A very eye-pleasing kids film with something for the adults

Rating: 6/10 (1 March 2015)

There are quite a few people who claim this film is boring. Having just watched it I will admit that yes, there are a few spots where the action and drive seem to slow down considerably, but honestly I think that, overall, the main characters are too lovable to not enjoy. The source of conflict is thin and perhaps if the movie had been centered around the misadventures of Baymax and the Harada family it would have been a bit more enjoyable for some, but for what the final product was I'm not too terribly disappointed. Can you believe that some people were up in arms over the fact that Honey Lemon was Hispanic but not "Hispanic enough"? Talk about splitting hairs over technicalities of a film!
Anyway, I almost cried twice during the movie which seems to be a common occurrence when cute things are feeling deep emotional pain on my TV/computer screen (what happened to my emotionally- insensitive exoskeleton of middle school? Oh to be young).
The setting is San Franstokyo, a beautiful mix-mash of a city in what I can only assume is Japerica/Ameripan that seamlessly blends East and West together. The characters I found were quirky and dimensional in their own ways. Go Go, Fred, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon were great believable sidekicks who brought their own personalities to the table despite their limited screen time. Big brother Tadashi was one of the most endearing characters I have ever had the pleasure to meet in a piece of fiction and I was heartbroken when he died.
Despite it being a bit muted and brief, the topic of loss of a loved one plays itself into the film though it was a bit bogged down by "THE MISSION" that Hiro sets himself on.
The animation is beautiful and sleek though, and I can never fault a film for using neon colors. Ever.
What struck me during the scene of Baymax and Hiro flying in the air over the city after acquiring their new super suits was that it echoed of Osamu Tezuka's works like Astro Boy which sought to fuse Western and Eastern cultures and people together into one satisfying coming-of- age story. I don't want to speak for Osamu Tezuka, but I think he of all people would have been a bit impressed by how far we've come in regards to "A boy and his robot" story. The film also reminded me of The Iron Giant but what movie with kids and robots doesn't?
Overall I would recommend seeing it at least once.