We live in a golden age for animated movies, with the endless possibilities that come from the ability to manifest our imaginations through computer pixels, or stimulate the heart in the way that only a hand-drawn Miyazaki can.
The great Japanese master is hanging up his paint brush, leading many to believe that Ghibli will stop producing traditional animated fare. There are also worrying signs that fatigue brought on by a crowded marketplace has led to diminishing returns for the likes of How to Train Your Dragon 2, and lazy brand familiarity has seen Penguins of Madagascar belly flop like its titular birds.
But we needn’t have worried, because a young boy and his 120psi robot friend are set to kick start 2015 with a bang.
Hiro Hamada loves battling robots, taking on indestructible behemoths and defeating them with the intricate cleverness of his micro-inventions. He idolises his big brother, so when a tragedy befalls the laboratory in which his sibling is working, Hiro is left with a surrogate in the form of Baymax, a rotund inflatable robot who’s programmed to take care of others.
So far, so Disney. Things change when an evil threat begins to loom over the city of San Fransokyo, and Hiro finds another use for Baymax as a reluctant superhero, and together with a group of likeminded technogeeks forms the “Big Hero 6”.
Based on a series of Marvel characters that even The Guardians of the Galaxy would shrug their shoulders at, Big Hero 6 is the perfect melding of the Mouse House sensibilities under the stewardship of former Pixar whizz John Lasseter, and the creative action mechanics of the studio responsible for the Avengers.
The film’s overwhelming success is with the creation of Baymax, an E.T. and Toothless style companion for an abandoned boy. It’s a familiar trope, as is much of what’s on display, but the relationship is so beautifully handled, through a combination of the animators’ skill and the wonderful voicework, that the humour is charming and the emotion heart-achingly touching.
Commendably, this a kid’s film that doesn’t patronise its target audience. Much like Paddington and Dragon 2, it deals with loss, family, and acceptance of those who are different, without it ever feeling shoehorned or mawkish. Every moment of morality is earned because of the time taken to flesh out this world and the characters in it. Their conversations never become soundbites, Baymax isn’t reduced to a catchphrase spewing marketing device. When he’s funny, it’s because you’re enamoured with the character, rather than being a gimmick.
Absolutely gorgeous to look at, with action that soars, a baddy that is actually scary rather than a wise-cracking, singing and dancing caricature, Big Hero 6 is a fusion of cultures and genres that differentiates it from the crowd, sidesteps superhero exhaustion, and leaves you with a feeling as warm as a big Baymax hug.
‘Big Hero 6’
Directors: Don Hall & Chris Williams
Voices: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsitt, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller
Running time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
4 stars out of 5
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