BIG HERO 6

As seen in

www.camrosecanadian.com

In the past, Disney’s attempts at CG-animated flicks have been lackluster at best.  Do you remember Meet the Robinsons? Either does most.  Luckily, after Wreck It Ralph and some movie called Frozen (not sure if you’ve heard of that one), they have emerged as a contender again.  So, enter the new one, Big Hero 6.

We are introduced to the fictional city of San Fransoyko.  As the name may have given away, it is a mix of San Francisco and Tokyo. This tale tells us of Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter); a young prodigy with a flair for robotic creation.  Hiro is so incredibly talented yet chooses to put these talents to all the wrong things, like underground Bot Fighting.  After a close call with a sore loser, Hiro is rescued by his brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney).  His brother doesn’t like the path Hiro is on and takes him to the University where he can see the work his brother and fellow “geeks” do in the Robotics Department.  Tadashi shows Hiro the adorable, inflatable Baymax; a Personal Health Care Companion robot that could revolutionize the health care industry forever. After a cool introduction to some of the other toys, Hiro decides that the University just might be a good fit for him. All Hiro needs to do is impress Professor Calahan (James Cromwell) at the SFIT Showcase; a science fair that showcases your talent and why you are worthy. Hiro, steps up to the challenge and creates a neural-controlled Micro-Bot technology that could change everything.  This piques the interest of others, and when a mysterious fire/explosion breaks out at the fair, claiming the life of Tadashi, the fingers start pointing.  However, when Hiro’s Micro-Bots show up under the control of a masked villain, it is up to Hiro, Baymax, and the geeky group of heroes from the Robotics Department to reveal the identity of this madman and stop him once and for all.

It took a very creative team of animators and visionaries to pull this off, and pull it off they did.  The architecture of the city really impressed me throughout. The humorous (yet creative) Asian re-imagining of popular SF landmarks made me laugh every time.  In conclusion, I really did enjoy this one.  Its refreshingly original story, combined with its lovable robotic lead, make for an all around great flick for everyone.  While you could argue how one-dimensional its characters were (aside from, ironically, the robot), and perhaps it had a hint of predictability – but it did not matter.  It had you gripped to its story, laughing at all the right times, and kept you at the edge of your seat on command.  This IS the best animated film of the year.  Perhaps the Academy has already printed the plate on the Best Animated Feature Oscar.  I think we can officially say it – Disney has done it again.