Credible Credits
Year: 2014
Director: Don Hall and Chris Williams
Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, and Maya Rudolph
Synopsis: When a mysterious supervillain threatens San Fransokyo, five science nerds and an inflatable healthcare robot transform themselves into high-tech heroes.
Synopsis: When a mysterious supervillain threatens San Fransokyo, five science nerds and an inflatable healthcare robot transform themselves into high-tech heroes.
Review
Before I get to the feature film, let me just mention the short that preceded it. It's called Feast and is about a dog, his owner, and the food they share. In true Disney form, it is a beautiful little short that is also quite charming. I grinned the whole time.
In case you don't know, Big Hero 6 is loosely based on a relatively obscure Marvel comic book series. As such, it is a fun crossover of the Marvel and Disney brands, bringing the best of both into a family-friendly action romp.
First off, Big Hero 6 is gorgeously animated. The fictional city of San Fransokyo is beautifully and richly imagined. It is a slightly futuristic metropolis that still feels grounded and relatable, just full of possibilities. The city is so fun to admire, you almost want Baymax to do another flyby just to take more in.
The story basically comes down to a superhero origin story. That is not always the easiest thing to tackle. Fortunately, these characters are unknown, so their story manages to be both fresh and familiar. Rather than shy away from what it is, the film is self-aware enough that it acknowledges and pokes fun at its being an origin story.
While the story starts out strong and engaging, it loses a little of that power toward the end. To borrow a fitting thought from a review I saw, it kind of turns into an episode of Scooby Doo by the end. It's just Scooby Doo with superheros and an inflatable robot instead of a Great Dane. The problem is the villain. I can't say much without getting into spoilers. But the villain went from menacing to bland. It's terrific that the villain in the kabuki mask is completely no nonsense. He is both mysterious and menacing as he immediately goes after our heroes once they are on his trail. He says nothing. They are in his way, so he tries to get rid of them. That's awesome. But then he's unmasked and it really does feel a bit like Scooby Doo with a bunch of meddling kids foiling an elaborate plot.
Aside from the villain, all the other characters are fun, quirky, and endearing. You can't not love Baymax. His gentle naivete is refreshing. And he gives the best fist bumps ever. Hiro (the main character) and his older brother have a great, believable relationship and both are characters you just want to root for. But it's the other members of the team that are so fun. Go Go is the no nonsense adrenaline junkie. Honey Lemon is the unflappable optimist. Wasabi is the down-to-earth neat-freak. And Fred is the uber-excited fanboy. Each is just so fun. And rather than super powers, they are all super nerds, in the science sense (well, except Fred). They each use their specialized science skills to become high-tech heroes. Science has never seemed so cool.
How all those characters come together and work together is one of the charms of the movie. And it's really funny to watch them interact. And because each character is so different, there's someone relatable for almost everyone. I personally liked Wasabi best, especially when Go Go disrupted his meticulously organized tool set.
True to the Disney brand, Big Hero 6 is not only funny, it also has a lot of heart. For a movie geared toward kids, it does a good job dealing with some of the weightier emotions that drive the plot. You care about the characters. It's a pleasure to spend time with them.
While it is not without its flaws, I highly recommend Big Hero 6. It's beautiful, funny, heart-warming, and action-packed. You could see it for Baymax alone and get your money's worth.
*** Spoiler Section ***
A good villain is crucial. What would The Avengers be without Loki? Or Batman without the Joker? Or the Incredibles without Syndrome? This kind of movie needs a strong villain who is not only menacing but engrossing and/or unexpected. When Hans revealed himself as the villain in Frozen I was blown away. I did not see that coming. But the moment Professor Callaghan was introduced I thought, "Well, there's the villain." And as soon as Alistair Krei was introduced I knew he was the decoy we were supposed to think was the villain. That right there is a fairly classic Scooby Doo misdirect.
Now I'm not saying revenge isn't a good motivation for a villain. It works. It has worked hundreds, even thousands of times. But this time it just wasn't believable. Callaghan is introduced as a kind, attentive professor who shows interest in his students. For him to turn around and be completely callous at Tadashi's death just doesn't fit. Nor does it fit that in his grief he would now seek to kill his former students. Yes, grief can do terrible things to a person. But I found it hard to believe. If he was so grief-stricken and consumed with thoughts of revenge, how has nobody noticed? And all it takes is one cool science project to push him over the edge into a homicidal supervillain? I'm sure there were easier ways Callaghan could have gotten revenge on Krei.
To me it felt like Callaghan would want to kidnap Krei and force him to resume work on the teleportation technology in the fragile hope that his daughter might somehow be alive, trapped in the realm between the portals. That would have fit the character better.
I loved the film, but Callaghan as a supervillain was a major disappointment. If he hadn't been so worried about his daughter, I really would have expected him to utter the familiar, "And I would've gotten away with it, if it weren't for those meddling kids."
In case you don't know, Big Hero 6 is loosely based on a relatively obscure Marvel comic book series. As such, it is a fun crossover of the Marvel and Disney brands, bringing the best of both into a family-friendly action romp.
First off, Big Hero 6 is gorgeously animated. The fictional city of San Fransokyo is beautifully and richly imagined. It is a slightly futuristic metropolis that still feels grounded and relatable, just full of possibilities. The city is so fun to admire, you almost want Baymax to do another flyby just to take more in.
The story basically comes down to a superhero origin story. That is not always the easiest thing to tackle. Fortunately, these characters are unknown, so their story manages to be both fresh and familiar. Rather than shy away from what it is, the film is self-aware enough that it acknowledges and pokes fun at its being an origin story.
While the story starts out strong and engaging, it loses a little of that power toward the end. To borrow a fitting thought from a review I saw, it kind of turns into an episode of Scooby Doo by the end. It's just Scooby Doo with superheros and an inflatable robot instead of a Great Dane. The problem is the villain. I can't say much without getting into spoilers. But the villain went from menacing to bland. It's terrific that the villain in the kabuki mask is completely no nonsense. He is both mysterious and menacing as he immediately goes after our heroes once they are on his trail. He says nothing. They are in his way, so he tries to get rid of them. That's awesome. But then he's unmasked and it really does feel a bit like Scooby Doo with a bunch of meddling kids foiling an elaborate plot.
Aside from the villain, all the other characters are fun, quirky, and endearing. You can't not love Baymax. His gentle naivete is refreshing. And he gives the best fist bumps ever. Hiro (the main character) and his older brother have a great, believable relationship and both are characters you just want to root for. But it's the other members of the team that are so fun. Go Go is the no nonsense adrenaline junkie. Honey Lemon is the unflappable optimist. Wasabi is the down-to-earth neat-freak. And Fred is the uber-excited fanboy. Each is just so fun. And rather than super powers, they are all super nerds, in the science sense (well, except Fred). They each use their specialized science skills to become high-tech heroes. Science has never seemed so cool.
How all those characters come together and work together is one of the charms of the movie. And it's really funny to watch them interact. And because each character is so different, there's someone relatable for almost everyone. I personally liked Wasabi best, especially when Go Go disrupted his meticulously organized tool set.
True to the Disney brand, Big Hero 6 is not only funny, it also has a lot of heart. For a movie geared toward kids, it does a good job dealing with some of the weightier emotions that drive the plot. You care about the characters. It's a pleasure to spend time with them.
While it is not without its flaws, I highly recommend Big Hero 6. It's beautiful, funny, heart-warming, and action-packed. You could see it for Baymax alone and get your money's worth.
*** Spoiler Section ***
A good villain is crucial. What would The Avengers be without Loki? Or Batman without the Joker? Or the Incredibles without Syndrome? This kind of movie needs a strong villain who is not only menacing but engrossing and/or unexpected. When Hans revealed himself as the villain in Frozen I was blown away. I did not see that coming. But the moment Professor Callaghan was introduced I thought, "Well, there's the villain." And as soon as Alistair Krei was introduced I knew he was the decoy we were supposed to think was the villain. That right there is a fairly classic Scooby Doo misdirect.
Now I'm not saying revenge isn't a good motivation for a villain. It works. It has worked hundreds, even thousands of times. But this time it just wasn't believable. Callaghan is introduced as a kind, attentive professor who shows interest in his students. For him to turn around and be completely callous at Tadashi's death just doesn't fit. Nor does it fit that in his grief he would now seek to kill his former students. Yes, grief can do terrible things to a person. But I found it hard to believe. If he was so grief-stricken and consumed with thoughts of revenge, how has nobody noticed? And all it takes is one cool science project to push him over the edge into a homicidal supervillain? I'm sure there were easier ways Callaghan could have gotten revenge on Krei.
To me it felt like Callaghan would want to kidnap Krei and force him to resume work on the teleportation technology in the fragile hope that his daughter might somehow be alive, trapped in the realm between the portals. That would have fit the character better.
I loved the film, but Callaghan as a supervillain was a major disappointment. If he hadn't been so worried about his daughter, I really would have expected him to utter the familiar, "And I would've gotten away with it, if it weren't for those meddling kids."
Quotable Quotes
- "This is like our origin story!" -- Fred
- "Why are you stopping?" "The light's red." "There are no red lights in car chases!" Go Go and Wasabi
- "Flying makes me a better healthcare companion." -- Baymax
ISFS
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