A pretty fun Disney film

Rating: 7/10 (13 February 2015)

'Big Hero 6' isn't my favourite animated film of 2014 (that distinction belongs to 'The Lego Movie'). However, it is enjoyable and entertaining.
What makes this films work is its characters and their interactions with one another. Hiro, the main character, isn't wholly original. He's your typical genius kid protagonist that you see in a good amount of family films. However, he is fairly well rounded enough to root for and be an enjoyable presence. I particularly liked a brief moment in the film in which his character took a slightly dark turn, which something that I don't normally expect from a hero (or should I say Hiro lol) in a Disney film. Baymax is also a fun character. His voice actor, Scott Adsit, does a great job of bringing him to life and giving him the right balance of robotic monotone and human personality. The relationship between the pair, which acts as the film's emotional centre, is definitely one of the film's strongest elements.
The other members of the "Big Hero 6" are also enjoyable characters. They never overshadow the two main characters and don't really go beyond the stereotypes of their characterisations but they serve their purpose. The highlight of this group is Fred, a superhero and giant monster enthusiast who is probably the film's best source of humour.
The film is also very pleasing to look at. Like any film from Disney's main animation studio, the animation is top notch. The film takes place in San Fransokyo, a wonderful amalgamation of Japanese and American culture.
However, this film is not without flaws most of which come from the script. It has a very clichéd and predictable story. The reveal of the villain's identity isn't surprising at all. Even when the villain has been revealed, he isn't really interesting or well written. For the most part, the dialogue is pretty good. However, there are a handful of lines that aren't. In particular, one line of exposition feels very forced and unnatural. There was also a plot hole that momentarily took me out of the film (which I won't reveal in case you want to figure it out for yourself).
The film contains two scenes in where our main characters construct their inventions over a period of time. The first one was told through time lapse, a decision that I quite liked. The second one, however, was your standard montage. The montage isn't bad but the use of 'Immortals' by Fall Out Boy in it felt out of the place and didn't really convey the emotion of the scene.
'Big Hero 6' is not the best animation has to offer but it is still a light-hearted and enjoyable film with some well-executed emotional scenes. If you're a fan of Disney animation, you should check it out.
http://boxd.it/55V4T