Best Animated Film of 2014?

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2015)

The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
As of now (January 2015), the Academy Award announcements have yet to be made. But the buzz has indicated that "The Lego Movie" has set itself up as the animated film to beat at this year's awards. And, indeed, it is a strong contender, easily outshining "The Boxtrolls" and edging out "How to Train Your Dragon 2" (if only because this is a sequel).
But the best film of the year is "Big Hero 6", without a doubt. Others have called it "well balanced", and that is the perfect way to describe why it succeeds. There is humor, there is action, there is a serious plot (with characters actually dying). It is sophisticated enough for adults, but not so dark that it would scare off children. This really has a very wide appeal.
Fans of the comic book (if any exist) may be disappointed, because the book and the film have almost nothing in common beyond a few character names. Even Baymax has somehow been transformed from a dragon to a cuddly marshmallow. But perhaps the new incarnations are even better than the old ones? Especially considering how few people had ever heard of the comic book versions.