Big Hero 6 was almost a great movie. But no.

Rating: 5/10 (24 March 2015)

In many aspects, Big Hero 6 is conventional. It follows a linear, action-packed plot with a reasonably likable protagonist and his also reasonably likable friends as they battle a dangerous threat to the world as we know it, smashes the tears out of us with a beautifully animated climax scene, and leaves us feeling emotionally fulfilled. However, Big Hero 6 falls short of its greater predecessors, an acclaimed, almost cultish list that doesn't seem to ever leave us alone with its catchy songs and memorable plots, a list that includes Frozen, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph. Its dialogue is clunky, its story is slow and slippery, and it has no catchy songs (I actually hate it when movies have songs so I guess this is a good thing). It feels awkward at times, especially at the beginning, which has the constricting appearance of a plea from parents all across the globe for their children to show an interest in post-secondary education.
The film follows Hiro, a young robotics prodigy directing his talents toward the illegal ("But lucrative!") world of bot fighting whose future suddenly brightens when his brother convinces him to go to post-secondary. But, as with every great Disney movie, things fall apart just when they start looking up. Hiro suffers a devastating tragedy, leaving him bereft of any ambition that he once had. He deals with the pain of loss (which is a rather mature theme for a Disney film) with the help of his brother's healthcare robot, Baymax. Baymax, a white, pillowlike robot, is an attempt at making an adorable memorable creature that everyone loves, but he falls slightly short of classic Disney characters, like(the first coming to mind being) Stitch. His lack of "adorableness" is mostly due to his serious, completely non-robotic, 50-year old man voice. But he has his moments.
The villain is great. He is sinister (almost too sinister) and one-sidedly cruel. Although, when the mask comes off, you find yourself sighing at the obviousness of what was under it in the first place.
There is no denying it, however. Big Hero 6 is beautifully animated, its action scenes are spectacularly choreographed, and it is easily one of the best animated films of the year.