The film follows Hiro Hamada, a 14 year old robotics genius looking for a career in back-alley robot fights. His brother Tadashi attempts to stall this career by introducing Hiro to his lab team of 'nerds' known as GoGo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Fred. Tadashi also introduces Hiro to Baymax, his latest creation; Baymax acts as a healthcare companion to the brothers. After disaster strikes a local building, Hiro decides to make some serious modifications to Baymax's cuddly, loveable appearance and with the help of the 'nerds', puts together a super team, ready to save San Fransokyo from an ominous oncoming danger…
First off, the animation quality is as expected from the leading studio in this field. The visuals are completely stunning, utilising every technological trick available, right down to a molecular levels; multiple scenes involving tiny 'Microbots' are a serious example of how far movie animation has come. All the characters are realised with a wonderful texture and realism, but still retains the modern Disney feel. All the characters appearances are clearly devised by the same team that made Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen but it all still feels new and exciting, with the city of San Fransokyo brimming with life and detail that would never have been realised 5 years ago. Technology is moving faster than ever and this film's team recognises this through a world of fantastical robots, air balloons, armoured suits and a plethora of wonderful technology that does not seem out of reach in today's world. This beautiful feast for the eyes is a clear indication that animation is truly unlimited visually.
Story-wise, this film surprisingly takes a darker turn. While Baymax oozes adorableness through the screen and can't seem to say a single line without the audience giggling uncontrollably, there is a far heavier focus on personal loss and the darker side of the human condition. The development of Baymax and Hiro's relationship captures something far more visceral and real than other Disney features and unapologetically addresses the affect of death far more openly than previous outings. This is a gallant attempt to push boundaries while still balancing the emotional ark with classic Disney humour. The comedy is still as on-point as ever with multiple laugh-out-loud moments where adults and kids alike will be splitting their sides, especially with anything involving the immensely loveable Baymax. This film seems to cater towards all age groups with a far more balanced sense of humour, with little to no jokes being purely for kids. With the Marvel formula teamed alongside Disney animation, the story doesn't ever seem to lose steam. However Disney does fall into one unfortunate trap with BH6's main storyline, the predictability trap:
The main villain for the film is fantastically brought to life, with powers providing an unlimited set of resources with which to terrorise San Fransokyo. However, while the identity of the villain remains a mystery for a large portion of the film, the eventual reveal is far too predictable; upon introductions I figured out who it was through very simple logical deduction and classic story telling mistakes, which did spoil the big unveiling quite a bit. However the story does expand on this with a couple of big surprises behind the villain's motivations.
The soundtrack is very good as well, which is to be expected from a Disney film. With a couple of Marvel films under his belt already, Henry Jackman has unashamedly stuck to the classic hero film formula for his score, but he has updated it with a wonderful array of new sounds that offset and compliment the classic orchestral romp of heroes past. There is plenty to enjoy musically and while it is not hugely original, the score serves its purpose with a wonderful homage to classic hero music and it suits the fun and adventurous nature of the film.
Overall this is a wonderful Marvel adaptation, with Disney pushing further into new territory while maintaining the style and storytelling that we know and love. It balances drama with outstanding comedy, with Baymax being an absolute classic comedy character to be remembered for many years to come. While it does suffer from the occasional fall into the predictability safety net, brilliant new characters and a willingness to address a much larger range in the human emotional spectrum make Big Hero 6 the perfect catalyst to potentially bring about a long-lasting maturity in future Disney features.
Highly recommend for all Disney and Marvel fans.