Big Hero 6

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

Disney Animation Studios is on a roll and they are officially the new "Pixar".

I'm sure many of you already know their history a bit, but I'll enlighten those of you who don't.

They are responsible for Tangled (never saw it but I heard it was great), Wreck-it Ralph (one of my favorite animated films ever), and Frozen (a fantastic film, albeit one that I overrated considerably upon first viewing).

Despite all three of those successes, I just couldn't get that excited for Disney Animation Studios' newest film, Big Hero 6, based on a Marvel comic book from Asia. A lot of that was probably because most of my hype was well reserved in the Interstellar tank, but even still, for a studio that has cranked out three near-classics on their last attempts, I feel like I should have been running to the theaters for this one.

But I digress, as usual. My point being is that YOU should run to the theater to see Big Hero 6, especially if you have children, because it's another Disney film that pretty much everyone will enjoy immensely.

Big Hero 6 tells the origin story of sorts for this group of heroes. After a villain steals Hiro's microbot invention, Hiro enlists the power of his friends and Baymax, a robot healthcare worker, to save the day. In this regard, the film is really nothing special, especially when you compare it to the borderline genius world and plot of Wreck-it Ralph, but the sooner that you accept that this is another "superhero" origin story, the sooner you can get on with having a blast.

Baymax had my theater and I in stitches

As I've always said before, an animated film lives or dies on its characters, and Big Hero 6 is no exception to that rule. 14 year old, genius Hiro is a decent leading character, but, much like the story, a bit too clichéd. His friends Fred, Go-go, Wasabi (voiced very obviously, but well by Damon Wayans Jr.), and Honey Lemon are all memorable, if not a bit one-dimensional themselves. But then again, this is an animated movie we are talking about here. There is a human element to the characters relationships as the film earns its PG rating in a few scenes that turn dark and place some stakes on the proceedings. The star of the show however (there's always one isn't there?) is Baymax, and Disney has crafted him to be one of their more memorable, and dare I say, iconic characters in quite some time. His innocence from being a healthcare robot is adorable but creates some absolutely gut-busting funny moments, my personal favorite of which was him learning how to "fist bump". It might have been the hardest I've laughed all year, and every single adult and child in my theater was cracking up, not just at that gag, but at nearly all the other jokes scattered throughout the film's quick runtime. Baymax is just such a lovable and naturally funny character that it's truly hard to not be instantly amused by him.

Cool powers, underdeveloped characters

Much like the other Disney Animation Studios films, the animation also deserves a huge call out in Big Hero 6. It's frighteningly amazing, particularly when a lot of detail is on screen. I saw it in 3D just by chance of the movie time I selected and I'm actually quite glad that I did. The 3D was never used as a gimmick and really made a lot of the details pop. The villain in particular was incredible (both as a character and as a animation). He controls the microbots that number in the hundreds of thousands I'm sure, and the sheer number of moving pieces on screen is staggering at times, especially during any one of the film's phenomenal action sequences.

A very cool villain with incredible animation

Big Hero 6 really doesn't do anything new or inventive in the way of origin stories and it's clichéd plot is something I would have expected better coming from this studio. But when you brush those details aside, its amazing characters, including the iconic Baymax, stunning animation and color pallet, humor and well orchestrated action sequences you get a film that is enjoyable from start to finish that practically dares you to say anything less than, "I loved it!"

Big Hero 6 joins an already-iconic group as one of the best animated films in a year where the tightest Oscar race might include LEGOs, dragons, and Baymax.

Who would've thought?

CONS:

• The story is uninventive, which, coming from this studio, is pretty surprising. There weren't any twists or turns I didn't see coming and the ending was predictable
• Hiro's friends don't generate laughs as often as the movie would like them to
• Forgettable original score

PROS:

• The characters, while most are a little underdeveloped and one-dimensional, are fun and the voice acting is strong. Hiro is a decent enough lead
• Baymax is iconic and absolutely hilarious. Some of the hardest I've laughed this year
• Fantastic animation. I'm not sure how this Studio keeps improving year after year, but sooner or later I swear it will be practically live-action
• Very colorful and fun and it certainly doesn't forget its Asian heritage
• A really cool villain with some awesome "powers"
• Awesome action scenes, especially considering that its PG
• A fun, funny, and completely entertaining animated feature and yet another notch in the belt of perfection/near-perfection for Disney Animated Studios

Rath's Review Score: 9/10