An emotional ride that strikes all the right cords at all the right moments.

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2015)

Big Hero 6 is the kind of film I enjoy watching for entertainment – yes, a bit of a redundant statement. You walk in expecting a fun animated film with wholesome family values and you walk out feeling like you got so much more. The narrative is easy to pull apart. It's a simple story told in a simple way; effective but shallow. Usually this will be a sore point as the narrative is the most important element in my opinion. Considering the genre and form of the film – 'fun animation' remember - I won't hammer on that. The narrative is rich with moments that are emotionally enthralling. The exciting moments are somehow extra exciting and the sad moments extra sad. The characters start off looking rich and promising but soon turn flat. The lead character is great, I enjoyed the development there and most of the other characters go through a small but significant development as well; right at the 'save the day' moment which is predictable but nicely done. The character of the villain however is disappointing. The change in the character is such a huge stretch and a lot of the setup for the villain is just nonsensical. The ending is cute but a team of tech savvy crime fighters made me sigh, why is returning to a life of science not enough? As a bit of an aside, the resolution for the villain is surprisingly bleak and effects more people than just the villain; none of them in a positive way. With the values the film present and the family friendly attitude of the story, I found that character resolution a shock. Not necessarily a bad thing, the complexities of responsibility is also a valuable lesson even though you wouldn't expect to find it in a friendly animation film. The style of the film is beautiful. The animation and the sound is immersive and the moments get their intent spot on; funny is really funny, sad is really sad, disappointing is uncomfortably disappointing, and that makes this an entertaining film in the moment. I found it didn't leave me with any afterthought (perfectly acceptable) but it did leave me with a smile on my face and thoughts of when I was younger.