On to a Winner

Rating: 7/10 (5 May 2016)

Big Hero 6 can be considered as Disney's first outright animated superhero film and its surprising that it took so long given the genres immense popularity. There have been times when the area has been touched on before and Pixar have delved into it with The Incredibles, but this is the first time we get to see Disney adapt an actual comic to the big screen. Loosely based on the Marvel comic strip, the film takes advantage of being animated and allows itself to be as creative as possible. It follows Hiro as he, his robot Baymax and four of his friends form a superhero team following an accident involving his brother.
The story flows very well, providing plenty of excitement and adventure, whilst getting surprisingly emotional on a number of occasions. Our protagonist Hiro does grow throughout the film and it is very effective. We see him struggle to decide his future, then his world comes crashing down and it's not until Baymax starts to help him that he realises he can depend on on his friends. There is certainly a depth to this story that goes beyond many Disney films, with many parts touching on issues such as depression and the how important friendship can be to an adolescent. It is done very subtly and never tries to push any of these ideas down the audience's throat, which was a welcomed thing. Though I would have enjoyed more superhero material I can't fault the film for dealing with such complex themes.
The characters are both entertaining and relatable. Hiro can be a little flippant but he has all the traits of someone struggling with themselves. He can be self-assured, humorous and brash yet he is also sensitive and despondent at times. He is a well-rounded character and he develops as the film goes on. Baymax is by far the funniest thing here. He gets plenty of amusing lines and offers some great physical comedy, but it's his warm temperament and genuine innocent that are always charming. Hiro's brother Tadashi is also very likable and the bond between the two is strong from the outset. I do think the side characters lack depth, especially compared to Hiro and Baymax, but they all have clear personalities and do offer plenty of laughs throughout. The main villain is something of a bore given his lack of personality, but his motivations are well thought-out.
Disney delivers the goods once again from an animation stance. The animation is very slick and detailed, giving just the right balance of colour and refinement to proceedings which match both the superhero style and the more subdued tone. The idea to combine San Francisco and Tokyo into the same city was genius and it looks spectacular here, the amount of detail in meshing the two cities together is clear and it provides a very unique setting. The action sequences were also very impressive. The fight scenes were graceful and smooth allowing for a lot of cool techniques, whilst still retaining a weight that made it look forceful. I also enjoyed the way in which the heroes' powers were shown and they were inventive with what they created.
The dramatic writing was certainly a standout feature. There were even a few tear inducing moments, most of them thanks to Hiro and his relationship to his brother. It felt like there was a real connection between these characters, even with a robot like Baymax, which is where a lot of the films strength comes from. There is a real maturity to this writing and an understanding, the writers really captured what it feels like to be going through these emotions. Even the villains motivation, which can suffer from feeling forced, felt totally justifiable here. The comedy worked well for the most part too. Though I would have liked little more, there was plenty of versatility in the jokes and the slapstick was fantastic when it popped up.
For me Big Hero 6 continued Disney's run of excellent CG animation. This is certainly an example of a film that has more to it than expected. What appears to be a fun superhero adventure frequently delves into some pretty mature themes and the characters have motivations that are deeper than they first appear. I enjoyed these characters, wanting to spend time with them and see them develop. From a technical aspect the film is tough to fault, the animation looks beautiful, the action is excellent and there is a lot of creativity to the world that it has crafted. A little more superhero and comedic pieces wouldn't have been out of place, but the film deserves credit for the challenging angle it takes. It's a film that balances itself perfectly and rewards you with its level of maturity.