Big Hero Restores Faith

Big Hero 6, a computer animated film released by Walt Disney Animation on November 17, combines the themes of comedy and action through the story of a 14-year old robotics genius and his inflatable robot companion. 

The film follows Hiro Hamada and his adventures with Baymax, an inflatable robot/healthcare companion. Working with four other quirky companions, Hiro attempts to find a masked man named Yokai, who Hiro blames for the death of someone dear to his heart. But first, he has to keep an eye out for Baymax; balloon robots aren’t exactly made for the city.

When I first heard of this movie, I was excited for it. But a part of me also expected to be let down, due to the plethora of cheesy, nearly plot-less animated films I’ve seen in the past. I braced myself for utter disappointment when I entered the movie theater.

I have never been so glad to be so wrong.

The story is a roller coaster of feelings, ranging from heartwarming moments to silly laugh-out-loud scenes to the dreaded “sad part.” I would have cried along with everyone else, if I had actually had a heart. All jokes aside, the plot line was definitely well made, with just the right amount of plot twist. Most of the characters’ personalities were developed and interesting, instead of just being flat and stereotypical.

I would have liked some others to be a bit more thought out, however. Take Fred for example: Fred, one of Hiro’s friends, is portrayed as a comic book loving junkie and wannabe super hero, and honestly it doesn’t go much deeper than that. Nevertheless, the good story line makes up for this downfall.

The animation was an astounding plus; everything was so detailed and beautifully done. I especially loved how the animators combined elements of both San Francisco and Tokyo, two of my favorite cities, to create San Fransokyo, where the movie takes place.

Even though I can’t rank this movie as being as good as some of Disney’s other legendary films (Finding Nemo, the Lion King, Toy Story) Big Hero 6 is definitely one of their best. This is the one movie that has restored my faith in Disney’s animation department.

Also, you might want to bring a some tissues along. Just in case.