and genuine, that you actually feel for the characters. You know what it's like to be them.
My only issue with this film is perhaps how the side characters are pushed away...? Yes, the story's about Hiro and Baymax, not the others, but they had so much advertising popularity that I was disappointed when they left on one-note personalities. You have the fanboy, the clean freak, the tomboy, the girly girl...and that's it. That's all they are. I'm grateful that the movie didn't follow the chock-full-of-subplots issue, but you get the feeling that the characters are there only as plot devices.
10/10. Buying the DVD the second it hits stores. DO NOT MISS THIS.
WesternAnimation Big Hero 6 gives you a big hug.
Well, after topping its opening weekend box office, what can be said about BH6 that hasn't already been said? Answer: Not much. Expectations for this film were very high with both Disney and Marvel's name on it, and it did not disappoint.
Stunning Visuals: The city is just awe inspiring.
Fun Characters: Filled with fun engaging characters. Hiro, Baymax and their friends are a wonderful ensemble.
The Feels: The central theme is coping with loss, If you don't hug someone after this movie you have no heart.
This movie has it all and you will leave the theater hoping a sequel is in the works. Which leads to my only real gripe. This film needs a sequel, 1 hr and 33 minutes while enough to flesh out Hiro and Baymax, left you wanting to know more about Hiro's friends and family, and the world of San Fransokyo in general. They are all so much fun and interesting that you'll wish the movie was longer so they could get more focus.
Speaking of character focus, Hiro and Baymax have such a wonderful relationship throughout the movie, and they are just a joy to watch as their friendship runs the full gambit of emotions.
Also "Feast" was the most adorable movie about a gluttonous dog I have ever seen.
WesternAnimation Big Hero Two Plus Four
This was a good movie with a major glaring flaw and a few minor pet peeves.
Inverting my usual procedure, let's begin with what the film did right. First and foremost, the setting. San Fransokyo is a beautiful mash-up, full of color and mood-lighting, with a unique architecture that reflects the Asian-American fusion its name would suggest. I may have felt grumpy about How to Train Your Dragon -esque Scenery Porn, but I recognize there's an audience that enjoys that sort of thing.
The story and writing are generally deeper and more-interesting than the initial trailers might suggest, largely revolving around Hiro's attempts to grieve and move on following his brother's death, and explicitly rejecting most of the traditional "cliche" lines like "You'll always remember him," and such. My sole major complaint is one glaring instance where the hero, in a moment of rage, orders his robot to "destroy" the villain, rather than what he plainly means. It's out of place in a script that mostly manages to treat its young viewers with respect, to be age-appropriate without talking down to them.
But now, the problem. In short, this film would have been better titled "The Hiro And Baymax Variety Hour." I don't mean to denigrate that, per se, because it's very good at being the story of a boy coping with his brother's death via robot. And, to be fair, it's largely been advertised that way. But I was hoping for a team picture, like Guardians of the Galaxy, where, despite an obvious main character, the whole cast has something to do or contribute. The other four members of the Big Hero 6 are almost an afterthought, important side characters rather than part of the main cast. Their parts could be written out of every scene in the movie but one (where they restrain a vengeful Hiro from taking a life), and the movie would not only be still well-within an hour-and-a-half running time but, generally, no different! The characters are fine, but only Hiro gets any real focus or development. Where's Wasabi learning to get over his finicky nature when it counts, or Go Go learning that sometimes playing by the rules is the smart thing?
I do enjoy the film on its own merits, but I just can't help wishing it were a little more. Maybe in the sequel...